Good Monday morning! Last week, I learned that 5 years is about the expected lifespan for hot water heaters in our little town. That and the date of this most recent installation will go into the ol' memory bank. The tribulations of this world are for something, and the question we most often ask is, "What did I learn from this?" The most obvious lesson is that life in a fallen world really stinks at times. We might also learn that the devices made by man tend to breakdown over time and usage. These are the easy ones to learn. What do we learn about God's goodness in the midst of trials? Do we see the development in us of the gifts of the Holy Spirit? Do we note the growth of faith here in the heart of the troubled Christ-one? If we do not see the change over time coming out of these trials, we may as well be like the unbelievers bemoaning their circumstance. Lessons are tough here in the boot camp to eternity, but it could get a lot tougher if God didn't love us as He does.
Now, what do we not try to learn from the lesson of a tribulation? Eh? What do you mean by trying not to learn something? How about that thing we anxious folk tend to fall into: anxious rumination. That is the pattern of thinking over the bad things that did happen repeatedly, or bad things that could have happened but didn't, or all those other anxious thoughts that swirl in the mind endlessly. We don't want to learn to do that. When the tribulation ends, let it end. As our Lord begins the healing and growing, let His good work in us flourish without the anxious rumination. Do we tense up during the time of resting, anticipating that next trial? Don't learn to do that neither! Yes, there are things we don't want to learn from a trial of our faith.
Well, a new week has come, and I do believe I see my first pumpkin blossom out there. A reminder from God that life after the tribulation grows and blooms. God bless and keep you this week!
Bucky
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