…There is wonderful joy
ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials
will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith
is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through
many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when
Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
The looming electronic sign,
posted at the entrance of the country road I travel regularly on my daily
commute, got my attention.
“New traffic pattern on or
about 3/31/17,” it warned.
New traffic pattern on this road? I wondered. What changes could
they make to this narrow two-mile two-lane road that meanders through the
countryside, skirting farmlands, wetlands, and a couple of small housing
communities?
With no sight of
construction under way, I was perplexed. What changes can be made in a week’s
time?
A few days later, things
began to take shape. Literally. Two new signposts appeared near the entrance of
each development. Although the signs themselves were enshrouded with a black
veil, I could still make out the familiar octagon shape. Stop signs!
These stop signs will
require traffic on the main road to stop when approaching these neighborhoods.
Having traveled this road most of my life, I know this will be an adjustment
for me, and I now appreciate the warnings from the changeable message signs.
They alert me to prepare.
But what if there were no
warnings? Would I be able to stop in time? Would I even notice the stop signs?
Life is changeable.
Sometimes we can see the
changes taking shape—the stop sign in the distance. Yet unveiled, it alerts us to
prepare. A looming career change alerts us to take a class. An aging parent alerts
us to prepare our homes to take them in.
Other times, the stop sign
suddenly appears out of nowhere, and life as we know it comes to a crashing
halt—the unexpected death of a loved one, a debilitating illness, or the loss
of a job.
Our traffic patterns change.
Sometimes it doesn’t seem
fair. And we may think God isn’t fair—and we’re right.
My pastor says, “He isn’t
fair; He is just. If He were fair, He would give us what we deserve.”[i]
But “he does not treat us as
our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the
heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as
far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from
us” (Psalm
103:10-12 NIV).
I am glad God spares me from
what I deserve, but why does He allow pain?
Scripture explains: “These
trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests
and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So
when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much
praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the
whole world.” (1
Peter 1:7 NLT).
God has a purpose in our
pain. And He is present in our pain.
Life changes, but God
doesn’t. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews
13:8).
He is always present, always faithful, and always has our best interest at
stake, working even the pain for our good (Romans
8:28 NIV).
Dear
God, the road of life is hard, but You are with me through it all. May I never
lose sight of You when new traffic patterns appear, for “there is wonderful joy
ahead” (1 Peter 1:6) when my faith remains strong. Amen.
[i]
For more on this topic, listen to Pastor Tom Cogle’s message, “Heartless
God,” #4 in the I Want To Believe,
But… series.
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