MORNING MANNA       9/26/20

“Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word…. It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.” Psa. 119:67, 71

There are many hard lessons to be learned in life – things we would like to avoid. One of the most important is to accept what God allows. To do that we must realize that God is for us, not against us. His will is always right, best, and safest. But let’s face it, sometimes it appears that God is against us. We feel that He is treating us as an enemy rather than a friend, or one of His children. We feel fine as long as we fare well, but when trials come we feel we are being treated unfairly. That’s why Rom. 8:28 is so important – “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Not until we come to understand that God uses troubles and trials for our good and His glory are we able to accept them without complaint.

The truth is we sometimes need what we would never choose for ourselves. Scientists tell us that there are certain desert bushes whose seeds must be damaged before they can germinate. Covered with a hard shell they are impervious to water. Not until they are damaged by a storm do they begin to grow. When the heavy rain dislodges them and bangs them against the rocks the shell is cracked allowing them to absorb moisture and begin to grow. Even so, we often need the battering of a storm to soften our heart, promote growth, and transform us – making us fruitful. The experience is painful but profitable. Rather than curse our trials we ought to rejoice that God is in control, working in our life to accomplish something good. We might not see it now, but as the song says, “We’ll understand it better bye and bye”.