God's Got It All In Control Part VI

     Today I want to talk about a deeper process of discipline, correction and training we must go through. 

     In I Peter 1: 6 & 7 it tells us what that process is.

          Verse 6:  In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials.

     Verse 7:  That the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

     Let's look at the word "distressed" and find out what this word means.  It is a combination of two Greek words.  The first one is "Thlao" that means: To break and "Thlibo" means:  To crush, press, compress, squeeze and pressure.

     So what happens is God takes us through a breaking process that pressures the flesh into submission through tests by fire that ultimately reveals our true nature and character. It's only through the fire can the quality and purity of gold be revealed.  The hotter the fire the purer the character and then Jesus can be revealed in you.

     Going back to our main scripture text Hebrews 12, let's continue now with verses 12 & 13.

          Verse 12:   So then, brace up and reinvigorate and set right your slackened and weakened and drooping hands and strengthen your feeble and palsied and totering knees

     Verse 13:  And cut through and make firm and plain and smooth, straight paths for your feet (yes, make them safe and upright and happy paths that go in the right direction), so that the lame and halting (limbs) may not be put out of joint, but rather may be cured.

     Let's dig deeper into some of the words in these scriptures so we have a better understanding of what the Holy Spirit is trying to teach us. 

     In verse 12 it tells us to "brace up" and "reinvigorate" which means:  To be strong and resolute in facing difficulty.  Some translations say:  Lift up which means:  To restore to straightness or erectness and was used by medical writers of the act of setting dislocated parts of the body.  So when someone is "reinvigorated" they are made to be energetic or have more energy to finish the journey and not fail the test.  But how do we do that?  By strengthening them, coming along side them in prayer and by encouraging those that have become feeble and paralyzed are able to stand erect, straight and upright to finish the race that has been set before them.

     In Proverbs 4:25 & 26 tells us:

          Verse 25:  Let your eyes look right on ( with fixed purpose) and let your gaze be straight before you.

          Verse 26:  Consider well the path of your feet, and let all of your ways be established and ordered aright.

     When we set our eyes on the truth and we cut through all of the fear and doubt, it's then we can begin to see the path that is set before us clearly.  We can see all obstacles and the pitfalls in our path.  We're able to avoid falling and becoming lame because we're walking in the right direction. We're established because we know that our foot steps have been ordered by the Lord.  The limbs that were once weak and unstable have become strong and are healed. 

          Verse 14:  Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.

          Verse 15:  See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springs up causes trouble, and by it may be defiled.

     Part of the disciplining and correcting process that God takes us through is for sanctification purposes.  

     If we look up the word "sanctification"  it says that it means:  Separation and a setting apart.  

     We know according to the word of God that we are "positionally sanctified" because we are in Christ as I Corinthians tells us:

          Verse 30:  But it is from Him that you have your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom from God, (revealed to us a knowledge of the divine plan of salvation previously hidden, manifesting itself as) our righteousness, sanctification (thus making us upright and putting us in right standing with God), and our consecration (making us pure and holy), and our redemption (providing our ransom from eternal penalty for sin).

     Another aspect of sanctification that I want to talk about is "experiential "sanctification" that is brought about through trials, tests, discipline and correction from the Lord.  It's only through our day to day experiences can wrong thinking be exposed and we see the true intent of our heart. When test and trials come our wrong emotions and reactions begin to surface and God shows us where our character needs to be reformed into His character. This is when the fire gets hotter and the dross begins to surface, but we must go through this in order for us to go on to maturity and understand the grace of God.

     Let's go back to verse 15 that says:   That no root of bitterness springs up causes trouble, and by it may be defiled.

     What is a "root of bitterness"?  If we look up these words in the dictionary this is what it says: 
 
     Root:  A root is the part of the plant that anchors itself to the top layer of soil and extends itself deep into the ground to find water and nutrients.

     Bitterness:  Someone who expresses anger, resentment and intense hostility.

     If we harbor bitterness in our heart for any length of time it opens the door for demonic activity in our lives.  That bitterness turns into unforgiveness, resentment and hatred.  Many times we are bitter towards someone who has hurt us very deeply or someone who we think has wronged us.  Sometimes it's from disappointment in a person, in ourselves and even in God.  We harbor angry thoughts against Him because He did not do what we wanted Him to do nor did He act and respond the way we thought He should have.  We blame Him because we expect Him to rescue us out of the trial or test not understanding the reason or the depth that He is trying to work in our life.  So we put up our wall and allow our hearts to become hard and we slowly but surely loose intimacy with God and we become morally and spiritually corrupt that leads to defilement.

     In closing let's go to James 2-4 and see what God is saying to us.

          Verse 2:  Consider it all joy my brethren, when you encounter various trials.

          Verse 3:  Knowing that the testing (proved, trying) of your faith produces endurance.

          Verse 4:  And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

     The word that is so important to understand in these scripture is the word that I have underlined twice and that word is "endurance". 

     Once faith has produced "endurance"; it's perfect result will manifest the qualities in your character that will not surrender to adverse circumstance's nor give into the enemy under trials.  And the thorough and complete work will result in bring forth maturity and being fully developed in the areas where before there was lack. 

     I know that many of you are going through severe trials and tests that seem to come to now end, but beloved, God is right there in the midst of your storm.  He cares and is working in all aspects of your life even if you can't see it, feel it, or understand it.  I want to encourage you to stand fast and allow Him to work His perfect work in you because He has plan and a purpose or everything He allows to happen in your life. 

      Be strong and courageous in his season and in due time if you faint not there will be produced in you the precious fruit of the Spirit that will bless many others that I will bring in your path.  Increase will come as you learn to lean on me and not your own understanding. And as you learn to trust me you will grow in leaps and bounds in you faith and you will speak to that mountain in your life and in others and it will be removed by and through the power of My Spirit. This is the season for Increase in My people....expect it and thank Me for it and I will reveal unto you the arena of ministry that I have for you in this season and time.  New things ahead and openings in places that you thought not possible....Am I not a God of the impossible? All things are possible in Me and through Me. 

Blessings

Elma Garlock