A Life in Exile

God has a way of revealing the truth of his Word at unexpected moments and in unexpected ways. Let me start with the biblical truth:

“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” (John 16:33 CSB)

The Lord Jesus spoke these words to his disciples as they were trying to come to grips with the idea of him leaving them. He’d already told them he would die and rise again, but they were struggling with the concept. The thought of him leaving them was tough. How would they make it without him?

Following Jesus is not a bed of roses.

Being chosen by Jesus is the greatest of honors. I cannot imagine what it was like to hear his teaching and see those miracles in person. They knew he was the Messiah, and their faith in him grew with each passing day, but that did not mean their life with him was easy—in fact, it became exponentially more difficult as Jesus stirred up the opposition of the religious leaders the closer he drew to the cross.

What happens when the man in whom you find all your hopes doesn’t solve all your problems? Thankfully, for the disciples, they had the clear words of their rabbi to remind them he never promised a trouble-free life, and post-ascension, they also had the Holy Spirit to help them understand just what those words meant and how to live by them.

I have appreciated the insights into these issues given by the writers of The Chosen TV series, as they have not shied away from the fact that Jesus did not heal everyone during his three years on this earth. His disciples were caught up in a conspiracy against their rabbi, aided by one of their own—Judas. Following his death and resurrection, they would hide from authorities, face arrest, persecution, and even martyrdom. I’m sure they never expected life with the Messiah would be like this.

We can’t appreciate the sweet without the bitter.

In the midst of these reflections, I had a visit from an old friend. Like the disciples, she was chosen by Jesus and came to accept him as her Lord and Savior. In the process, she turned her back on her former religion, her family, and any thought of an easy life. As she shared with me about all that has happened over the last twenty years, she made a very interesting statement. Even though the Lord opened a door for her to immigrate to another country which allowed her to live freely as a Christ-follower, she struggled and went through a deep depression that lasted over seven years.

“God allowed me to go through that time to cleanse me of everything that was keeping me from trusting him completely. I had to taste the bitterness of my own sin in order to really know the sweetness of his love for me.”

When a woman asked her recently why she still believed in Jesus and why she wouldn’t come back to Islam, she told her, “How can I go back to the darkness after I have known the light?”

Is her life easy? No. Does she have a strong church family to support her and build her up in her faith? No. Does she cling to Jesus? Every moment. Does he provide for her daily needs? Without fail.

Why does following Jesus have to be so hard?

During my friend’s visit, we watched the third episode of season 4 of The Chosen. It led us to the discussion of how Jesus allows hard things to happen, even to those he loves. I was reminded of two statements made by a fellow sufferer. His name was Job.

Should we accept only good from God and not adversity? (Job 2:10)

and

The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. (Job 1:21b)

As we continued our conversation, we talked about how times of suffering lead to the greatest growth in our faith and a stronger relationship with the Lord. God never changes. He is good all the time. I like how Dallas Jenkins put it in his comments relating to the issue of suffering. “God’s goodness eclipses suffering.” Since we recently had a solar eclipse, the use of this word was powerful in how it reflects the truth of life this side of eternity. Suffering is a given in a fallen world, yet, the goodness of God is also present, in this world and the next, and in Christ his goodness, his mercy, his grace, his provision, and so much more overshadows the darkness, helps us through the trials, and gives us peace despite our circumstances.

I look at my dear friend—her life is full of trials and hardships—AND YET, I have never seen a woman so dependent on Jesus, so in love with Jesus, so excited about all Jesus has in store for her. Why? Because she’s experienced his presence in the trials, in the suffering, in the hurt and rejection. She reminds me that life might be hard, but following Jesus is not. It’s so simple. All he’s required from us from the beginning is faith and obedience. He takes care of the rest.

This may be a bittersweet life, but only in knowing the reality of this life will we glory in the sweetness of the life yet to come.

Grace and Peace

If you missed the last Wednesday Wisdom, click HERE, or check out these other posts on suffering: Embrace Suffering, The Response to Suffering, A Purpose for the Pain, and Meanwhile…We Suffer.