Difficulty that won't leave

Originally posted April 19, 2010

Sometimes, I find my devotionals lead me to weird places. The first thing I was interested in today after reading 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 was this idea of Paul being swept away to "third heaven."

Come to find in Genesis 1:8, 20 we might consider the first heaven the atmosphere of Earth.

In Genesis 1:14, 16, we might consider the second heaven the sun, moon and stars.

Finally, in Genesis 28:12, we get the "Heaven of Heavens" which seems to be the place where God and the angels are about.

Well, the rest of the verses I read were getting along to Paul's thorn in the side. Many thing this was a partial blindness or complete blindness. How he thinks about this is not strange to anybody who has been afflicted with some ailment. Nobody likes being sick. Nobody likes to suffer or to be dependent upon others. We often cry out to God when we are in pain or experiencing difficulty.

The trick then is how we respond.

“I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” (Jeremiah 32:27)

Of course, God has a plan for our lives. Paul chose to rejoice or even boast in his suffering. Perhaps, that is the trick. Knowing that God is working out something in me or in his creation and that my present sufferings (big in my eyes) are nothing to be concerned about. It is my job simply to trust and obey.

Saying it is one thing. Living it is something completely different. I feel we need to practice it in the small things first. Faith is demonstrated in so many ways. Do not merely listen to the word, but do what it says. How are you at loving your friends? Now stretch, your neighbors? Now stretch further, your enemies - those that always get under your skin? How about seeking first his kingdom?

My gut says that if we do things like this, we will find very little time to worry about ourselves and we will end up living a life of love out loud.