God will use whatever he wants to display his glory. Including my dying dad.
The heart attack took him from a healthy man to a comatose paralytic. He lost his voice and couldn’t move, but never lost his faith. Dad suffered stately and died with dignity. His faith in the last few years of life led me to marvel in amazement. After the funeral, I sat there thinking that because of my dad’s example, many may have become Jesus’s followers.
Now I ask the question did God orchestrate my father’s illness for that very reason? Knowing the value, he places on one life; I wouldn’t be surprised. And imagining the beauty of heaven, I know my father will not complain.
Today, a season of suffering is a small assignment when compared to the reward. Rather than begrudge your problem, explore it. Ponder it. And most of all, use it. Use it to the glory of God. Your pain has a purpose. Your problems, struggles, heartaches, and hassles cooperate toward one end—the glory of God.
“Trust me in your times of trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.” Psalm 50:15 NLT
“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” Psalm 34:19
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, when problems and pain come my way, help me to remember that nothing comes into my life without your approval. So rather than complain and cry about the challenges I face, help me consider them as opportunities to bring glory to you. Father, give me the strength and patience to bear my burdens in a way that will honour you. God, I will lift my eyes off the trials and keep them fixed firmly on you. In Christ’s Name Amen.
