Devo Week 8 - Discerning the Unseen Realm

“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” Matt.10:16

Pearls of Great Price - From the Inside-Out

Nothing deepens our walk with Christ like suffering does. That’s not a comforting thought, I know, but it’s true for all of us. Even Christ. We gain spiritual substance through suffering. Our tests and trials purify us. The Apostle Paul described it as ‘gold being refined by fire.” (I Pet. 1:6-7) Depending on how we respond to trials, our faith will either blaze or smolder.

WHO IS FOR US

Here’s the good news:  suffering and trials are not meant to destroy us. Rather, they are to mature us and make us more Christ-like. They can bring out the best in us. As we respond to the Lord through suffering, His glory will rest upon us, and His beauty will shine forth from us.

Trials cause our roots to grow and penetrate deeper into the soil. They make us stronger, as we learn to trust Christ – the One who is familiar with all our sufferings. If we realize that God is the potter and we are the clay, then it gives us more faith and courage to face our trials. According to Acts 14:22, we enter the Kingdom of God through suffering and tribulation. So, we should not be surprised by the hardships we face. We are to rejoice that we can participate in the sufferings of Christ and in His coming glory to be revealed.

WHO IS AGAINST US

In our trials, Satan will try to turn us against God.  To put out the Spirit’s fire in us. (I Thess. 5:19) He wants us to become bitter. To give up, or simply weigh us down with burdens and crises. Here’s where we must be careful to guard our hearts (Prov. 4:23), keeping them fully open to God. 

We experienced one of our greatest tests after living five years on Elephant Mountain. Having become fluent in the language, we felt a village leader began to be threatened by our presence there. We were able to see and understand too much, and he wanted us out of the village. Plus, the Holy Spirit was beginning to move and be poured out among the people. It was a gut-wrenching decision, but we felt the hastening of the Lord for us to pull out of the village, and quickly. It was not what we wanted, but we had to trust His leading. This didn’t lessen the suffering for us. We experienced much loss and grief. In retrospect, the Lord was widening our influence among the people by shifting us to another location. Had we stayed, we believe we would’ve been vulnerable to the enemy’s devouring.

PRAYER FOR SPIRITUAL BREAKTHROUGH

Father, may the Spirit of God and of glory rest upon us as we face trials and suffering. (I Peter 4:14) Lord, we put our trust in You. May You use our suffering to conform us to the image of Christ. Cleanse us from all temptation to become bitter. May we overflow with the love of Christ. (Rom. 5:5) Lord, baptize us afresh with your Holy Spirit and the fire of God!  In Jesus’ name, Amen.