Pain and Pleasure

We certainly rejoice when we see God at work, when times are what we consider to be good, and we 
have to be careful to give Him the glory, even when there is trial. Romans 5 reminds us that we...
2 ... rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;
4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

If we want to experience revival in our lives, it is important that we place ourselves in right relationship with our Savior and allow Him to have His way - sometimes that will manifest itself in fruitfulness, but there will be times when we encounter difficulty, though which we can become more fruitful.  We are called to consistently hope in God, so that His presence can be seen working through us, even when we are challenged, whether we are sensing apparent triumph or we are going through trial.

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There is much about which we can rejoice as believers in Christ; and in the good and rich times for us spiritually, as well as trying times, we can continue to recognize God's presence. 1st Peter 1 states:
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,
7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ...

In our humanity, we want life to be neat and tidy, and pain-free. Yet, Jesus promises that we will have tribulation. The Bible teaches us how to rely on God in our trials.

The earthly ministry of Jesus was an unmitigated success, yet in the midst of it, according to the will of God, He was taken out and suffered a cruel death.  But, the suffering Savior became a triumphant one, because the story was not over - He rose from the dead.

Paul experienced tremendous success in the establishment of the Church that still survives today. Yet, he was put in prison for his faith and even while held captive, he continued to minister through his writings, which are part of the New Testament. 

Ministry success will not guarantee a life free from pain and challenges.

I have reported to you about how God is working at a church outside Nashville, Long Hollow Baptist Church, pastor by Robby Gallaty.  Over a thousand baptisms during a span of time from just before Christmas through Easter Sunday.  Baptist Press reported on July 16:

The church staff has seen some of the “highest highs” of ministry during that time, said Gallaty.

They’ve also been racked by grief over the death of beloved staff pastor Chris Swain, who died Thursday at age 47.

Swain was taken to the hospital after he was found "lying by his mailbox, unresponsive."  He was put on a ventilator but he was never conscious again.

Members of the church united their hearts in prayer, according to the article, which said:

Earlier this week, Gallaty and other church leaders gathered at the hospital to pray for Swain and asked church members to join them. About 150 people showed up at the hospital in the pouring rain to pray for Swain, before Gallaty and other leaders made their way to Swain’s room.

“We begged God, we read Scripture, we wept at times because we could not talk,” said Gallaty, who also shared prayer requests for Swain on social media.

On top of that, you learn from the pastor's Twitter feed that Gallaty's father-in-law passed away not long after Swain. The pastor wrote on Twitter:

I've never had to write two funeral messages in 1 week. Because both of the messages celebrate the lives of two men I loved, I'm experiencing a range of Emotions. I am grateful they both knew Jesus. The Pain we experience today is temporary, but joy in Christ is for Eternity.

The Baptist Press article relates:

In recent months, Gallaty said he’s learned that faith endures, even if his prayers aren’t answered in the way that he or church members hoped. And faith does not make you immune from sorrow.

“It’s easier to believe in God when it looks like he’s working than when it looks like he is not,” he said. “But the prayer of faith is not so much about the outcomes as it is with the relationship you develop with God along the way.”

In his grief over the death of Swain and other close friends, Gallaty has tried to lean on the words of a well-known hymn: “When darkness seems to hide his face, I’ll rest on his unfailing grace.”

“The Bible doesn’t offer explanations to cope with life’s problems,” he said. “It offers promises to cling to.”

I remember the words of Charles Dickens when he referred to "the best of times and the worst of times." And, we can find ourselves living in both those conditions simultaneously.  Here we have a church that is in the midst of revival, yet a much-loved staff member passes away, as well as the pastor's father-in-law.  We are reminded, though, that in good and bad circumstances, God is there. We even recognize that in fruitfulness, according to John 15, there is pruning that occurs so that we may bear more fruit. So, we can take courage when there is tribulation in the midst of triumph, because God's presence can be acknowledged in both.

There is also a powerful enemy who would want to stop or reduce the work of God.  Those things which bring disappointment can cause us to be discouraged and perhaps even try to prevent us from seeking God like we have.  In our despair, we have to keep being diligent to stay connected to the Lord; we should run toward Him in our darkest hours not away.  Because when we run toward God, we can experience the bounty of His nearness and know the expressions of His love. Ultimately our level of devotion grows as we remain submitted to Christ, even in grief, loss, and difficulty.