Friday, November 04, 2011

Digging Deeper

James 5:10 with points to ponder

James 5:10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

Points to Ponder
When I started to ponder the suffering and patience of the prophets, I was challenged to look at couple of examples:

"Go, and loose the sackcloth from your waist and take off your sandals from your feet, and he did so, walking naked and barefoot. Then the LORD said, 'As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Cush, so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptian captives and the Cushites exiles, both the young and the old, naked and barefoot, with buttocks uncovered, the nakedness of Egypt.'" Isaiah 20:2-4

The footnote in my ESV Study Bible study notes says, "The three years need not imply that Isaiah did this continually; he may have done it intermittently as an acted out prophecy..." Now, frankly, in my mind, one day of walking naked and barefoot is suffering for Isaiah but whether it is multiple times in 3 years or every day for 3 years, he suffered in the Name of the Lord.

Hosea was called to marry a prostitute, "When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, 'Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredome and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the LORD." Hosea 1:2

To persevere in trial and suffering, much patience is required.

What suffering are you enduring even now? How is God ministering to you in the midst of that suffering? How is God teaching you patience even as you walk through the deep waters? God is at work in your suffering.

Have a good weekend. Take time to rest and make time to smile. You can smile and rest at the same time and kill two birds with one stone.

Blessings,
Diane

Diane Hunt is the Director of Addiction Recovery and Development at America's KESWICK. In addition to her Keswick responsibilities which keep her busy, she loves to read, write and teach, travel and laugh with her grandchildren. Diane has been married to her husband John over 26 years. She has 2 children, 3 grandchildren, 3 step-children, and 7 step-grandchildren.

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