Is It In You To Finish? (Part 1)

[Edit on 10/4: Okay, I realized that my original post was a tad long in the tooth for one blog post. Lol (or laugh out loud). I'm going to break it up into four parts.]

This entry will take a different route than the ones posted previously. Last Sunday I was permitted to be one of the speakers to address our church's congregation for Teen Sunday. I am thankful to God for the opportunity. This was the message that was presented. My question for you today is, "On your path/journey of change, do you have strength to see it through to the end?"

Hoping the best for you,
Clarissa

“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” - Matt. 27:46

Topic: A God-Ordained Hurt
Subtopic: A Monumental Blessing.

A monumental blessing can come from a God-ordained hurt. First, let’s look at the word monumental. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, definitions for monumental are very great or massive, and a definition for massive is impressively large. Let’s hold these definitions in mind and move to the phrase a God-ordained hurt. What does ordain mean? It means to issue an order. Why would God issue an order to bring hurt into our lives? What benefit could we receive from this hurt? God wants to bless you in such a monumental way that not only will you glorify Him, but those around you will glorify Him as well. However, in some cases, in order to give you that blessing God needs to remove those mindsets that confine Him, thereby preventing Him from moving as greatly as He desires in our lives.

Take the story of Lazarus’ death found in John chapter 11 as an example. Lazarus was sick unto death, and a message was sent to Jesus that the one He loved was sick. When the message was delivered, instead of immediately leaving the town He was in, Jesus stayed for two days. By the time Jesus arrived where Lazarus was, Lazarus had been in the grave for four days. In his death, Lazarus left behind two sisters, Mary and Martha. Both sisters believed that if Jesus had been there Lazarus wouldn’t have died. What caused Jesus to stay behind? Why did He not move sooner? Why did He allow Lazarus’ sisters, Mary and Martha, to suffer through a time of mourning when He could have easily healed Lazarus? Because this was a God-ordained hurt meant to bring about a monumental blessing. As Jesus says in vs 4, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.” In the town of Bethany, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Before Lazarus’ death, there were people that believed that Jesus had the ability to heal. However, after Lazarus was raised from the dead, these people understood that Jesus was more than a healer; they knew that He was the very Son of God. Mary and Martha’s hurt and pain through the death of their brother was deep, but it was his death that brought about a monumental blessing that expanded the confined mindsets of the people and brought glory to God.


To read part 2 of this entry, click here.