Beauty from Ashes

During this past year (well, if I'm really honest with myself, during the past 2 years), I've really wrestled with a lot of "truth" that I always knew but didn't let soak into my heart. It's easy to say things are true but then a lot harder to live through them and still believe they're true in your heart. I always thought this was me being weak and wishy-washy, but I'm realizing this is part of growth. You learn something and then have time to put it into practice. We all fail and don't get it right the first time, but "he gives more grace" as James says.

I've been in biblical counseling for 6 months and it has been invaluable. I thought I had a situation that needed to be fixed. I needed to be less anxious. Give me the formula, I'll do it. But, after just two sessions with my friend, I realized I was in this for the long haul. My anxiety wasn't the root of my problem, it was just a symptom of a proud, entitled heart and a weakened faith infrastructure. To "fix" my anxiety would just be a band-aid. I needed surgery and I knew it'd be painful, and it has been.. but just like any life-saving surgery, it has all been for my good.

One of the books we've been going through is Trusting God Even When Life Hurts by Jerry Bridges. Oh goodness, I could write a snippet every day and go on and on. It has broadened my understanding of God's sovereignty, especially in times of suffering and trial. This week's chapter is called "The Wisdom of God" and starts with the scripture 'Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!' (Romans 11:33). I love that we serve a God who can't fully be known. That should lead us to a place of awe and worship. Sometimes it can be frustrating, though. I like to know the 'because' behind every 'why' and this season has been so good for that side of me. I'm going to write out a few pages that really spoke to me, in hopes that they encourage you if you're in a time of suffering or that you can store them up for a coming time!

As we watch tragic events unfolding, or more particularly as we experience adversity ourselves, we often are prone to ask God why. The reason we ask is because we do not see any possible good to us or glory to God that can come from the particular adverse circumstances that have come upon us or our loved ones. But is not the wisdom of God - thus the glory of God - more eminently displayed in bringing good out of calamity than out of blessing?

The wisdom of the chess player is displayed more in winning over a capable opponent than over a novice. The wisdom of the general is displayed more in defeating a superior army than in subduing an inferior one. Even more so, the wisdom of God is displayed when He brings good to us and glory to Himself out of confusion and calamity rather than out of pleasant times.

There is no question that God's people live in a hostile world. We have an enemy, the devil [who] "prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). He wants to sift us like wheat as he did Peter (see Luke 22:31), or make us curse God like he tried to get Job to do. God does not spare us from the ravages of disease, heartache, and disappointment of this sin-cursed world. But God is able to take all of these elements - the bad and the good- and make full use of every one. ...

God's infinite wisdom then is displayed in bringing good out of evil , beauty out of ashes. It is displayed in turning all the forces of evil that rage against His children into good for them. But the good that He brings about is often different than the good we envision.

Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose," is an oft-quoted verse. But we often fail to note that the following verse helps us understand what the "good" of verse 28 is. Verse 29 begins with the word for, indicating that it is a continuation and amplification of the thought of verse 28. It says, "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." The good that God works for in our lives is conformity to the likeness of His Son. It is not necessarily comfort or happiness but conformity to Christ in ever-increasing measure in this life and in its fullness in eternity.

We see this same thought in Hebrews 12:10, "Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness." To share in God's holiness is an equivalent expression to being conformed to the likeness of Christ. God knows exactly what He intends we become and He knows exactly what circumstances, both good and bad, are necessary to produce that result in our lives. Note the contrast the author of Hebrews draws between the finite, fallible wisdom of human parents and the infinite, infallible wisdom of God. He says, "Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best." As a father, I can readily identify with the phrase "as they thought best". Sometimes in rearing our children we agonized over the proper discipline, both in kind and amount. And even when we thought we knew what was best, there were many times when we erred.

But, the writer says without qualification, God disciplines us for our good. There is no agonizing by God, no hoping He has made the right decision, no wondering what is really best for us. God makes no mistakes. He knows infallibly with infinite wisdom what combination of good and bad circumstances will bring us more and more into sharing His holiness. He never puts too much of the "salt" of adversity into the recipe of our lives. His blending of adversity and blessing is always exactly right for us.

The author of Hebrews readily admits that discipline is painful (see verse 11). But he also assures us it is profitable. It produces "a harvest of righteousness and peace." The purpose of God's discipline is not to punish us but to transform us. He has already meted out punishment for our sins on Jesus at Calvary: "The punishment that brought us peace was upon him" (Isaiah 53:3). But we must be transformed more and more into the likeness of Christ. That is the purpose of discipline.

pages 125-128

I know that was quite the considerable chunk, sorry if it was too long.
I really recommend this book if you are wanting to dig deeper into the sovereignty of God and how His goodness and love interact with His sovereignty. I have really wrestled and questioned all along the way and in no way do I feel like I have it all figured out. I think half the battle is committing to learn and wrestle and grow. Thank you God for your goodness towards us.