PAIN’S PRIVILEGE…

“PRAISE BE TO THE GOD The Father of our Lord Jesus…” {1 Peter 1:3}

A TOUGH NIGHT… as my wife reminded me it’s been a tough few weeks recently for me, with Drs appointments,tests, drives, that as simple as they sound wear me out, tire me easily, deplete me of the little energy and strength I have. It’s not a complaint, but it is a reality. This morning again I awake and I cannot explain how bad I feel, exhausted, no rest, or refreshment from sleep, weakness and pain greet me…another day spent by my bed…if I was to look at it humanly…I could sink into “…nothing to look forward to…” but I can’t let my mind go on that LIE. But the fatigue of chronic illness is a battle not just for the body but the MIND. I am too weary, fatigued, tired from years of pain, that at times is like the waves of the ocean, at times small waves and then at other times, the waves that crash against the rocks and shorelines of jagged edges and rocks, that crush… and yet I KNOW I have to get my MIND ON TRUTH or I will sink into my own understanding, despair, and I KNOW God is my answer and has given me His Word to “… persevere, encourage… might have hope… God gives perseverance and encouragement {Romans 15:4-5}… So in my mind a cry amidst the chaos that would seek to swirl in my mind and to bring me down…and to be in this place, is wonderful in this sense…it turns me to God- which is ALWAYS A GOOD THING. So even this thing God works for GOOD… So I want to share with you… where God turned my mind and in the midst to “PRAISE HIM,”….PRAISE IS COMMANDED…. PRAISE IS A CHOICE! AND GOD GIVES US THE “FUEL” OF TRUTH TO STIMULATE OUR MINDS TO ARISE AND “PRAISE GOD OUR FATHER.’

PRAISE- PERSPECTIVE IN PAIN!

The believers were scattered and experiencing suffering, persecution for their faith and Peter begins his letter with calling them to CONTEMPLATE, CELEBRATE The Greatness of God and the Greatness of the Salvation He has gifted them, and in light of CONTEMPLATION they are to “PRAISE, BLESS,” Him. He by no means ignores their suffering or underplays it, but he has them LOOK Away to Him. PRAISE- PERSPECTIVE IN PAIN… Peter calls them to PRAISE – To God, for His character and specifically for the work of God on their behalf. This is a principle Paul also employs in 2 Cor 1:3 and in Eph 1:3. PRAISE BEFORE PAIN. He gives them reasons to PRAISE before he addresses the PAIN. He is not being insensitive but indeed sensitizing the hearers to Who GOD IS AND WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR THEM. Who they are in Him. He gives them “fuel” for their minds to think on so that their hearts rise to PRAISE HIM, that PAIN cannot quench, or drown out permanently. Sure there are times the soul, the body is so low, the gravity of a situation so grave, overwhelming, that the darkness and hopelessness and sorrows seem to Vale the heart, and indeed there are seasons of such. But they are not permanent! For God, who is acquainted with the brokenhearted and Whose Son was “A MAN OF SORROWS ACQUAINTED WITH GRIEF,” understands, “empathizes” Hebrews 4 says. The word, “empathizes,” means “to feel the very feelings,” we feel. God is not stoic! The heart arises, He enables and one way we see how He used Peter to teach the suffering ones to look to God amidst their pain and gives them reasons to PRAISE.

He teaches us to Begin with PRAISE…Contemplate Him and CELEBRATE Him and His wonderful salvation, imparted to you. which in 1 Peter 1:3-9, involves…

PRAISE THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS

  1. PRAISE HIM… For His GREAT MERCY towards me
  2. PRAISE HIM… For causing me to be BORN AGAIN
  3. PRAISE HIM… I have a LIVING HOPE
  4. PRAISE HIM…For The RESURRECTION OF JESUS FROM THE DEAD.
  5. PRAISE HIM…I have an INHERITANCE that can never perish, spoil or fade away
  6. PRAISE HIM… I have an Inheritance is RESERVED IN Heaven for me!
  7. PRAISE HIM… For my salvation that GOD HIMSELF is presently PROTECTING,
  8. PRAISE HIM… I have the ABILITY TO REJOICE amidst my troubles
  9. PRAISE HIM… my FAITH is of eternal Value
  10. PRAISE HIM… I KNOW The GOAL of Suffering is for the PRAISE, GLORY, HONOR OF JESUS CHRIST.
  11. PRAISE HIM… For my Unseen Savior. HE KNOWS I BELIEVE and LOVE Him though I have not seen Him
  12. PRAISE HIM…I KNOW this life is not the end but the ULTIMATE END is The FULFILLMENT of SAVING OF my SOUL FOR ALL ETERNITY!

WHAT DO I GET OUT OF THIS?

*** If you ask, “But what do I get out of this? If I do this, will He change my circumstances?” If you end with you and not HIM, you miss the point- HE IS WORTHY OF PRAISE. He may or may not change your circumstances… but what you do get out of this is…You get to PRAISE GOD because He is Worthy. You get to PRAISE God for the Great Salvation He has imparted to you. You get to celebrate Him.You get to PRAISE God and express love to Him, though you have not seen Him. You will never experience, pain, suffering in Heaven- thank God for that. But in the here and now, in this fallen world, pain, suffering is part and parcel and in the midst of it, through the tears, sorrows, sadness arising through you Heaven hears, Heaven sees the value you place upon HIM. How wonderful that must be to Him. It is not as though if we try hard enough, or pretend or fake it that somehow we are not troubled, saddened, in pain or know sorrows, we deceive ourselves. For some they teach, believe, Christians should never have such troubles, it might be good if they read the New Testament {James 1:2-5, 2 Cor 1:3; 1 Peter 1:3-9- good places to start.} Some teach that to show sadness, sorrow, is some kind of “deficiency” of faith. To them I would remind them of “The Man of Sorrows, acquainted with grief,” who “wept” who asked if this cup can pass from Him- let it pass. No, at times we make no room or eventually marginalize the “defeated Christian,” as we view the one whom Christ died for, because somehow it does not fit into “our” {UN BIBLICAL} view of what Christianity looks like and is meant to be. What do I get out of this? I GET to choose- to PRAISE HIM because of the TRUTH about HIM and what He has Done for me!

PERSONAL APPLICATION;

  1. – CONTEMPLATE– THE TRUTH ABOUT THE GREATNESS OF GOD AND THE GREATNESS OF HIS SALVATION GIFTED TO YOU. Read 1 Peter 1:3-9 several times a day for each day of the month. If there are thirty days in the month, read it daily for 30 days, this helps with familiarizing yourself with it. At the end of a month you have read it 30 times. The Holy Spirit can recall to you and THROUGH you to aid others on REASONS TO PRAISE GOD amidst Pain.
  2. – CELEBRATE– “BLESSED” MEANS TO “SPEAK WELL OF…” OR “PRAISE…” the word, “PRAISE…” is used sparingly in the Old Testament in some instances which means to “APPLAUD.”- APPLAUD GOD THE FATHER!!!! “SPEAK WELL OF GOD THE FATHER….” TO DO SO you need “FUEL for your PRAISE…” and above are 12 reasons for you to do so. LOOK AGAIN at the 12 listed above and one by one begin with ”FATHER I PRAISE, SPEAK WELL OF…APPLAUD YOU BECAUSE YOU….”And list each reason to bless Him for the 12 Perhaps cut out the 11 and place on your mirror on your bathroom to REMIND yourself daily for reasons to APPLAUD Him… Even to see one and concentrate, meditate upon that one for a day or two is good…It is keeping His Word before you.
  1. –CHOOSE– In times of PAIN, and SUFFERING, they are REAL, they can be dismissed by some who are not in the midst. You are NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR OTHER’S CHOICES, COMMENTS, CLICHE’S to you but you ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CHOICES YOU MAKE AMIDST PAIN, SUFFERING. It does not lighten even change the pain, loss, or suffering you are in but YOU CHOOSE amidst to say, even through tears, “FATHER I CHOOSE TO SPEAK WELL OF… APPLAUD,…PRAISE YOU…BECAUSE YOU ARE WORTHY, YOU ARE GREAT AND YOU HAVE SECURED, GIFTED ME A GREAT SALVATION… AT GREAT COST TO YOU. YOU CHOSE TO GIFT ME YOUR SON…. HE CHOSE TO GIFT HIS LIFE THAT I MAY HAVE THIS RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU…. AND IN THE MIDST OF MY SORROWS, HURTS, PAIN, SUFFERING…. I- CHOOSE- TO -APPLAUD, BLESS- SPEAK WELL OF YOU!

I-CHOOSE- TO- PRAISE- HIM!

CONTEMPLATE- CELEBRATE- CHOOSE

  1. SHARE- SHARE with other Believers just as Peter did in 1 Peter to hurting brothers and sisters, to not make light of their suffering but in the midst to help turn their THINKING ON TRUTH concerning the GREATNESS of GOD and the GREATNESS OF THEIR SALVATION concerning reasons to Praise the Father.
  2. COMPASSION– Peter begins by reminding the people of reasons to PRAISE THE FATHER… but he does not ignore the suffering they were in as he lists that they were. Job wrote, “for the afflicted there should be comfort from his friends.” And as ministers of comfort God calls us to comfort one another with the comfort which God Himself has comforted us in our own afflictions{2 Cor 1:3-4} Walk, talk gently and with compassion towards the hurting, suffering, and look to gently turn their minds to eternal truths… that they may PRAISE…BLESS…SPEAK WELL OF…APPLAUD GOD THE FATHER…
  3. – PRAY AND PREPARE

for me… pray for others… prepare your own heart and mind by instilling the truth in your mind for the Holy Spirit to use for you and to use THROUGH YOU… to aid, encourage, and call the suffering ones as Peter did to CONTEMPLATE- CELEBRATE- CHOOSE- TO PRAISE HIM and the GREATNESS OF HIS CHARACTER And the GREATNESS of His Salvation gifted to you and for these reasons in your pain, sorrow, troubles call you to RESPOND DIFFERENTLY… For you have a GOD Who is GREAT, and who is GREATER than your circumstances that you RESPOND in the midst by CHOOSING- I – CHOOSE- TO – PRAISE- HIM!

  1. – CUT OUT AND PLACE SOMEWHERE YOU CAN SEE DAILY TO REMIND YOUR MIND TO BE STIRRED TO PRAISE HIM

1 PETER 1:3-9

” Blessed {Praise }be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various [c]trials, 7 so that the [d]proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which [e]is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.”

PAIN’S PRIVILEGE?

I am not suggesting this is “easy,” but it is possible and it is right! And know, He who is Unseen, sees… and knows you believe in Him, He knows you Love Him!

PAIN IS REAL- BUT IT IS NOT YOUR MASTER.

PERSPECTIVE IN PAIN, IS LEARNING, RELEARNING TO RENEW OUR MIND‘S with TRUTH and how to Respond in our own pain, and assist others compassionately with how they may look to Him SPECIFICALLY as Peter shows us.

PAIN’S PRIVILEGE?

And your attitude in your sorrow, pain is… and at times a great fight of faith to maintain- is…

I- CHOOSE – NOT – TO WASTE – IT… I CHOOSE- TO – PRAISE- HIM!

I- CHOOSE – NOT – TO WASTE – IT… I CHOOSE- TO – PRAISE- HIM!

I – HAVE 12 REASONS TO REMIND ME TO CELEBRATE GOD, MY FATHER….. I PRAISE, BLESS, “APPLAUD” HIM.

GOD BLESS,

Aidan