Peace And Perspective In Hardship - Hebrews 12

[1still_waters]

I can't really claim to walk in anyone else's shoes, but this chapter has given me some peace and perspective in dealing with hardship. I know I can't claim to walk in your shoes, but maybe these will give you some peace and perspective as you are in your own shoes.

How to get peace and perspective in hardship

1. Get rid of entanglers in your walk with God v 1

2. Draw inspiration from Jesus' victory over hardship. He did it and so can you. v 2-3
--He survived a cross.

3. Every hardship has a purpose. It's God's form of discipline. Find peace and perspective in this puposeful love of God. v 4-11

4. Remember this discipline has a reason. It's to grow you up.v 7-11

5. Use this knowledge to get strength in the hardship v 12-13

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 4In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."[a]
7Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10Our 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. 11No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
12Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13"Make level paths for your feet,"[b] so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

 

[iraasuup]

Thanks Chris, you have no idea how much I needed that right now.. well actually you do. So yeah thanks! That speaks volumes.

 

[carpetmanswife]

good word no doubt

 

[J0Y]

That is GOLD right there Chris!! Awesome!

 

[faith79]

Re: Peace And Perspective In Hardship - Isaiah 38

Thank you for this post!! Hardship comes in a variety of shapes and forms, and it can include a physical illness which we all have to deal with at some time or another. However, no form of suffering is meant to divide us from the Lord. In the book of Isaiah, Chapter 38 talks about a serious illness of Hezekiah, the king of Judah.

[FONT=&quot]38:1. “In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death.”[/FONT]

It seems that Hezekiah’s knee-jerk reaction was depression and bitterness. In his writings, he begins with, among other verses:

[FONT=&quot]38:10. “I said, ‘In the prime of my life must I go through the gates of death and be robbed of the rest of my years?’”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
He goes on to describe the nature of his suffering:

[FONT=&quot]38:13. “I waited patiently till dawn, but like a lion he broke all my bones; day and night you made an end of me. I cried like a swift or thrush, I moaned like a mourning dove. My eyes grew weak as I looked to the heavens. I am troubled; O Lord, come to my aid!’[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
Despite his great suffering and hardship, the focal point of his thoughts changes in the middle of his writing from himself and his suffering, to focus instead on God and his will.

[FONT=&quot]38:15-20. “But what can I say? He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this. I will walk humbly all my years because of this anguish of my soul. Lord, by such things men live; and my spirit finds life in them too. You restored me to health and let me live. Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back. For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness. The living, the living – they praise you, as I am doing today; fathers tell their children about your faithfulness. The Lord will save me, and we will sing with stringed instruments all the day of our lives in the temple of the Lord.”[/FONT]

Hezekiah was saved from an early death. His humility from being brought so low was exactly the response that God was looking for. Hezekiah’s attitude before and after his great suffering is remarkably similar to those of other believers – David, Jonah, Paul. Everyone suffers, but it doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love us. It is quite to the contrary.

[FONT=&quot]Proverbs 10:25. “When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.”[/FONT]

 

[pickles]

Amen and thankyou. also, I have fought the hard battle, I have run the race, I have kept tha faith. The scripture you shared and this have sustained me and given me hope. God bless, pickles