SUFFERING IN THE CENTER OF GOD'S WILL

Some time ago a very kind friend, out of concern for me, cautioned me to think carefully about donating a kidney because of the potential danger to myself. My answer was that the Lord Himself had clearly led me to do so and I couldn’t say no to Him.

I can imagine that there might be those, who when they hear that someone is about to donate a kidney to someone they barely knew before they said yes, would think that person was absolutely CRAZY!  From a human perspective, they just might be!  But this is where the incredible, often topsy turvy nature of the kingdom of God comes in.  The truth is that sometimes God asks us to do what seems contrary to our human nature, and that “something” just might include craziness!

Today I was catching up on my reading of Oswald Chambers’s, “My Utmost for His Highest”, my favorite devotional.  In the reading for August 10 he says:

“Choosing to suffer means that there must be something wrong with you, but choosing God’s will – even if it means you will suffer – is something very different.  No normal, healthy (believer in Jesus) ever chooses suffering; he simply chooses God’s will, just as Jesus did, whether it means suffering or not.”

Chambers goes on to say:

“Look at God’s incredible waste of (His children) according to the world’s judgment.  God seems to plant His children in the most useless places.  And then we say, ‘God intends for me to be here because I am so useful to Him.’  Yet Jesus never measured His life by how or where He was of the greatest use.  God places His children where they will bring the most glory to Him and we are totally incapable of judging where that may be.”

On Wednesday of this week, in obedience to the will of God, Jim and I will drive into New York City where I will donate a kidney to my now dear friend Jennifer.  It will definitely result in some suffering, I know that going in. 

As I prepare my heart to take this incredible journey, I’m so encouraged by what David says in Psalm 34:

“I sought the Lord and He answered me and delivered me from ALL my fears!”

“Those who look to the LORD are RADIANT!

“The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them.”

“Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the (wo)man who takes refuge in Him.”

“The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and His ears attentive to their cry.”

“The LORD redeems His servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in Him.”

Someone has said that it is better to be in the heat of dangerous battle in the CENTER of God’s will than to be in perfect peace outside of it!

I might be walking right into suffering, but there is nowhere else I’d rather be than in the center of God’s will!

The standard by which to measure what is about to happen is not, “is this the best use of me”.  The standard is, “Is this the place where God will get the most glory?”

If this is the place where He has led me, and I firmly believe it is, then I pray that His glory WILL be revealed in every way.