Notice on a slight format change:

Except for July 2012, these are mostly a collection of current devotional notes.

July 2012 is a re-write of old quiet times. My second child was born Nov 11, 1987 with multiple birth defects. I've been re-reading my QT notes from that time in my life, and have included them here. They cover the time before the birth and the few years immediately after the birth. They are tagged "historical." I added new insights and labeled them: ((TODAY, dd mmm yy)).

Monday, January 10, 2022

QT 1/10/2022 Matt 16:21-23, Pain is a great teacher

Matthew 16:21–23 (ESV) —

21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

 

NOTE: The first attempt at "name it; claim it" falls flat on its face. You see, sometimes suffering, pain, and "not getting what you want" IS God's plan. In fact, "oftentimes" is probably a better adjective. Peter reminds me here of the spoiled child who always gets what he wants; who cries when anything goes wrong -- the perfect poster child for a snowflake. Well, I don't think that is the case for Peter, but the point remains, God uses pain for many purposes. Interesting point: the lack of pain is a definition of leprosy, where the nerves no longer send feedback to the brain. Satan is very interested in spiritual leprosy and "name it; claim it" is one of his tools. God uses pain to cause us to seek him more deeply. God uses pain to wake us up to bad decisions. God uses pain to soften our hardened hearts (in multiple areas). Rather than fighting pain, we need to be asking different questions:

 

PONDER:

  1. What are the things of God that I am fighting against? What is God trying to teach me?
  2. What are the things of man that I am living for, and am angry that I am not getting?

 

PRAYER: Father, protect us from spiritual leprosy. Pain is for our good. I admit, I don't like it (pain) and I don't believe I ever will. But pain has been a great teacher to me and it influences everything I do today. It woke me up to the shallowness of my relationship to you. It woke me up to my hard heart toward others who are struggling. It woke me up to my pride. It woke me up to my lack of thankfulness. And it broke me. And all I can say now is 'Thank you!'

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