We'll Be Like Torches- Pun Intended

This week I've been blessed to read Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper. Good book I might add, its right up there with Tozer's pursuit of God on the "Worldview Changing Book" list. Last night I came to the chapter on the risk of a life devoted to Christ. As we know, we were not promised health wealth and prosperity, here piper did well to speak of what the Lord does promise, and in the end what it's all for.

Paul speaks about the unwavering Love of Christ in Romans 8:35-39:

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So eternally we're secure, what glory! After all, as Lewis pointed out, "Has this world been so kind to you that you should leave with regret? There are better things ahead than any we leave behind." Piper says Paul also points out that we will see tribulation by quoting Psalm 44:22.

But what about this life? What about the Promise of Matthew 6:25, 31-33?

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?... So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

So do the followers of Christ never starve? are they ever naked? Piper says this:

"How much food and clothing are necessary? Necessary for what? We must ask. Necessary to be comfortable? No, Jesus did not promise us comfort. Necessary to avoid shame? No, Jesus called us to bear shame for his name with joy. Necessary to stay alive? No, he did not promise to spare us death -of any kind. Persecution and plague consume the saints. Christians die on the scaffold and Christians die of disease. That's why Paul wrote, "We ourselves, who have the first fruits of the spirit groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons the redemption of our bodies" (Romans 8:23). What Jesus meant was that our Father in Heaven would never let us be tested beyond what we are able (1st Corinthians 10:13). If there is one scrap of bread you need as God's child, in order to keep your faith in the dungeon of starvation, you will have it. God does not promise enough food for comfort or life- he promises enough so that you can trust him and do his will."

This was a wonderful reminder to me not only of the place of suffering in the plan of God, but of the reality of what the plan of God will accomplish: Glory for Him. Reminding ourselves of that makes our Love affair with Christ so much weightier and the exaltation of Christ much more epic. As he leads us through our pain, His glory is shown, in that way, in this life, we shine like torches.

Grace and Peace,
Dave.