“ God said to him [ Jacob ], ‘ I am God Almighty . Be fruitful and increase .’ A nation and a community of nations will come into existence from you . Kings will be born from your loins . I will grant you the land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac . I will give the land to your descendants who will follow you .” ( The Living Torah )
In spite of his trials , struggles , and even fears – God has brought Jacob to this very place and promises him as he did to our Father Abraham and even Isaac , that from him will still come forth a great nation ; the Jewish people . Yet it is interesting , is it not , that the very struggle which marked Jacob ’ s life and for him , the realization of the promise is the same for us , where through seasons of struggle , the hardest of battles and even perceived physical impossibilities – the promises of God in our lives is being fulfilled !
In his book , “ Walking with God through Pain and Suffering ,” Timothy Keller reminds that the sufferings we face at times may even feel as that of a fiery furnace as seen in 1 Peter 4:12-13 , where we read ,
“ Beloved , do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you , as though something strange is happening to you . But rejoice insofar as you share [ in Messiah ’ s ] sufferings , that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed .” ( ESV )
Of this , Keller exhorts that , “ Anything with a degree of heat is , of course , a very dangerous and powerful thing . However , if used properly it does not destroy . Things put into the furnace properly can be shaped , refined , purified , and even beautified . This is a remarkable view of suffering , that faced and endured with faith , it can in the end only make us better , stronger , and even more filled with greatness and joy .”
Like Jacob , we may feel that our trials ( especially now ) are pushing us over the edge , but when we place our thoughts , hearts , and lives completely in Yeshua ’ s hands , then we will discover that our present sufferings and trials are able to refine us , and never destroy because God Himself is the one who is walking with us through the fire , as He reminds us that His promises will soon be fulfilled !
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