I was considering how some people turn away from God or rage at Him when affliction comes into their lives or into the lives of their loved ones and demand answers or reasons for the situation. I thought how although God may not send the affliction it is an indicator to Him and ourselves what is truly in our hearts. It exposes what is really there.
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? - Jer 17 v 9
When Jesus suffered at the hands of men - injustice and criticism during His life but more particularly the pain and suffering in His death – for both God and Jesus it is an example to us as to what was and is in their hearts - love and grace no matter what the depth of pain
Jesus when He was suffering – continued to love us; spoke out forgiveness for the soldiers; ministered life and truth to the dying thief; and showed care and compassion for His mother & John - all this while He was actually hanging on the cross!!! not sitting in some cosy little church service feeling very holy and humble – but being persecuted and crucified!!
And God in His own time of suffering – seeing His Son dying for us sinners - continued to love us even though, the Jews in particular, had regularly turned against Him to other gods and sinned against Him in all ways possible - He was willing to live through the pain of it all because of His eternal love for us. No matter what the pain or what the pressure, you can only squeeze goodness out of the heart of God no matter how deep you go into the hidden depths.
But what is found in the hidden depths of our hearts, buried deep so that even we have deceived ourselves as to what is there. When we are struggling or suffering – we shouldn’t be blaming or questioning the circumstances but we should be willing to take stock and see the reality of what it is exposing in us and deal with that if it is not as pure as it should be.
Gen 6:5 The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.
Jer 16:12 But you have behaved more wickedly than your fathers. See how each of you is following the stubbornness of his evil heart instead of obeying me.
Heb 3:12 See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.
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