Monday February 13, 2017 Hebrews 5:8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.

Nick-

This is an encouraging area of scripture for me. It really sheds light on another side of Jesus that you don’t get so much in the Gospels. It says in this verse that he learned obedience though what he suffered. He learned obedience by going through what our father in heaven put him through. He says in Philippians that he was obedient till the point of death on a cross. I so easily find myself complaining about how difficult and frustrating things can be here. Our family and marriage open for all to see. As soon as I open my front door I’m faced with having to put out some sort of hello or engage into conversation. I can find so many things that in my mind are things I suffer. But I look at the life of Jesus, and they don’t even hold a flame to things he suffered for me. I know that he has me going through these things to prepare me for the next season in my life. And like Jesus, I will learn obedience to our father through the things I suffer through. In verse 7, it says that Jesus offered up prayers and supplications to him who was able to save him from death. In my times of distress, instead of complaining inwardly, I should be expressing outwardly to God and giving it all to him to handle. Hebrews 4:15 says “for we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are.” Jesus understands where I am in those times of suffering. He brought them about in my life so that I would learn obedience through them.

Julie-

God, I praise You!  I have learned to praise You in all circumstances.  I have learned to praise You in my joy, and I have learned to praise You in my pain.  I am learning the key to not losing You when life is painful and I am suffering.  It is obedience.  Lord, when my life is full of chaos and the storm is so bad that I cannot see or hear You, I know that You are still there.  You have not left me.  You will never leave me, although I cannot see or hear You,  but sometimes seeing and hearing You are more like instant gratification instead of just believing and knowing. It does not take the same act of obedience.  The thing is, that in my storms, my obedience chooses whether or not You're in the storm with me.  Many times in my life as the storm gets thicker and I lose sight of You, I run to a cave to stay dry and build a fire to stay warm.  Then I curse You for  still not feeling You with me.  But, God, I've learned that You are the storm.  I'm called to the storm of harships, not the cave of rest.  Although, I do have seasons of rest, and in them is where You taught me how to hear and see You through the storm.  You have been equipping me for this time of suffering.  Again, Lord, you called me into this storm.  So out of obedience, I walk out to the middle of the field with nothing to shelter me and I endure.  Your word has taught me to stand on your rock so I am not shaken by the strong winds.  Faith is my sight in the darkness.  With my arms held high in obedient surrender and a smile on my face, the storm continues to pursue me, but I know that I am called to this storm and show You my obedience.  And as You see me growing in obedience and not running or resisting You, You whisper "Just like my son was obedient to me till death, so will you be, and I'm proud of you, daughter."