“Do you know that part of your life with Me must include suffering? I know that in your need you will cry out to Me. I know that when you have no answers, your independence of Me will be nullified and you will listen to My direction. There are times when your rebellious heart will be turned to Me because you’ve come to a dead end in your life. So many times, you squirm and complain when your life seems out of order, or you are uncomfortable. In those times, you need to surrender to Me. Find out why you are in the place in which you are. What is being done deep within you? What kind of training are you in?
“Accept the fact that your life is out of order when I show you the error of your ways. Repent of your sin, not to be removed from your trial, but because sin is an offense to Me. Get your heart right. I need obedient, trustworthy servants for My work. Submit to My hand of love upon you. Submit to the changes that need to be accomplished in you. Your life has been purchased and I am teaching you to represent Jesus. I can use you if you submit to My work in you.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV
5) Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
6) in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV
8) “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
9) “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Phil. 3:10-11 AMP
10) [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope]
11) That if possible I may attain to the [spiritual and moral] resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead [even while in the body].
Peace enters our lives when we fully understand what this walk with Jesus is all about from God’s perspective. We have been formed to represent Jesus. God promises to change us into His image to represent Him properly.
So many of us desire to have all of the good stuff without going through the suffering that conforms us into the image of the Lord. We also miss the suffering that Jesus feels for those who will be separated from Him for eternity. We don’t really care about the souls of those who are going to hell for eternity. Consequently, we take our head knowledge to those around us. The further consequence of that is that few, if any, people are changed by head knowledge.
God is right this moment calling for a holy generation - a resurrection generation, one that has embraced the cross, waited as if dead to our own abilities to push the gravestone aside; and allowed the Spirit of God to completely eliminate our flesh and renew our spirits. We are a remnant, waiting as if a bride for the Lord to complete His work in us.
There are no shortcuts to completing the work that needs to be accomplished in each of us. Our Lord is very good at placing us in situations and circumstances that are intended to change us. He wants all of us. That’s how much He loves us.
Do what it takes for me to submit to Your hand, Lord,
Jim Corbett
