II Thessalonians 3:17
“I Paul, write this greeting in my own hand, which is the distinguishing mark in all my letters. This is how I write.”
Paul comments on a distinguishing mark with his writing. Other verses say that his writing was large and probably sloppy. This is because of Paul’s bad eyes. Galatians 4:15 says, “Where then is that sense of blessing you had? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me.”
Paul struggled with this ailment. II Corinthians 12:7 says, “Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself!” He describes it as tormenting. In the same verse, he gives the reason for it.
We will also have problems. They may be circumstances, some sort of limitation or disability. It’s proper to repair things and seek to improve our situation. In all of this we include God. However, things might take a long time to improve or it’s possible that they won’t. We need to give this all to the Lord and trust Him.
Peter describes how the Lord uses trials in our lives. “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ”, (I Peter 1;6,7). The Lord uses our trials to nurture our faith and build our character.
The Lord uses our difficulties to produce the fruit of the Spirit in us: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control”, (Galatians 5). We can get irritated with others, the Lord wants us to love and be kind. We want things to go according to plan. Things rarely do, so we get frustrated and seek to force things. The Lord wants to teach us patience. In all of our times the Lord want to fill us with joy. This is more than happiness; it’s an ever abiding contentment that knows “all is well”.
Lord, thank You that even though things aren’t as we would have hoped, You’ll turn it all into the good. Give us greater faith to trust You.