The ultimate aim of the Gospel message is much more than trusting in Jesus who loved us and gave Himself for us so that our sins may be forgiven. So much more indeed! It is even more than being in possession of the promise of a home in heaven to look forward to when we die. 

What the Lord Jesus accomplished on the cross has brought about so much more than what our minds are hardly able to fathom!

He came to dwell with us and show clearly what God is like, in a human body. And His suffering alone on the cross also included for His trusting people the honour of being brought into a relationship with Him.

If we listen very closely to the teachings of this precious Man, and if we read very carefully what the Bible is teaching us, we will understand what the heart of God is trying to communicate to us. It is a relationship with Him that He craves for, and those who understand this are truly blessed indeed!

God desires to be known and appreciated in our joys and in our sorrows. Through them He intents to reveal to us aspects of His precious character so that our knowledge and appreciation of Him grow deeper. So it is safe to say that all of the events in our lives… they do not ‘just happen’, God has a purpose for them all!

Firstly, having been brought into good terms with God by faith in His beloved Son, it then involves making the time to get to know the One who loves us, followed by our implicit trust in Him, and our obedience to Him.

The Lord Jesus said:

God has a pathway for us to travel and a yoke to bear. He has plans and purposes for each of us, and they are always the best ones. It would not be too long before we found ourselves in trouble if we were to deviate from the pathway He has chosen for us to walk on.

Perhaps on the beginning of our journey we thought it might have been a flower strung pathway, but we soon found out that the journey we have had to traverse has been anything but soft grass and pretty flowers.

Sometimes our journey takes us through deep waters, long dark valleys, or fiery furnaces. Sometimes our path will lead us to heartache and sorrow, or trials and tribulation; for this is the way we must go in order to learn the priceless things the Lord wants to communicate to us.

If we never had to face obstacles in life we would never mature in our walk with God, and sadly perhaps He would never hear from us either!

Sometimes, if a trial is what it takes to bring us into His presence to pray, than He will allow just that. It is as if He says when we finally come to Him: “Ah, there you are … it’s been a while … I missed you!”

But not everyone who is going through a trial has gone astray. There are many examples of people in the Bible who knew what it was to suffer through no fault of their own. Most of them were tasting those dark moments because of their standing for their God and for the truth.

🔸 Look at Job who by permission from God was taken through the mill as it were. He suffered the loss of his large family, his home and his health. He knew firsthand what it was like to go through deep waters. His accuser used his so called friends to link his suffering with something he may have done wrong. It was suggested that his sufferings were as a result of some sin he had committed. But Job held on to his integrity and did not curse God as the Devil was convinced he would under all that pressure.

Thankfully Job’s trial did not last forever and all was restored after he prayed for his ignorant friends. Perhaps Job remembered that his friends were at best just human, just dust, and allowed the patience of God to overrule feelings of resentment that could have naturally brewed in his heart.

🔸 Then there was the companions of Daniel who were cast into the fiery furnace for not bowing down to the image of gold; the false God of Nebuchadnezzar. The furnace was all stoked up and ready to receive anyone who refused the orders to worship this idol. When it was discovered what they did, or rather what they did not do, Daniel’s companions were brought before the king who appealed to them to rescind their commitment to the true and living God. But they refused, which provoked the anger of the king who commanded the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual.

They were bound and thrown into the furnace which was so hot that it burned alive those who threw them in! However, the only thing the fiery furnace burned were the cords that bound these three faithful men. But wonder of all wonders … they were not alone there. The king saw One like unto the Son of God walking with them in this horrible place! I wonder if they were aware that Somebody was there with them.

When they emerged, there was absolutely no evidence of fire about them at all. Their clothes were not singed and there wasn’t even the smell of smoke about them.

🔸 Joseph was a young man who knew what it was like to walk through a long - dark - valley! Envied by his older brothers he was sold into slavery in Egypt. But God was with him! Because of the evil lies of the wife of the governor he served, he was cast into prison. But God was with him there as well.

Sometime later, a long time later Jospeh was brought up out of the dark prison and promoted as the next man to Pharaoh king of Egypt because God gave to him wisdom as to what to do in preparation for an impending seven year famine.

All this was to bring about the salvation of a nation of people. God’s chosen people Isreal! In grace and mercy he told his brothers: “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.” Genesis 50: 20

Valuable lessons to be learned and priceless treasures to be had are not just for the Bible greats. These are indelibly written into the Word of God and are examples for our learning. They are there for our encouragement. Such things of value are ours to appreciate also.

The amazing thing about all this is, on our heaven bound journey, through ups and downs, through trials and tribulations God does spread before us a pathway strewn with flowers as it were. Not the tangible sort, but blessings and comforts along the way we would not have noticed if all was plane sailing.

Like David the Psalmist said:

Now, that is one extreme valley to walk through but with the Lord’s company all is well.

There is always the blessed option to look up and find the help we need. Who greater than our Lord, Maker of the heaven and the earth to come to the rescue?

Those trials in life that would naturally cause us to feel like giving up, can indeed be the very things God uses to build us up and strengthen us. 

No matter how difficult and challenges of our lives man be at times, there is always something beautiful and refreshing within reach from the heart of God to keep us going one day at a time.