God is Still Sovereign!!!

I've never written about this before, but I suffer from what seems to be endless pain.  I suffer from something called Spinal Stenosis.  It causes the spinal column to crush the spinal cord, which causes severe nerve pain as the spinal cord tries to find other places to go, such as bulging through the vertebrae in my spine.  My ability to walk, stand, even sit, are limited.  Now all of a sudden I am having arthritic symptoms, which are extremely painful.

I'm not writing this to complain or shake my fist at God.  Quite the contrary actually.  I'm writing this to let everyone who reads this post know that God is still sovereign in my life.  He still comes first.  I have a choice every morning how I will react to the pain.  Some days it is so bad, I just sit and cry and beg Him for mercy and grace, which He gives in abundance to those who ask.

Our Lord is no stranger to suffering and I have seen many movies about what our Lord went through on the Cross to secure our Salvation.   But I also remember hearing a pastor in a local church on Easter Sunday talking about what they really did to Jesus, and as he was reading from the text that explained it, I got physically ill and had to leave the sanctuary.  He said that Jesus had bone and sinew visible after the scourging that the Romans gave him before forcing Him to carry His cross to Calvary where they nailed Him to that cross and crucified him. 

The thing that really hits me hard, is that while He was dying on the cross with two thieves on either side, they started to argue about whether Jesus was the Son of God or whether He deserved to die.  To the one who argued that He was innocent Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, today you shall be with me in paradise."  (Luke 23:43).

Just remember, when you suffer trials, physical, financial, or otherwise, that we are all sinners and that "yet while we were still sinners Christ died for US!"  (Romans 5:8).  Jesus died an unjust death.  He was not guilty of one sin, while we are all guilty of many sins.  The things we are tested with, poor health, loss of a job, no matter what we are suffering through, He is still Sovereign in our lives and He never leaves us!  NOT EVER!

God is always faithful and is always working His good in us so that we may glorify Him!  I can't take my pain lightly, it is hard, but I also know that God knows why, He knows how it will strengthen my faith, and He also knows how much longer I will suffer.  Recent events in the world prove to me, He is on His way to take His Bride Home to Heaven!  The Rapture is very very close!

So, no matter what kind of trials you are going through, take them to The Cross.  Jesus is always with you, so trust in Him, and give of yourselves to others, in whatever way that you can, and God will bless your efforts.  My situation may change, it may not.  But I have decided to continue serving Him because it may bring peace to others, and it gives me joy to pray for that....if this post reaches just one person who is suffering?  I will be exceedling glad!  

Jeremiah 29:11 states, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  

I for one, am "looking forward, straining towards what lies ahead," (Philippians 3:13).  And I know that I can do anything I need to do, through Christ who gives me His strength! (Philippians 4:13).