Obedience & Suffering

As I was reading Hebrews 5 a specific verse really caught my attention today:

⁸ Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered ⁹ and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him ¹⁰ and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Jesus is being compared to the High Priest of the Jewish Faith. It was a helpful analogy for Christians who grew up in the Jewish faith. But what sticks out is the Jesus, through suffering, learned obedience. It seems strange that Jesus needed to learn anything, his is the Son of God. But we know in Luke 2:52 it says that Jesus grew, and learned.

Since moving from Florida, a place I love and miss, I have gone through my own suffering. It seemed that the only purpose in suffering was perhaps from past sin (or God just smiting me!) But what I have confidence in knowing today is that in suffering there are great lessons: obedience, patience, perseverance.

So even in the crappy days, God is doing something to you and I that he did for his son: teaching,

Pray this today: God, give me the strength to be teachable today.

 

Crappy Day? Be Reminded!

Today we are going through some of the most theological deep passages in the NT: Romans! But there is a simple verse that we need to be reminded of today:

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God is a loving father to you today! Do you have kids? Is there anything that would separate you from them in time of crisis? How much more is the creator of the universe going to make sure nothing comes between you and Him today?!

If you are having a bad day, be reminded that God is for you. Even if it feels like the world is against you.