Youth Evangelical Fellowship shared its Monday Devotional on Sep. 3rd. titled, “you will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.(James 1:12)” They examined the deep understanding of God’s love inside of Jacob who went through the long journey of sufferings, believing that God will bless him after he endures the suffering.
The participants agreed that there are trial and suffering that comes to us and try to devour our faith in God who love us. However, the Bible says the suffering and test were given because we are the sons(Matthew 4). Many people desert their faith in God or blame God when they face difficulties and sufferings, and try to view the image of God with their own viewpoint of life.
Apostle Paul who received many suffering, even to the level that he loses hope in life, he suffered. But his understanding of suffering was that ‘God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.(1 Corinthians 10:13).’ He also trusted that this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.(2 Corinthians 1:9).
“This deep understanding was also in Jacob who wrestled with the Angel of God. He fought the battle to the point of getting his hip bone dislocated. It was a fierce battle. However, when the day breaks, the Angel of God told him to let him go, Jacob answers, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.(Genesis 32:26). Jacob knew that the sufferings are the blessings from God. This is a very deep understanding about God.”
“We believe this God of Jacob, the ancestor of faith, not the God of philosophy or our own understanding. God is in heaven and we are on earth.”
The presider shared, “let us go and fight this battle of good fight and always abide in the Word of God.”