Sonlight Devotional

Scripture reading: Romans 5:1-5

One day I said to God, “God, I see Your people. I see the “Holy of Holies”, the spirit realm where God and man walk as one; and I also see the “Outer Court” realm. How are You going to get us from the “Outer Court” into the “Holy of Holies”? How are You going to get me from being natural, carnal—from planning my own business, from planning the meetings, from doing my own thing… How are You going to get me from one place to the other? And not me alone, but the whole church? For the whole church must be one with Christ before the end comes, and I see the end coming down on us like a fast-moving train! Oh God, how are You going to get us out?”

I asked God this and He answered me. Of course, when I say that God answered me, I am talking about after many, maybe fifty, years. So do not believe that I asked this and God answered me right then and there. No, no! However, eventually, God did say to me, “I am going to do it by tribulation.” I said, “Oh, God! What kind of tribulation would there need to be to bring that pastor from his ‘pastoring’? To bring him from his situation of loving God but at the same time taking the place of Jesus Christ in the congregation? How are You going to bring him from there to the Holy of Holies? How are You going to bring me from where I am to the Holy of Holies? It must be terrible tribulation!”

But then, I did not understand tribulation. If God tribulated all of us at one time, none of us would be able to help the other. Can you understand that? We need a certain amount of tribulation to bring us into perfection. But if God tribulated all of us at one time, what would our condition be? We would be in a terrible condition! So He is very nice to us and tribulating us piece by piece, part by part.

For example, there is a hand that isn’t working right, and God starts beating on the hand. But the other hand comes and holds it up until that hand learns to obey Christ. Then He takes the other hand. Brethren, I see us going into tribulation one by one, little by little. Some of us think we are going to have a picnic. We decide to go on a picnic and we pack our lunch to take with us, but God has another plan for us. He starts to bring tribulation down upon us one by one, two by two, four by four… And it is increasing. I thank God for tribulation! That is a terrible thing to say, but I thank God for tribulation because through the tribulation He is doing a work in our midst.

(Excerpt from The Omega Message, December 2002)

Thought for today: Let us thank God for tribulation knowing that through the tribulation He is doing a work in our midst.