July 10, 2016

The Shepherd's Corner

THE SHEPHERD’S CORNER

Stephen Arterburn, a Christian author and counselor, shares that suffering has taught him deep lessons of faith. You see, for seven years he and his wife prayed for a child and they did all they could— medically speaking—but as he puts it, “nothing happened.” The outcome of it was disheartening—despair began to slip in.

But, then God took them into the “hidden valley”, where they were to encounter the unheard-of-possibilities. Through circumstances “only God could have arranged,” he says, they were able to adopt a daughter. He and his wife knew that this child is truly a gift from God because they saw that the circumstances surrounding the adoption were completely God-thing.

Please slowly digest his remark, “The authentic Christian life doesn’t . . . mean living free from struggle; instead, it deals head-on with the issue of pain. Rather than trying to avoid pain . . . we allow struggle to shape our hearts and our faith. We allow humility to draw us farther out of ourselves and closer to God. It is not an easy life, but it is a rich life, full of growth and tough moments that remind us of who we are and how far we have to go in our spiritual journey.”

We all have our own share of struggle, followed by endless prayer. Unbeknownst to us God uses this struggle to shape our heart and faith. We now have a new heart and a new faith. But equally unbeknownst to us, God also uses our prayer—persistent, mountain-climbing prayer—to shape our heart and faith.

Prayer is no longer a vehicle to get to our destination but rather the destination itself. We don’t say, “I ask You” as often as before; instead, we find ourselves saying, “I trust You” more and more.

Pastor Paul

More Shepherd's Corner Articles

The Shepherd's Corner - November 29, 2015
THE SHEPHERD’S CORNER I write this at the Highland Springs Resort where we are having our annual retreat. This place brought back memories. Our loved ones who were with us, then, are no longer with us today. They do not need earthly retreat anymore because they are, after all, already in the heave...
Read More
The Shepherd's Corner - September 8, 2024
Fyodor Dostoevsky, who lived in the 19th century Russia, was not a psychologist; he was a writer.  However, through his writings he showed insights into humanity and spirituality like no other; one of them is this: “that the whole work of man really seems to consist in nothing but proving to ...
Read More
The Shepherd's Corner - February 14, 2016
THE SHEPHERD’S CORNER The other day I went grocery shopping at Vons. Before I paid at the cash register, I was asked whether or not I had a Vons’ card. Since I rarely go to Vons—or grocery shopping for that matter—no, I do not have a Vons’ card. Suddenly a man who lined up next […]...
Read More