Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore, let us go forth to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach. For we have no continuing city here, but we seek one to come.
Select a thought to read by choosing a collection, the month, and then the day:
“Blessed is the man whom you chasten, O Lord.”
Psalm 94:12
One of the pitfalls associated with having earthly possessions and having earthly comforts is the flesh’s love of such things. When it comes down to it, the flesh will compromise with evil in order to keep the possessions and comforts it has. This pursuit and love of earthly comforts, possessions, and status is the way the flesh “wars against the Spirit”. And the call of God for us to “take up our cross and follow” Jesus is the way that the Spirit “wars against the flesh”. An upright heart chooses God over the pleasant things of this life.
The flesh’s love of earthly pleasures is a stealthy enemy of the soul. It can infiltrate our hearts and color our words and our conduct before we realize it. That is why we need the holy Ghost praying through us; it prays for things we know nothing about (Rom. 8:26), things that we need and heavenly help that we need before we know that we need it.
God loves us desperately. And when the flesh’s influence grows to a certain point among us, God may be forced to bless us with disasters instead of earthly comforts in order to humble us and cause us again to seek Him for saving strength.
The Bible repeatedly states that God chastens those whom He loves. The world will never understand or embrace that truth, but we can understand and embrace it! The wise among the saints trust God to do whatever He has to do to save them from the ways of the flesh, even if that means to bless us with disasters.