Volume 3 Issue 11

IT CAME TO PASS

“T

herefore when we could endure it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone; and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith, so that no man may be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this. For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so IT CAME TO PASS, as you know” (1 Thessalonians 3:1-4). The Apostle Paul had become aware that the Christians in Thessalonica had come under heavy persecution and were being afflicted for their faith. He feared that they might turn from their newly embraced faith, not understanding the reasons, the “why”, of their suffering. To ease his mind he sent Timothy to them. Timothy was to ascertain their spiritual condition and STRENGTHEN them to grow THROUGH their afflictions, and to ENCOURAGE them by reminding them that what they were experiencing was exactly what Paul had told them to expect. The afflictions had COME TO PASS. Was this encouraging? Possibly to a degree it was. Knowing that, as Christians, we are not exempt from trials and tribulations may increase our KNOWLEDGE of how God works in our lives, but because the pain is still very real, is it encouraging? The parents of a dying child may KNOW God loves their child, but does this encourage them? The wounded spouse in divorce may KNOW God loves them and that they have been treated unfairly, but does this encourage them? We may KNOW the loneliness and rejection we experience at times is being used by God to build us up, but are we encouraged by such knowledge? For the mature Christian such knowledge is encouraging. Why? Because they know that all these painful experiences have COME TO PASS, they have not COME TO STAY! They are TEMPORARY.

I realize I have taken textual liberty with the text verse quoted above. Its meaning is that the afflictions Paul warned the Thessalonians about came into being and they should not be surprised by their difficult circumstances. However, is it not also true that the Bible teaches us that our trials and tribulations are not forever? Does the Bible not give us hope and ENCOURAGEMENT that the suffering we now face will one day be a thing of the PAST? Of course. How encouraging would it be to think that suffering would be a part of our experience through all eternity? Rather, we must lay hold of the truth expressed in these words of the Psalmist: “Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning” (Psalms 30:5). In other words weeping will come, but not to stay; it will come to PASS.

We would be foolish not to admit and recognize that disappointment, discouragement, sorrow, pain, and grief are a part of life. To do so would be to live in denial of the truth. To experience these emotions is normal. Life can become hard and unless we have a firm foundation upon which to stand, adverse circumstances can cause us to give in to hopelessness. That is a very dangerous state of mind to be in. It has been said that man can live about 40 days without food, 4 days without water, 4 minutes without air, but only 4 seconds without hope. If we allow ourselves to develop a negative mindset and begin to believe that all is lost, hopelessness will rob us of the gift of joy and possibly the gift of life. Suicide is often the result if hope is not restored. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a TREE OF LIFE” (Proverbs 13:12). When we experience the heaviness of life’s burdens and believe difficulties have come to STAY and not come to PASS, Satan gains a significant foothold within our souls. It is during such times that we must bring to mind these words of Jesus: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My load is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

The Psalms are filled with the desperate cries of hurting, distressed people. “I am weary with my sighing; every night I make my bed swim, I dissolve my couch with my tears. My eye has wasted away with grief; it has become old because of all my adversaries” (Psalm 6:6-7). “SAVE ME, O God, for the waters have threatened my life. I have sunk in deep mire, and there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and a flood overflows me. I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched; MY EYES FAIL WHILE I WAIT FOR MY GOD” (Psalm 69:1-3). “My eye has wasted away because of affliction; I have called upon Thee every day, O Lord; I HAVE SPREAD OUT MY HANDS TO THEE” (Psalm 88:9). “HEAR MY PRAYER, O Lord! And let my cry for help come to Thee. Do not hide Thy face from me in the day of my distress; incline Thine ear to me; in the day when I call answer me quickly. For my days have been consumed in smoke, and my bones have been scorched like a hearth. My heart has been smitten like grass and has withered away, indeed, I forget to eat my bread” (Psalm 102:1-4). “For the enemy has persecuted my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me dwell in DARK PLACES, like those who have long been dead. Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me; my heart is appalled within me” (Psalm 143:3-4). These verses vividly portray the pain and heartache of one who is experiencing trials, tribulation, and injustice. His spirit and soul are being crushed because evil has COME into his life. These Psalms, as poignant as they are, would be even more so, if the heart breaking cries for relief fell upon deaf ears, but the Psalmist, more often than not, recognized that the evil had not to come to STAY, but it had COME TO PASS, it would not last. Thus, the Psalmist who cried out for God to save him, who felt his life was in danger, who cried so much his throat was parched, and who, for a time, failed to see God in his distress, never-theless ended his cry in triumph. “I will praise the name of God with song, and shall magnify Him with thanksgiving. And it will please the Lord better than an ox or a young bull with horns and hoofs. The humble have seen it and are glad; you who seek God, let your heart revive. For the Lord hears the needy, and does not despise His who are prisoners. Let heaven and earth praise Him, the seas and everything that moves in them. For God will save Zion and build the cities of Judah, that they may dwell there and possess it. And the descendants of His servants will inherit it, and those who love His name will dwell in it” (Psalm 69:30-36). The end was secure though the process may be long and difficult to bear. The Bible teaches us that the best way to overcome adversity is to trust the Lord and offer Him a prayer of THANKSGIVING in the MIDST of the adversity. The Lord is trying to teach us that trials and tribulations are a TEMPORARY reality of life; they COME TO PASS.

Jesus taught this same outlook on life. When the disciples asked Jesus about the end times, He responded, “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth DISMAY among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men FAINTING FROM FEAR and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory” (Luke 21:25-27). The book of Revelation expands this theme of great tribulation that will come upon the earth just prior to Jesus’ return. It frightens some people so badly that they refuse to read Revelation, preferring ignorance to reality. A sense of hopelessness begins to cast a shadow over them as they focus upon the evil that will surely come to pass. Yet, Jesus did not end His discourse with the disciples on a negative note. Rather, He said, “But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28). The correct response, according to Jesus, was not fear or dread, but an anticipation of redemption, an anticipation of freedom, because we are to see tribulation as something that has COME TO PASS, not STAY. Tribulation is not the end, redemption is, for redemption has NOT come to pass; it has come to STAY. Thus, we can, and should, offer a sacrifice of THANKSGIVING, REGARDLESS of the present circumstances we find ourselves in. Indeed, we are told to, “Look therefore carefully how ye walk, not as unwise, but as wise; REDEEMING THE TIME, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16, ASV). Redeem is the Greek word exagorazo, and it means to “buy out of”. We are to buy (redeem) time out of our days, but to buy or redeem something costs something and since money cannot buy or redeem time, what can? “Offer to God a SACRIFICE OF THANKSGIVING, and pay your vows to the Most High; and call upon Me IN THE DAY OF TROUBLE; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me” (Psalm 50:14-15). A sacrifice implies the giving of something we value; that is, it costs us something. If it does not, it is worthless and unacceptable to the one to whom it is offered. King David recognized this truth when he was told he must build an altar upon a threshing floor he did not own. The owner offered to give the threshing floor to David, but he responded, “No, but I will surely buy it for the full price; for I will not take what is yours for the Lord, or offer a burnt offering which COSTS ME NOTHING” (1 Chronicles 21:24). Thus, when we are told to redeem the time by acting wisely, carefully considering our behavior, it is because, if we are truly living the life Jesus called us to, it costs us something. What? “But I (Jesus) say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either” (Luke 6:27-29). This is how we redeem time. Such behavior is very costly because it is purchased with our pride, the commodity most precious to mankind. Therefore, to save our pride, we compare our actions to those of others and conclude that we are actually nice people, someone whom God should be glad to have on His side. It is to such people that Paul says, “For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding” (2 Corinthians 10:12). Why are they without understanding? Because such comparisons are worthless. We can always find people whom we consider worse than us, so we BOLDLY offer the Lord the “sacrifice of fools” (Ecclesiastics 5:1) – our own goodness. Our foolishness is met with these words of Jesus: “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, in order to receive back the same amount” (Luke 6:32-34). Should we love those who love us? Of course. Should we do good to those who do good to us? Again, of course. But the point is such behavior COSTS US NOTHING; and therefore, it cannot buy or redeem anything. The wise man’s behavior does cost him something, his pride, and because he is willing to surrender his pride, his sacrifice is acceptable to the Lord. Such behavior, in the face of evil, stems from the knowledge that evil has come to PASS.

Paul, a person who had more than his share of adversity, likewise, lived with a proper perspective of good and evil as they touched his life. Paul had been stoned, beaten, jailed, shipwrecked, and persecuted by his own people. Nevertheless, he was able to say, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18). He recognized that sufferings were PASSING; that is, they come to pass, not stay. This mindset was so much a part of his being that, after he and Silas had been beaten, thrown into a Philippian dungeon, and had their feet put in stocks, instead of bemoaning the injustice of it, we see that “about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of PRAISE TO GOD, and the prisoners were listening to them” (Acts 16:25). For Paul and Silas, tribulation had come to pass and their reaction was to look BEYOND the evil, thus allowing their minds to be STAYED upon the Lord. What was the result? “And suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's chains were unfastened” (Acts 16:26). Their praise, in the midst of their suffering, had provided a way of escape, which, no doubt, most of us would have taken advantage of rather quickly; but not Paul. He knew that if he left, the jailer would be killed for dereliction of duty. Thus, to spare the life of his JAILER, he and the other prisoners remained where they were. And what was the result of that? The jailer was so dumbfounded that none of the prisoners had chosen to flee, he exclaimed, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved” (Acts 16:30)? The result was, not only salvation for the jailer, but salvation for the jailer’s household as well. Because Paul so firmly believed that suffering comes to PASS, salvation came to the most unlikely of persons. Thus, when Paul says, “We know that God causes ALL THINGS to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28), he is not merely spouting pious, religious platitudes. He has lived the truth of that statement, and he is able to do that because he knows that trials and tribulations ALWAYS come to PASS.

The point that these examples are making is that it is ALWAYS appropriate to offer praise and thanksgiving to the Lord, even in the midst of pain and heartache. Jesus warned us: “In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Becoming a Christian in no way exempts us from the problems of daily life. What becoming a Christian does do is give us spiritual sight that is able to see that “the form of this world is PASSING AWAY” (1 Corinthians 7:31). With such sight praise and thanksgiving become truly possible, even in the most difficult of circumstances. This truth is expressed in the Psalms beautifully. “How blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee; in whose heart are the highways to Zion! PASSING through the valley of BACA, they make it a spring, the early rain also covers it with blessings. They go from strength to strength, every one of them appears before God in Zion” (Psalm 84:5-7). The Amplified Bible helps to bring out the meaning within these verses. “Blessed – happy, fortunate [to be envied] – is the man whose strength is in You; in whose heart are the highways to Zion. Passing through the valley of WEEPING they make it a place of springs; the early rain also fills [the pools] with blessings. They go from strength to strength – increasing in victorious power; each of them appears before God in Zion.” The valley of Baca (weeping) is a place, spiritually speaking, that is dry and foreboding, a place that can create fear in those who attempt to cross it in their own strength. Yet, EVERYONE who is seeking God will have to travel along this highway. The secret to crossing it successfully lies in the truth that “apart from Me (Jesus) you can do nothing” (John 15:5). It is only in Jesus’ strength, granted to us by grace alone, that we are able to traverse this valley. Our arrival in Heaven (Zion) does not depend upon the works of fallen man, but rather upon our sacrificing our pride and allowing Jesus to provide what we need, in His time, in His way. King David experienced this valley. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Thou hast anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:1-6). The valley of Baca can seem like a valley of death, and in truth, this valley experience is meant to cause us to die to self, as we PASS through life, that we might inherit ETERNAL life. As we WALK (not run or sprint) through this valley, the tears that we shed are not shed in vain; rather, “they make it a spring”. At the same time the Lord sends His refreshing showers to assuage the anguish of our pain. This serves a dual purpose. First, to bring us through as victorious children of God, but more than that, we become the SHOWERS that God will use for those who come after us. This truth is revealed by the Hebrew word used for “showers”; it is mowreh, which comes from yarah, which figuratively means, “to point out as aiming the finger, to TEACH”. As Paul explained, “If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:6). Like Paul and Silas in the Philippian jail, will you allow your valley experience to fully work within you so that the Lord will find you useful in setting the prisoners free and bringing salvation even to the most undeserving?

“Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting. He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him” (Psalm 126:5-6). As we PASS to and fro through this valley weeping, will it be in vain, or will we carry with us our bag of seed, the Word of God? Will we bring healing to the suffering and hurting by pointing (teaching) the way home (Heaven). If so it will be because THANKSGIVING is within our hearts and upon our lips, for thanksgiving should never COME TO PASS; it should COME TO STAY.

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