“…Though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men,” Lamentations 3:32-33. How beautiful is the opposition of a friend! It comes unwillingly, with great hesitation. It comes with trembling and hours of prayer. It comes with inner searching and purification. A friend opposes us after he or she has opposed themselves.
God does not willingly bring us grief and opposition. He waits, He ponders, He considers other possibilities. And in the end He makes His choices based on what is best for us. He very carefully calculates what will bring about goodness for us. What will produce our truest self in the end.
Our Friend in Heavenly Places wants to see us thriving there, in Heavenly Places, with Him. He wants to witness the refinement of our character as gold. He wants to experience interaction with our truest self for Eternity. His judgments for us are onto Eternity. They are valuable for leading us into Eternal mindsets, speech and activities. His thwarting comes to buffet the thoughts and ways we have adopted that keep us from living in the center of His Eternal favor.
And He does all of these things like a Friend. Carefully. Slowly. Cautiously. Unwillingly. With great hesitation. Yes, it feels like affliction. It does bring us grief. But the graces of Eternity are swiftly to follow in our conscience when we return to humbly receive. He is there… .a Friend to cover, to heal, anoint and restore… .for Eternity.
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