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by Doug Laird

05/07/26
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Sweet Dreams

Part Two

By running away from the plan that God has in mind, one can find himself or herself in the belly of a large fish, as did Jonah (1).

God can create a large fish (a set of extreme circumstances) to forcefully take us where we don’t want to go, but to where He wants us to be, at any giving time, to serve a divine purpose. Sometimes we are placed there for divine discipline or for our own edification, and sometimes we are placed there to evangelize or to edify others.

When two individual paths cross, it can be by divine appointment.

I cringe when I hear “recruiting” evangelists telling people that by turning to God, that life here on Earth will be one of all blessings and prosperity. While there certainly are both earthly and eternal blessings to be received, to say that the life of genuine Christianity is going to be “a walk in the park,” is far from the truth.

Not too far down the road of post salvation discipleship, many “recruits” will conclude that, “This is not what I signed up for,” and seek to find an easier path to Heaven. After all, they rationalize and ask themselves,” If I am already eternally saved, why be bothered with all this discipleship stuff?’

Such a self-centered attitude comes from the independent-fallen nature that remains with us after we have been saved, and not from the Christ-centered nature of the new creation that born-again believers have become.

While being born again DOES assure one of eternal security (2), and that post-salvation discipleship DOES have its own rewards and privileges in Heaven, the plan of God for many advancing disciples will call for much sacrifice, pain, and suffering, during their post salvation spiritual lives, here on Earth, as a result of choosing to do the “right” things.

The Phil.4: 7 peace that passes all understanding is not the result of having a problem-free lifestyle, but is experienced in the midst of all the adversity that people, the devil, and the Eph. 6: 12 forces of evil WILL (3) throw at them to take them out of the plan of God.

In Paul’s case, the plan of God called for beatings, stoning, shipwrecks, imprisonment, and eventual beheading.

Like Peter. in his old age, we may find ourselves in our later years being taken by the hand to a place we don’t want to go. There, we will spend our final days or moments (4). For many of us, how we face and deal with our end of life (here on earth) circumstances will be the greatest challenge, but also the greatest opportunity, to glorify God.

For Peter, it was a cross, where tradition says, he was crucified upside down. For us it might be a war zone, a prison, a sick bed at home, or away in a nursing home, if that is where we need to be to fulfil the final stage of His individual plan or us.

Our post salvation purpose and mission for being here on Earth is to glorify God through Biblical discipleship. Biblical discipleship calls for the daily intake and moment to moment application of the Word of God to ALL that one thinks, says, and does, with the long-term objective of participating in the Great Commission (5).

Our different jobs, occupations, social activities, and forms of recreation is what places His disciples in all different walks of life, where they are to serve as His ambassadors, representing and promoting the Kingdom of God, but all that we say and do in the presence of others with whom we share these activities.

Keep in mind that He assigns His best troops on the front lines of spiritual combat to the most difficult missions. It is an honor for us to be entrusted with such missions with the glory of God hanging in the balance.

It takes little faith to praise the Lord when things are going “our” way, and according to “our” plans. Our greatest opportunities to glorify God is in view when we find ourselves in scenarios in which our personal world is threatened or is crumbling down all around us, but we choose remain faithful.

Satan contended that if enough adversity was placed upon Job, he (Job) would curse God to His face (6). Job, a righteous man, had his adult children, his wealth, his social standing, and health taken away from him WITH God’s permission.

The devil was proven wrong in the case of Job, but has had considerable success in driving a wedge between God and many who would later claim to be followers of Christ. Dealing with a lot of the negativity that God allows to take place, coupled with the prosperity of the wicked, can be a high hurdle for many of us to overcome along the road to spiritual maturity.

In the midst of our disappointment, sorrow, and pain, Satan will be there to drive a wedge between us and God. This wedge cannot totally separate us from God, but can do much to destroy what should be an intimate, personal, walk with the Lord. What does not make us better, stronger, individuals, will make us bitter.

A bitter soul is not the breeding grounds for producing sweet dreams.

(1) Jonah 1: 17 1(2) Rom. 8: 1 (3) 2Tim. 3: 12 (4) John 21: 18 (5) Matt. 28: 19, 20 (6) Job 1: 11

End of Part Two

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