"The LORD is GOD"

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all." (Psalms 34:19) If you did not quite get how those last couple of postings had anything to do with a "broken heart", or a "contrite spirit", then maybe this will help: God is always the one with the upper hand; and I don't care what you may have gone through or what you may have done, if you are called by God, it's all relevant. There might be some things that you don't quite see how that might be true, but God does not make mistakes, and everything He allows His anointed to go through, He allows it to happen for a reason; if for no other reason than humility and brokenness, but it all is part of who we are. These two next verses can be applied to Jesus Christ, especially the next one; but the one we have before us today, it has some very significant meaning about the fact, "The servant is not greater than the Master"; which basically means, If Jesus suffered affliction, then we should not be surprised if we should also; that includes those times before coming to the Lord. I know, some of us have stuff that has happened to us that should never happen to anyone, especially not children; but does that mean God caused those things to happen? No way! God does not cause evil, nor does He tempt us with evil things; but God will allow certain things by not stopping them, only because the power of His redemption is far greater than any affliction, even the afflictions that scar for life! Besides, what are the scars in comparison to the glory? Here's another question: Do you think Jesus will still have the scars from His crucifixion? He had them after His resurrection, so why would He not have them in heaven? After all, they are His testimony of the cross, and the great price that He paid for our sins; His testament before the Father as He makes intersession for all of our mistakes, and as He raises His hand in objection, to plead our case. I think the greatest example of afflictions and being afflicted was the life of Christ; right from the start, He suffered as being considered a bastard, even before His birth. Born in a manger, that might not have been so bad; but then, having to flee into Egypt, that made His first few years that of a vagabond. As with all Jewish boys, He was trained in a trade as a child, and His was that of a carpenter; and because of the city He was raised in, glorious carpentry work was really not associated with Nazareth, so the carpentry work was moderate at best; which also meant that His household growing up was one of a lower to modest income, and they really did not enjoy many of the pleasures of this life. As Jesus started His three and a half year ministry, He did not have financial backing; nor did He even have a place to live, but lived totally from day to day, just trusting that everything He needed would be supplied by His Father in heaven. These are just simple things leading up to the cross, and the closer He reached it, the worst His life had pressed towards that cross; until He could honestly say, "I came unto my own, and they rejected me"... "For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are Israel: neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed." (Romans 9:3-8)