A Lesson Hard-Learned...

NB-May contain traces of Revelation...

My English teacher has this weird thing about putting different sayings on her door. To be honest, most of them are quite thought-provoking, and I've had many a discussion about the meaning behind each of them. For about a week or so, probably one of the most thought-provoking sayings has been staring me in my face;

"Life is the hardest of teachers; It gives you the test first, and then the lesson..."

As many of you know, I have a terrible memory, but this Friday has to be the pinnacle of my forgetfulness. I've recently started to call City Gates church home. Its a fantastic church, and well worth a visit. One of the great things about the church is their dedicated focus to serving youth. And so with that, most Fridays, the youth group known as GAP is held in DEC. Now, I've only ever been to one GAP, and I have to give credit where credit is due; its amazing. Its a place where I can just relax with some of the greatest people I know. I made a promise after TeenStreet to get up to GAP more often, and so I decided that this past Friday would be a good opportunity to head up, seen as I had gone through quite a lot the past week (see past post)...

Of course I did remember to check make sure that it was on...

I was heart-broken. I had spent roughly 2 hours travelling through rush hour Dublin for empty red-bricked church, and a barren parking lot. I don't know how long I cried for after I got a text from one Adam Faulkner telling me it wasn't on. I has so been looking forward to it, and to see it wasn't on...well...you get the picture...


I'll never want to trade away that evening...


David had it pretty rough too. Think about it. One day, the prophet Samuel picked him, and told him that he would one day be king of Israel. If I was David, I'd be pretty stoked. And if I were David, I would also be devastated, being chased through the desert by Saul, watching his best friend, Johnathan, die, having to hide constantly in multitudes of caves, just to get enough sleep to carry him through the next day. Its hard to think that David would go through all that. But he did. He was crushed beyond belief, and at one stage, it almost looked like he had given up.

I too had almost given up that Friday. I began thinking why God would put me through all this, and I couldn't come with any reason. I started to turn away...

And yet through the pain, through the struggle, and through the misery, God was still there, both for David, and for me...

Psalm 71 is a Psalm that I had never read up until yesterday. I'm pretty sure that God has one of the biggest senses of humour, because the Psalm talks about something that I had just gone through...hardship, but more than that, praising God in those times;

"My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long....For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together...My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure."

-Psalm 71 v 8, 10, 13

One of the hardest lessons that we'll ever have to learn, is to praise God, no matter what the circumstance. I had heard this before, but there and then, God finally began to teach me what that truly means...and so when I eventually arrived home, I grabbed my mp3, put on some Hillsong, and gave my praise to God...

David kept going, but through his perseverance, he continued to seek the glory of God, praising Him in all circumstances. I'm often reminded of Romans 5, where Paul talks about how suffering brings about perseverance, perseverance, character, and character, hope. We have a hope in God, because he poured out His live when He gave His one and only Son... Jesus...

But more than what is said in Romans, I believe something else comes from suffering...


...A title...


I've just finished reading Matthew, and one thing strikes me. Its hard to imagine Jesus, being born an infant, teaching on the banks of the Galilee, and riding in Jerusalem, being the same person hanging on the Cross that faithful day, when human history changed forever. And yet its true.

But here's the thing. Through His suffering, Christ became central to the whole of history. He was exalted and given the honour of sitting at Hid Father's right hand...He was given a title, so to speak.

David was also given a title, because sure enough, just as Samuel promised long ago, David became king...and it is through his suffering that God prepared him...He was also given a title...

We've also been promised a title;

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled...Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven..."

-Matthew 5 v 6 and 10

God promises each of us a crown in the New Jerusalem. And through our suffering, God is preparing us so that we may enter His kingdom, and with Him, watch over the next world...See I told you Revelation would pop up!

But now the question is how do we get from here, to there? Simple; follow the conduct of David, and the word of Jesus... David could have given up at any stage, and yet he persevered. Why? Because he always put God first, making Him the Nexus of his life. And Jesus himself said that the greatest commandment of all was to "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." In other words, place Him as the Nexus of our lives.

Persevere. Hope is found when Christ is your Nexus...