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Submitting to the Will of God in Time of Tribulations, More Than the Good Times

By Archdeacon Habib Guirgus

The most wonderful comfort you can find will be in denying yourself and make it submissive into the hands of the Almighty God, in order to unite with Him in love and submission to His will, especially during time of tribulations and hardships.

 

You need to tame yourself to be trained for the virtue, especially in times of temptation, catastrophe, or sickness, to reveal your love to God, to show your content in tribulation and peace.

To thank God during good times and abundance, is a natural matter. But to do that in time of hardship has a comfortable tune and wonderful voice to God's ears, especially those who love Him, and tasted His comfort.

After the Apostles were beaten "they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name" (Acts 5:41).
The apostle Paul said; "I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation" (II Corinthians 7:4).

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ" (II Corinthians 1:3-5).

We have seen Job and the calamities which befell him; his children killed, his cattle stolen, his camels taken away, and his body was struck with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of the head, yet he only said; "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21).

The Apostle Paul said; "But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated; for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry" (Hebrews 10:32-37).

"My beloved is mine, and I am his... until the day breaks and the shadows flee away" (Song of Solomon 2:16, 17).

Let these words cleanse your heart and make it 'whiter than snow'.

Let these words be on your mouth for it is capable to make you happy and rejoice and make your days joyful. It will remove all sorrow, and change your hardship into comfort.
It can even make you accept death in exchange for God's love, to have a more complete life and abundantly. How sweet it is to put ourselves in the hands of the Almighty; the Living God, "But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say, 'You are my God'. My times are in Your hand" (Psalm 31:14, 15).

"You have turned for me my mourning into dancing. You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, to the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever" (Psalm 30: 11, 12).

 

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