17 January 2018
Affliction drives us to God
James 5:13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.
I have learned that God can use everything for my benefit – once I surrender it – even my suffering. Suffering is never pleasant, but difficult times produce wonderful fruit in our lives.
It is so strange, but true – when the sun is shining brightly and everything is going our way – we don’t always feel the need for seeking the face of God.
But desperate times lead to desperate prayers. When we are helpless to change our own situation, we cry out loudly to our Saviour. Knowing He is truly the only One who can help us.
You see, to have God’s Glory (His presence), is the perfect help in our need.
*Affliction humbles us
A mother said to me the other day, “Retah, I prayed all of your prayers and still my child died”.
I, Retah, can only say this, “It is 14 years down the line and still my child suffers from PTSD. He was in a coma for months and suffered so much trauma. Did I not pray enough, or maybe believe enough? Why does he still suffer so much pain?”
What would you answer these two moms? What is your opinion?
Is it something we did or did not do? Or is it possible, like I mentioned last week, that we are on earth where Satan rules and this has an impact on our lives? But, we have the Blood of the Lamb and we can fight this battle till the end.
The battle is not as we want so desperately to believe – all going my way, always in my favor with my best outcome and interest at the center. No, my dear friend, the battle is for Holiness. The battle is for the soul of man.
As soon as we realize how powerless our own efforts are, then Jesus Christ can display His might and glory in our lives. Sometimes we use all of our own resources till it is exhausted, just to see that one drop of His Blood, applied by faith, is enough.
These afflictions remind us of how fragile we are. It truly keeps us humble.
We need His Presence, His Glory, more than anything else.
2 Cor 12:7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given to me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.
*Affliction brings the comfort of God near
2 Cor 1:13 Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our afflictions.
Although people mean well, there are times when their opinions hurt more than they offer comfort. I have learned that our Abba Father is the God of ALL COMFORT. He knows exactly what our broken hearts need. He created our hearts and knows every sadness, and He knows that only a soft gentle touch, or a gentle word, can bring healing. Not necessarily your opinion about we needing more faith, or that we need to sort out more curses in our lives.
*Affliction give us compassion towards other people that are broken
2 Cor 1:3-4 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 afflictions, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
People’s words can bring comfort, but you will find that only those who don’t secretly judge you can truly comfort you. Your pain can be horrific now, but my friend, one day Abba will use you to bring comfort to someone else who suffers the same pain of facing a giant, maybe a depressed spouse, a dying child or the agony of a PTSD child. Who knows how and when He will need you. As much as I want to say that you are blessed that you don’t go through trials, I know that we will all face trials and death one day.
*Affliction produces endurance and patience
Rom 5:3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that sufferings produces endurance.
I can honestly say that I do not yet rejoice in the fire. But I do know and I can see the growth in my spirit the last fourteen years as we faced one challenge of patience and endurance after the other.
*Affliction reminds us daily that this world is not our home
Heb 13:14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.
Affliction and real pain wean us from this world and its suggested glamour and perfection. On our journey, we walk with a severely brain injured child who carries a lot of pain and trauma. After years of helping him to deal with the pain, he still falls into PTSD-delirium states.
We just came out of such a seven-week PTSD state. Aldo fell back into his original trauma coma state. Part of his soul was still captive in death all this time, and that is why he still had epilepsy and could fell back in PTSD.
In this, you can do nothing other than fight, pray and help him once again from near-death to walk and talk, step-by-step in the flesh. Humbly, with tears and a quiet spirit, I can only say ...... Bless the Lord, oh my soul and forget not one of His benefits. Yes, even the benefits He brings to us through hard and painful seasons.
Once again, I can see that Abba changes us from glory to glory. He asked me one night as I wept before Him, “Retah, why do you only look at Aldo? Why don’t you see what I am busy doing in your life? You cannot save or help Aldo other than what you and Tinus are doing. Stop! Everything doesn’t depend on you Retah. I just want you to walk by faith and not by sight. Just do what you do. Love him – unconditionally. If he is in now, or if he is in this PTSD state – just love him until life. Not until perfection. I am busy saving his soul out of death.”
I can honestly say that, yes, it was a tough, tough battle, but we are now 8 weeks epilepsy free, and I do believe that Abba helped us to save that little part of Aldo’s soul out of the valley of death this time. At the time of our accident 14 years ago, we just fought for survival of the flesh.
There is always something you are fighting – and that is not necessarily flesh! God has all the answers, but we have to have our eyes on Him while we battle. He led us to walk around this mountain again, but this time with eagle’s eyes, seeing what God sees.
God sees the brokenness in man’s soul, and He wants that healed!
“Retah, for years you only ministered unto man, but now I am preparing you to minister unto Me (Isaiah 44). This fire My child, carries a beautiful anointing and fragrance of death in self. I want you to come up higher, soar like an eagle, get the answers from Me – and minister unto Me.”
Only the fire can prepare us to minister unto God.
God loves you my dear friend, don’t measure His love with no fire or difficulties in your life. Life is more than what your human eyes can see.
The battle is for the soul of man.
Love you and thank you so much for your prayers.
Retah and family
ALDO LETTERS IN DOCUMENT
DID means a part of your soul - in Aldo,s case was captured in the valley of death. There your soul will be tormented and this is what the battle is for - to get your broken soul out and be whole again.
PTSD - is just a medical term for a captured broken part of your soul that keeps on experiencing the trauma. That part is captured in the trauma experience.
With help of a wonderful dr, medicine, Holy Spirit and friends that prayed and lifted our arms - we could walk this journey. And will continue until Gods perfect time.