Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. Hebrews 2:17-18, NKJ
As I approach the garden that my husband planted a few months ago, I see colors of green, light green, yellow, orange and red, beautiful colors of plants in different stages of development and maturity. The cherry tomatoes are green, orange and red, but we have to pick them when they are orange, before they turn red to keep the bugs from getting them and then let them sit on the counter a few days to ripen, before placing them in the refrigerator.
When the peas turn light yellow, they are ready for harvest. But it’s tempting to pick the ones who are light green and look filled out. Often those end up being snaps, because although they look like they’re ready, inside the process has not been completed yet and they are not fully ripe.
It is the same with our lives. When my husband, Tim, planted the garden, we did not know that he had prostate cancer. He was having some hip pain (we thought it was arthritis) and couldn’t spend too much time in the garden, but he was insistent on doing it. Now, he is not able to spend much time out there because of the pain.
We have prayed for healing and confess the scriptures over him. I believe the healing will manifest at some point, but it seems that sometimes the Lord leads us through paths that we would not have chosen. The Bible says that although Christ was a Son, He learned obedience by what He suffered (Hebrews 5:8) and, it pleased God to make the author of our salvation perfect (complete) through suffering (Hebrews 2:10). He was already sinless, but in order to become a perfect (complete or mature) and merciful high priest, God allowed Him to be tempted (or tested) in all points as we are and yet He was without sin (Hebrews 4:14).
Sometimes we have to walk through things in order to develop a greater level of empathy and compassion for others. Empathy means to have a shared feeling of infirmity or weakness with others. We don’t get that without going through some things. God is faithfully working, developing our faith and character and bringing us to maturity.
I am thankful that God is in control. He has led us through some dreams and I feel comforted in knowing that He’s got us and He is directing our path. God bless you all.
In Christ ~ Kelly Rowe
A Deeper Walk 