THAYNE A. THOMPSON, DMin | EFC-MAYM Lead Superintendent
Recently I visited Derby Friends Church on a Sunday morning. Pastor Josiah was just finishing a series on the Psalms of Ascent found in Psalms 120-134. That morning the focus was on the final Psalm of the series.
Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord
who minister by night in the house of the Lord.
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary
and praise the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Zion,
he who is the Maker of heaven and earth.
Psalms 134
That evening I had the privilege of participating in the lighting of Davis Tower on the campus of Friends University. Again, my mind was turned towards thoughts of praise and gratitude as I have observed the extreme turnaround of Friends University back to its roots as a “Christian University of Quaker heritage” (part of the mission statement), and watched how God has blessed in light of this.
That evening we had our daughter, Nicole, my mom, and two of our grandchildren, Hazel and Thomas, with us for the lighting ceremony. What a blessing, indeed.
At the same time, I am reminded that although all of us can identify many things for which we are grateful, some of us have experienced a deep sense of heartache and pain during the past year. Whether it be personal loss, times of uncertainty, or other types of emotional or physical pain, life has its way of giving us a “blow” from time to time.
It’s during those times I am reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 5.
Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Romans 5:3-5
So, what do we learn from the Apostle Paul? Pain and suffering, trials and tribulations, are not necessarily bad things. The experience may be painful, but the end result can teach us perseverance, create godly character, and ultimately give us increasing hope. Because of that, we can glory (rejoice) in our times of pain, suffering and uncertainty in life.
Over the past nearly (3) years, personally, we have dealt with some uncertainty. However, God made a promise to me in February of 2023, and has remained faithful to that promise bringing hope which it appears will soon be realized. He is good, even in the middle of trials and uncertainty. In light of that we can be thankful…and grateful…even when circumstances seem to dictate otherwise. Hebrews 11 reminds us that the Old Testament heroes of the faith hung in there and held on to their hope and faith even when outwardly things looked pretty bleak. Because of that God was pleased with them. He loves it when we trust Him!
If you get a chance this Christmas Season, for a change of pace, read Hebrews 11 a few times. Reflect upon the lives of people who trusted God through circumstances where there seemed no rational reason to do so. They set the example for us. So, perhaps we can do the same, and be an example for future generations as well.
Have a wonderful December and a grand Christmas celebration in 2025, and celebrate the goodness of God today, as well as the hope that is yet to come.
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