“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.” (Colossians 3:12-15 NASB1995)
Today I have read several of other people’s posts on various places where they talked about trials and tribulations in their lives, and the testing of their faith, and wanting to be healed, but God not healing them physically, because he had other plans for their lives. They talked about times of ungratefulness and of complaining, and how they need to be more grateful and not complain, and how they need to trust in the sovereignty of God and his goodness over their lives, and to trust him with His plan for their lives. And they both are going through some pretty serious trials right now.
One person talked about a couple and their son getting lost in a park, and learning a life lesson that taught them something much deeper about trust and faith, that sometimes we have to trust even when we don’t have control. They had a humbling reminder in more than one way that God teaches us trust through life’s small moments. I especially liked this part, “Sometimes God lets us walk through uncertainty so we can learn to rely on Him, not just on our own sense of direction. The beauty of faith is knowing that even when we don’t see the full trail, God does.” Amen! Absolutely true!
So, I responded to this by saying, “This speaks a lot to where I am now. God has had me on a medical puzzle journey two months plus, not like anything I have experienced before. I have seen more doctors and specialists, and had more medical tests, and scans, and procedures, and ultrasounds than I have ever before had in my life in a two month period. We have some answers, but still puzzles and mysteries which don't yet have clear answers.
“I have been following the leading of the Lord each step of the way, but no end in sight yet. I know this is of God and he has a purpose for my life through it all which he will accomplish in his timing, so my trust is in the Lord each step of the way, and I know he will bring good out of it in my life if I keep following his lead and keep trusting him with the results. So thank you for sharing this word of encouragement.”
But God also spoke to me about complaining, not against God and what he is doing in my life, but I did complain about some of the medical professionals who I felt treated me unfairly and not with kindness or respect. But those medical professionals were also a part of God’s plan for what he is taking me through, not that I should have accepted what they said or what they wanted to do if it wasn’t God’s will for my life. But all that I am going through right now is putting my faith to the test, and it is to grow me in my walk of faith and to prune me of everything that needs to be pruned, too.
And then I read this passage of Scripture in Colossians 3, and it also spoke on the subject of not complaining, but forgiving those who we feel wrong us in some way. Now, there are times when God has us share some of our difficult life experiences, much like what Paul shared in the Scriptures, especially with regard to Christian persecution or church abuse in order to address these subjects and to talk about the kinds of things which are going on in the name of church and of Christianity which are anti-God, and against his will and purpose for his church. And those testimonies are of God.
But we should not be those who go around complaining because we are unhappy about something someone did to us or said to us that we thought was disrespectful and unkind. And we should forgive all who offend us with their words. Again, this doesn’t mean we join in with them, and that we agree with them, and then we go a different direction than the one God wants us to take. He still may say, “Not this one, go somewhere else,” and he may lead us to someone else who is more likely to do the right thing according to God’s plan and purpose for all that we are going through.
So, whatever we are being called upon to endure right now, we need to endure with grace, trusting the Lord to work out his plan and purpose for our lives through it all. We need to trust him every step of the way, even when we don’t understand it all, and we still don’t have the answers we are hoping to receive. And we are to be compassionate, kind, humble, gentle and patient, bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, just as Jesus Christ forgave us who believe on him to be Lord (Owner-Master) and Savior (deliverer from slavery to sin) of our lives. And we are to walk in peace.
[Matthew 5:10-12; Matthew 7:13-14; Matthew 10:16-39; Matthew 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 21:12-17; John 15:18-21; John 17:14; Romans 5:3-5; Philippians 3:7-11; 1 Peter 1:6-7; 1 Peter 4:12-17; 2 Timothy 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5; James 1:2-4; 2 Corinthians 1:3-11; Hebrews 12:3-12; 1 John 3:13; Revelation 6:9-11; Revelation 7:9-17; Revelation 11:1-3; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 13:1-18; Revelation 14:1-13]
Refiner’s Fire
By Brian Doerksen
Purify my heart,
let me be as gold and precious silver.
Purify my heart,
let me be as gold, pure gold.
Purify my heart,
cleanse me from within
and make me holy.
Purify my heart,
cleanse me from my sin, deep within.
Refiner's fire,
my heart's one desire
is to be holy;
set apart for You, Lord.
I choose to be holy;
set apart for You, my Master,
ready to do Your will.
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Going Through a Pruning Process
An Original Work / November 22, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Spirit of the Living God
By Daniel Iverson
Spirit of the Living God, fall fresh on me.
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me
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