TfTD – Bitter and Sweet

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; know this, that the trying of your faith worth patience…” (James 1:273)

The Search

Several years ago, I cut salt and a few other things out of my diet.  And my dislike of salt substitutes sent me on a search for other ways to add flavor to my food.  It took me a while to find it but I did.  It took me a while to find acceptable substitutes for me but I found them.  It’s called, “herbs”. 

The Discovery

In so far as soup is concerned, I found that the right kind of bitter herbs makes a mediocre soup taste good.  Also, if taken in the right way, bitterness can make life not only sweeter, but add quality and character to us by the time God finishes mixing the two together. It can even make life taste like a great soup as opposed to a mediocre one. Think about it.  An expectant mother experiencies excruciating labor pains but when the pain is over, the child is delivered and she looks in the face of her beautiful baby, that moment is unimaginably sweet.

Here’s another example. There was an television episode on, “In the Heat of the Night”.  Virgil Tibbs was struggling with his nephew trying to save him when the gun went off and shot his nephew.  The nephew ended up in a wheelchair and he went to jail from the hospital. Virgil’s aunt blamed him and cut him out of her life.  Virgil cried.  Years later after the truth came out and time presented a better perspective; Virgil came home from work one day.  His wife told him he had a visitor.  It was his aunt.  When he came into his living room, his aunt stood up with open arms and they crumbled into each others arms while tears of joy flowed like water from a spring. Many of us have had moments like that and those who have not had them want them.

It is true. Life can be very bitter. The pains that put us in our hospitals make the joy of coming home that much greater.  The sufferings that separate us make the apologies more joyful.  No wonder Joseph told his brothers,

“You meant for evil but God meant it for good.”

God really does know how to mix those things up.

And that takes us to the cross, but it was there that men meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.  He experienced the bitterness of life paying the price for us in order that we might have fellowship with Him.

We can count it all joy because it was, as the song says:

“At the cross, at the cross,

Where I first saw the light,

And the burdens of my heart rolled away.

It was there, by faith,

I received my sight,

And now I am happy (joyful) all the day.

Amazing pity, grace unknown,

And love beyond degree.”