Where are you in this program? Abraham is not asked to give up Isaac every day. Jacob doesn't face Esau every other week. Joseph isn't huddled in the pit, or pulled on by Potiphar's wife, or taking care of prisoners for the rest of his life. Job isn't asked for his new children and camels as soon as he learns to enjoy them. God is not in the business of seeing us suffer.

Here is one thing we must learn about Jesus Christ. He is a Monarch. He will be in debt to no one. The only reason He demands things or people from you is to set you free so you are not bound by idolatry. Your crying in the night, your traumatic crises and chaos, the death of your soul, are not some cute game He is playing. He is preparing you to govern the creation in the Presence of God.

If right now God is demanding something from you, you are looking at the cup, then drink it. Do you remember when you were a child and the doctor prescribed some nasty medicine for you to drink? If you have some bitter medicine to drink, don't torture yourself by sipping it. Hold your nose and swallow the whole thing. Get it over with if you want to get better.

If the cup is before you, then you are a chosen vessel. God has something great for you in His Kingdom or He would not be requiring this of you. Make up your mind and drink the cup. Cast yourself on God. Scream if you want to but not where the neighbors can hear you. Let God have it all. You will feel that your soul is sorrowful to the point of death. This is how Jesus felt.

Have faith in the power and goodness of God. He is able and willing to bring you to fullness of joy. When He demands something it is because it will bring you misery if you hold on to it, or because He wants to set you free from it so He can restore it to you with His blessing.

Every aspect of the first creation is in a temporary form. We are destined to inherit everything of the creation that will bring joy and is worthy of the Kingdom, but first all of it must become filled with the Presence of Jesus Christ. Everything that you treasure must die and then be raised and filled with the Presence of Jesus Christ. Otherwise it will harm you.

God is not making all new things but all things new. We will not receive a different body but a body that has been made different.

Remember that Abraham wandered in the land of promise as in a strange place; but it is that land that will be given to him and his Seed in the future. We do not as yet see the holy land in the possession of Abraham and his Seed, but it one day shall be.

To be continued.