Why He Persists with Process

***If you would like a little context leading up to this conversation with God, the first post in this series is: Bent to Want Something Different, and the second is this: The Bait and The Hook***

And it has come to this.

These questions He has answered on different levels for me before, and experience has proven His promises true, His reasoning loving. But somehow, in seeing all the hard things in loved ones lives that pile up on every side and so many who are weary and burdened, searching and hurting...

... I have asked Him again: why does He allow... orchestrate... design... for each of us these painful processes and life circumstances we all experience?

Now He answers... right to the point... and I just try to keep up.

Sometimes God doesn't just speak a single word or a sentence, but many humbling, comforting, directing ones.

The pen flies, scratching out in black on white His unchanging love for us all, The Word, living and active.

"I am a God of order and of peace.

The process itself produces the result you so deeply desire, what you continually ask Me to develop in you.

I want you to learn to consider it pure joy whenever you face these trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. And perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

I have given you everything you need for life and godliness through your knowledge of Me, I called you to Me by My glory and goodness. And through these I have given you My very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in My divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

I know you dearly want both of these things. So it is for this very reason that I want you to make every effort to be willing to go through the process and add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. Because if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of Me. If you do not have these qualities, you will be nearsighted and blind, and that will be evidence that you have forgotten that I have cleansed you from your past sins.

Now for a little while you may have to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when I am revealed.

You can rejoice in your sufferings, because it is suffering that produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. Suffering produces... hope. It does not crush it.

I know this will be hard for you to understand, because of all you see. But these troubles are achieving for you an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. Remember that what is seen is temporary. What is unseen is eternal.

I was rebuked for this process to my face, when I walked the earth you walk. It was not understood then, either. I spoke plainly that I must suffer many things, be rejected, be killed, and rise again. You are tempted to rebuke me when you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.

If you want to come after me, you must deny yourself, and take up your cross and follow me.

For if you want to save your life you will lose it, but if you lose your life for me and for the gospel I will save it. What good is it for you to gain the whole world, yet forfeit your soul?

Remember that if you have not Love... if you have not patience... a love that suffers long... you gain nothing.

The more you truly love someone, the more you are affected by what affects them. In knowing Me there is the fellowship of sharing in My suffering.

And it has been granted you to not only believe on Me, but also to suffer for Me.

Truly, blessed are you when you are persecuted because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven."

Oh Love that will not let me go...