[Ohio]

I know lots of Lee's teachings stretch beyond the limits of scripture, and not to dispute others' input, but I would like to add something. Inside Lee's teaching there was a nugget of truth concerning God dispensing Himself into us as grace, peace, love, and so many other precious things which our Heavenly Father has for His children.

I have experienced this before, and am now passing through a fiery trial which is shaking every thing I know. In a way, I am clinging to the hope that this ordeal opens my heart for God to dispense more of Himself into me. And cling I must, since all my faults and failures often cloud the view that I am in the hands of loving Father.

Concerning the dispensing, called God's economy in the LRC, lots of fluff has surrounded this thought. Yet I have long wondered why God allows His children to endure pain and suffering. Read what David passed thru in the Psalms. What is His goal? What does He accomplish? One might say that He trains us, but I know that when the difficulties pass, we often just revert back to who we are. That's my story. It has always seemed to me that the concept of dispensing explained all my dilemmas. In a word, God wants to add Himself to us. All things work for our good, but perhaps the hardships help us the most. I do know that in the midst of trials, sin is almost absent in my heart, and that happens even without resisting it.

This may make little sense to our natural mind since we already have God, and that it seems we have already been blessed with every heavenly blessing in Christ. But Paul said, until "Christ is formed in us," and other expressions. Something happens within our inner being during trials, when things we love are being burnt up, and we can cling to nothing else but our hope, which is by faith is in God.