my thought is that you never know what God wants to teach you by allowing you to go through afflictions such as theft. it always feels like a violation, but then again, what chance would we have to learn to pray for & love our enemies if we were never wronged?
shoot. i got ticked off at the person driving slow ahead of all the cars in the parking garage this morning. i definitely wouldn't have passed the test today of loving & praying for my neighbor. wrongful situations may be necessary at times for God to reveal to us what is wrong in our hearts that He wants to root up.

situations where we are wronged also sometimes helps us to realize how tied we are to our earthly possessions, get a heart check if needed about materialism. another point i could see God not necessarily disciplining you with a situation like this, but on the flip side it could be that He is possibly trying to make is a testimony to those who are not saved - i mean, when you're depending on God and things are going wrong, there's just something about that person that the unsaved person wonders how they can possibly face it with a decent attitude and walk in strength. this has definitely opened up opportunities in the past for me to share how i've learned that God is totally my provider and always has a plan for my life. whether or not that feels comfortable at the time or looks like it will turn out ok, it makes no difference, i can look with confidence to the future knowing that God will provide my needs. not necessarily my wants or the way that i would do it, but He will provide perfectly and with precise timing for the situation as He determines for the best outcome to help me be more like Christ and to glorify God.

at any rate, i see a lot of passages in Scripture that talk about affliction used by God to teach us obedience, to keep us from falling away, to mature us in our walk, to make us more like Christ. and also, i think to remind us that this world and all that's in it is temporary. i've had to have things taken from me here and there to get me to a point where i realize that all the stuff on earth belongs to God. to be content, as Paul said, in abundance and in lack. the key is to keep God at the center of one's heart, and not to be shaken no matter what your circumstances are. if He is what's most important than all else on earth is about as good as rubbish anyway.

i feel like God has me in a season where i'm learning not to let my heart become disappointed or upset with Him based on what is or is not happening in my life. i guess that is why this topic really stirs me up right now.

i certainly don't want to slight the fact that it hurts to suffer through these types of things; however, we can feel blessed that God has a purpose for them - see James 1:2-4

"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (perfect in this context having the connotation of maturity)

I've been blogging about this further on MySpace. If interested go have a look. I believe it's an important lesson!