doug@seismo.css.gov (Sam Carter (carter@huey.CSS.GOV)) (07/02/90)
I find the analogy of refining gold to be a useful one, but I would like to present a slightly different view. In cases like the one Ms. Moy originally referenced, where the suffering stems from "natural" causes (rather than that inflicted by our fallen brothers), I believe that God uses these instances to make us more humble and to realize that we are not in control of anything that happens. At these times we should give ourselves up to our Lord and say "Lord, I cannot handle this, please take care of me." I am reminded of the poem _Footprints_, wherein a man asks the Lord why there are only one set of footprints during the most trying times of his life and the Lord answers: "Where you see only one set of footprints, I was carrying you." How sweet it would be to be cradled in the arms of our Lord! |\ | \ | ) DEO GRATIAS | / |/ Sam Carter | carter@huey.CSS.GOV --+-- ENSCO, Inc. | Springfield, Va. |
gross%xyzzy@dg-rtp.dg.com (Gene Gross) (07/02/90)
In article <Jun.11.04.00.04.1990.24583@athos.rutgers.edu> moy@acf4.nyu.edu (Gloria Moy) writes: >I am a Christian but I have a question that I have been asking myself. >One of my friends a fellow believer is very ill with a busted blood vessel >in the brain. She is in the hospital and I have been praying for her. >But my question is Why does God let bad things happen to good people or >better yet: why does God let these things happen to His people? Gloria: This has been something that I have thought about. My father-in-law was a Christian and a man whose life was spent doing good for and to others. Yet, I watched him slowly die with cancer, a brain tumor. Despite his suffering, in spite of it, he maintained a witness for the living God like few well Christians I've ever met. Bob felt privileged that God thought him worthy to bear that burden. But Bob didn't bear it alone--he had the family, the church, and most of all he had Christ helping him bear this. His testimony and witness was such that the doctors and nurses who treated him constantly remarked on his good spirits. Their questions to him grew more intense about this faith of his. Family friends who were not Christians also noticed this, and this lead to further discussions about our faith. Bob died and went to be with the Lord in June of 1984 (June 4th to be precise). At his funeral and at his request, the pastor did not deliver the usual funeral sermon. Rather he talked about salvation in Jesus Christ. Then he gave an altar call. One couple, long time family friends, came forward to declare their decision for Christ. Others have since come to Christ because of this one man's witness and testimony for a living God while he was in the midst of incredible suffering. IMHO, I think that God gives us no more than we can bear. But we must realize that suffering is a part of this world, and we are not promised that it will miss us just because we belive in Jesus Christ. Jesus didn't pray for us to be removed from this world, but rather that we would stand in the midst of it. How we live and die does matter. We have hope because we believe in and follow the God of hope. Acting otherwise makes no sense. I can assure you that your friend is now on my prayer list and I will share this with others on my electronic prayer chain. There is absolutely no reason for one of our sisters or brothers to have to go through such as this without knowing that the saints are lifting them up in prayer constantly to the throne of the living God. God has always taken our adversity and used it for good. Let's see what God does in this case. For the saints and the Lamb, Gene Gross
gross%xyzzy@dg-rtp.dg.com (Gene Gross) (07/08/90)
In article <Jun.15.03.27.58.1990.12742@athos.rutgers.edu> jrossi@jato.jpl.nasa.gov (Joe Rossi) writes: > >maybe, self-righteous. I realize these points underly the overall >meaning, and message of Job, but then a contradiction is a >contradiction. Its erroneous to think that somehow you can do good >and be righteous enough to merit God's favor, and avoid the >consequences of your sin. Who knows what Job's sin was, maybe it >was his wealth? Maybe it was his mistaken idea that somehow in >his righteousness he deserved to live like he did. From what the text says, Joe, Job was considered by God to be a righteous man. Satan made the accusation that this was so only because God had so richly blessed Job. The testing of Job had nothing to do with his sin but rather his faith. Job's friends were merely mouthing the thinking of the day. One good lesson to take from Job's story is to be careful how we treat those undergoing severe trials. The idea that they are going through the wringer because of some sin is without good foundation. Their testing may be for the same reason as Job's--Faith in the living God. That there are none righteous is quite true, but when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, His righteousness is imputed to us. We stand before God filtered by His Son. When He returns and the saints are called to Him, we will shed this body of corruption and unrighteousness and take on incorruptibility and righteousness. This is the culmination of our gift--salvation. That Christians are sinners cannot be argued. John said that if anyone says he is without sin that person is a liar and God is not in him. The difference between a Christian and a non-Christian is Jesus Christ. As for the suffering we go through, we can choose to let it take our eyes off of Jesus, or we can choose to recognize suffering for what it is. And I grant that often we mess up and cause our own problems. Still, we are children of the King. And whatever aflicts us, we must carry to our Father's throne and place it in His hands. The focus must never be ourselves. Grace and Peace, Gene Gross