"I do not believe that any suffering is ultimately absurd or pointless, although it is often difficult to go on convincing oneself of this. At first, we react with incredulity, anger and despair. Yet the value of suffering does not lie in the pain of it,...but in what the sufferer makes of it....It is in sorrow that we discover the things which really matter, in sorrow that we discover ourselves."
(Mary Craig)
How I love and prefer comfort! But, this is not the way of the cross. The way to glory is the way of suffering. The way to being conformed to the image of Christ is the way of pressure.
The love of the Father for His children is just as vividly displayed in His dark providences as it is in the bright light of His comforts.
He is dealing with us as with children! What an unspeakable blessing to consider in the midst of the victories and the struggles of our pilgrimage.
How rich we are to be in the potters hands and to be pruned by the master husbandman!
God is working and bringing to pass in His perfect way and in His perfect time a glorious work of new creation.
So, to all of my brothers and sisters, we have these great words of consolation from the scriptures, "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." (Rom.8:18)
2 comments:
Good thoughts Tom. Often we ask, "why me" or "what did I do to deserve this?"
We could not do anything to deserve the individual attention of the Potter. We should be grateful, yet so often I am not.
Craig
Amen Brother, I thank God that He gives us what we need as He lovingly cares for us and not what we would choose according to our own understanding and desire for ease!
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