Tag Archives: pain

Random Devotional Thoughts

The Easter Story

Leave a comment

The Easter Story inspired the following thoughts….we too often sanitise the Bible stories, but reality would be very different….

Sitting Down They Watched Him There.

We read these words in the peace and quiet Forgetting the crowds, the noise, the riot, That surrounded our Lord so long ago, When rulers had wickedly taken Him so. The noise, the cries, and the prisoner’s grunts, The shouts of the soldiers, the awful thumps, Of the nails going into the human flesh, As they lay on the scars and bruises so fresh; The heat and the dust that rose in the air, The scorning of those who were standing there. The laughing and jeering of the soldiers who, Were casting lots for His garments too. The thieves were cursing Him to His face, Get us down and out of this place! Then we’ll believe that you truly are King And one day Your kingdom You’ll really bring” Suddenly one turned and said to his mate, We really deserve all that’s on our plate, But this Man here has done nothing amiss, Lord, remember me now in spite of all this ” The Saviour looked and in tones soft and light, Said “Today you’ll be with Me, in Paradise bright Joy filled the heart of this one so  depressed The noise and  the dirt were now repressed In spite of those who watched them there, The rulers uncaring, or friends in despair, The soldier declaring ‘This IS God’s Son, He only is the righteous One! ” His Spirit given up, the night now was near, The people had gone, the silence was clear. Still there were those who were watching Him there When His body  was put in the tomb with  care, The guards would wait the next  nights out, No one could move while they were about. But in spite of it all, God’s  purposes won, And Jesus became, the Resurrected One!

And that my Friend, is the reason so clear,        That Easter for us presents no fear,                          Tis only for us to humble our mind, Accept what’s written and then we’ll find,  Satisfaction within and no more  grief,  With  peace in our hearts beyond belief.

Life Lessons

Why do Bad Things Happen to Good People? (Part Four)

Leave a comment

     Job began to speak, “I wish I’d never been born, to feel like this! It’s a pity my mother ever gave birth to me!” He was in such pain that he had no rest, and he was wondering why God had allowed this calamity to come upon him….      This is a very human thought, one which we probably have all had at times when things go wrong. But we need to remember there is a much wider picture than what we can see at the moment, and that God will work things out in the end.     Eliphaz spoke up and replied to this (chapters 3-4)… “Don’t you know that God looks after those who follow Him? You’ve helped others when they’ve been in trouble, and now trouble has come to you and you complain!”     He went on, “I’ve had frightening experiences before today and I know we can’t stand before God….this trouble must have come from God to correct you for something, Job;  but things will come right in the end. Listen to what I’m saying.”    Job  replied to this by saying, “Oh, if only God would listen to me and take me away! Then I might be comforted instead of going through this time of distress. I feel like someone travelling through a desert and not able to find any water…I’ve never done any wrong to anyone!

     Bildad, the next friend, now spoke up…”Your words are like the wind, Job! You are missing the point; you must be sinning secretly for God to treat you like this!”      Some of us have suffered comments like this over the years, and there is no comfort in being told where you’ve gone wrong!      Bildad continued….”There is always a reason for everything that happens…swamp weeds can’t grow where there is no water, and those who forget God will reap the consequences!  God doesn’t help those who forget Him, but cheer up, things will come right in the end!”     Job replied, “I know what you are saying is right, but how can a person stand against God? He is so great and mighty! He has made the stars in the sky, and does wonderful things we can’t understand. Even though I know I am innocent, I can’t answer Him. Things just continue to go wrong! God is not a human being like we are, that I can answer Him! He made me like I am, and it seems that He is destroying me now. I wish He would tell me where I’ve gone wrong! Oh, leave me alone, so I can find some comfort!”

     When our friends suffer from some disaster, we must make sure to not try to figure out where the blame lies….this is no comfort at all, and does nothing to help whatsoever! It is better just to sit there quietly, and get them the things they need for their comfort. If you can’t be there with them to help, then just a quiet phone call or text now and then to remind them that they are not forgotten.                                                                                                 (Job, chapters 3-10)

Life Lessons

Why do Bad Things happen to Good People? (Part three)

Leave a comment

Why do Bad Things Happen to Good People?  Part Three. 

                                    Job’s Further Trial.

     In the second chapter of the book of Job, we now have a another picture of the council of God meeting, with Satan present once more. Once again God asks Satan “What have you been doing?” with the answer that he had been roving backwards and forwards over the earth. We can rest assured, that just as he was doing that then, he will still be doing it today, and with all the crime and violence that is going on, it is obvious he is not idle!      God said to him, “Have you taken notice of Job? He still holds firm to his convictions in spite of losing everything he had.” “Ho ho,” replied Satan, “You touch his health and it will be a different story!” “Alright,” God replied, “He is in your power, but you are not to take his life.”

    We see from this conversation that Satan can only go so far in touching God’s people. We know that God allows certain things to happen to us to correct us and teach us more of His comfort. Paul said that his affliction (whatever it was), was a messenger of Satan to keep him humble and dependent on God  (2 Corinthians 12:7)    This answers the age old question of “Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?” We see from Job’s reply to his wife’s comment, that he too, thought this disaster had come on him from God. We all tend to blame God when some circumstance  outside our control brings disaster to us. Rather, we should look on these things as corrections and times of growing in His knowledge.

   Satan went out from God’s presence thinking he had Job this time, and chose the worst thing he could think of to torment him with….being covered with boils! There was no rest for Job with this….he could not sit or lie comfortably anywhere!    In spite of Job being such a devout and godly man, yet there were still things for him to learn from this experience, so this trial had a double point. It was showing Satan (and his cohorts) that there was a man who would remain firm in his convictions, no matter what happened to him, and at the same time teach him (Job) more valuable lessons about God’s faithfulness.

   This time Job’s trial really begins. His three friends heard about all the calamities that had befallen him, and how he was now in worse straits than ever with his health having given out. So they all came to visit him, to sympathise with him and show their support.    When they arrived, they were shocked at just how bad he was! They hardly recognised him as the person they knew! They showed their shock by weeping loudly and tearing at their clothes. Each of them sat down with dust on their heads, and then just sat there with him not saying a word! They stayed like that for seven days before they started talking….Job’s pain was so great with the boils that covered him, and he made matters worse by scraping the tops off them with a scraper of some sort. But even that, as they began to talk to him, paled into insignificance against what they had to say. It would have almost been better if they had all kept their mouths shut!

   What a lesson for us to learn! For those in deep grief it is some times better to say nothing than to even say “I know what it’s like for you!” Even when we’ve been through some traumatic experience, no-one else can step into your mind and know how you feel, as everyone is different.   

     So next time we will look at Job’s friends’ advice and see what we can learn from it all…..

Uncategorized

Why Problems?

Leave a comment

    Keith came in for lunch one day with a very sore back. He had been working on fixing our back deck which needed a large board to replace one with rot in it, and had twisted his back in man-handling this board. As it turned out, it was quite a while before he could get back and finish the job, taking several days of lying flat on his back and then being very careful walking around until it came right.

We all experience times of trials and problems as we go along in life and wonder why. Even worse, we wonder “Why me?” The Bible deals with this same question, and quite clearly tells us why. In the  book of Hebrews chapter twelve we read….                                                              “For the Lord disciplines the ones  He loves and chastises every son He accepts. Now all discipline seems painful at the time, not joyful. But later it produces the fruit of peace and righteousness for those trained by it.”

So we see that it is for our own good, and that we will benefit from it if we take it the right way. Sometimes we need to take time out for meditation and reflection and if we are always too busy we miss out on these times. We can either choose to be resentful and grumpy in our pain, or we can take the attitude that it will soon pass and things will get better. It is all up to us!

Then there is another aspect of when things go wrong and we are laid low. Paul had a disability of some sort, and he asked the Lord three times to take it away, as he felt it was hindering his work for Him. Each time he was told by God, “My grace is sufficient for you, because My strength is made (or shown) to be perfect in your weakness”. Paul accepted this and said that he would gladly suffer these problems so others would be able to see God’s strength enabling him to continue. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

We don’t realise how often we are examples to others of how God is at work….let’s make sure we are always a good example and not a bad one!