What The Bible Says
Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice
In the margin of my Bible next to Hebrews 5:8, “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered...” I have listed ten reasons why suffering is good for us. Foremost, we are here for His purposes not for ours, and in this Scripture God's purpose involved Christ's suffering. Recall Abraham who believed God but did not see fulfillment for twenty-two years. He and Sarah tried a man-made fulfillment... we know how that worked out. Isaac arrived in Genesis 21 but in chapter 22 God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only begotten son. God was painting a picture; the world waited a long time for the birth of the Messiah, he was then sacrificed for us. Suffering keeps us humble. In 2Corinthians 12 the Apostle Paul's thorn in the flesh brought humility and strength. In verse 9 God's strength is made perfect in weakness, and in verse 10 Paul himself was made strong in his weakness. Our immune system is made strong by fighting. Tonsils used to be ripped out regularly until we learned their role in our immune system. Exotic diet chemicals in the food industry destroy the immune system and cause numerous autoimmune diseases. Our suffering builds up our immunity to many other things, and produces our strength. When we are “dull of hearing” (Heb5:11) suffering holds our attention. Suffering teaches us to love, to enjoy blessings, to be Christlike, to be forgiving, to minister and long for heaven. “I walked a mile with happiness, she chatted all the way, but I was none the wiser for all she had to say. I walked a mile with sadness and not a word said she, but oh the things I learned from her, when sadness walked with me.”
An Essay for week #28 Jul 15, 2018
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A weekly 300 word essay- The Penny Pulpit
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