Comfort in Suffering
God often GRANTS
the desires of sinners
in His WRATH,
while He DENIES
the desires of His people
in His LOVE.
~ Matthew Henry
(slightly edited)
Job lamented;
"Look at me, and be astonished...
When I remember, I am afraid,
and trembling seizes my flesh.
Why do the wicked live,
reach old age, and grow mighty in power?..
The tents of robbers are at peace,
and those who provoke God are secure."
the desires of sinners
in His WRATH,
while He DENIES
the desires of His people
in His LOVE.
~ Matthew Henry
(slightly edited)
Job lamented;
"Look at me, and be astonished...
When I remember, I am afraid,
and trembling seizes my flesh.
Why do the wicked live,
reach old age, and grow mighty in power?..
The tents of robbers are at peace,
and those who provoke God are secure."
(Job 21:5,6,7;12:6)
Jeremiah inquired of God;
"Righteous are You, O LORD,
when I complain to you;
yet I would plead my case before you.
Why does the way of the wicked prosper?
Why do all who are treacherous thrive?"
(Jeremiah 12:1)
James remembered the terrible suffering of God's people,
but also reminded us of the compassion and mercy of Christ:
"As an example of suffering and patience,
brothers,
take the prophets
who spoke in the Name of the Lord.
Behold,
we consider those blessed
who remained steadfast.
You have heard of the patience of Job,
and you have seen the purpose of the Lord,
how the Lord is compassionate and merciful."
(James 5:10-11)
When the cruel jaws of life
threaten to swallow you up,
look to the suffering Savior.
Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
Who comforts us in all our affliction
so that we will be able to comfort those
who are in any affliction
with the comfort with which we ourselves
are comforted by God.
For just as the sufferings of Christ
are ours in abundance,
so also our comfort
is abundant through Christ.…
~ II Corinthians 1:3-5
One Day, dear brethren,
one fine and glorious Day,
the Day of the LORD,
we who belong to Christ
shall behold His beauty face-to-face.
Keep this beatific vision in thy soul's eye.
In His Presence there is fullness of joy.
The wicked may 'prosper' outwardly
and even have a measure
of what appears to be
'peace',
but inwardly, they are wasting away.
They may look 'fine',
(even appearing better than you!)
but,
they store up wrath for themselves,
for the Day of God's wrath.
Remember,
this life is the only taste of 'heaven'
(by God's common grace)
that the unbeliever will ever experience.
But,
for those of us who have been savingly wrought upon
by the Holy Spirit,
this life is the only 'hell' we shall ever taste.
That sweet Day of unending pleasure
in the Presence of Jesus
is coming for all of us
who are born-again.
One thing
I have desired
of the LORD,
that will I seek:
that I may dwell
in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty
of the LORD,
and to inquire in His temple.
~ Psalm 27:4
Jeremiah inquired of God;
"Righteous are You, O LORD,
when I complain to you;
yet I would plead my case before you.
Why does the way of the wicked prosper?
Why do all who are treacherous thrive?"
(Jeremiah 12:1)
James remembered the terrible suffering of God's people,
but also reminded us of the compassion and mercy of Christ:
"As an example of suffering and patience,
brothers,
take the prophets
who spoke in the Name of the Lord.
Behold,
we consider those blessed
who remained steadfast.
You have heard of the patience of Job,
and you have seen the purpose of the Lord,
how the Lord is compassionate and merciful."
(James 5:10-11)
When the cruel jaws of life
threaten to swallow you up,
look to the suffering Savior.
Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
Who comforts us in all our affliction
so that we will be able to comfort those
who are in any affliction
with the comfort with which we ourselves
are comforted by God.
For just as the sufferings of Christ
are ours in abundance,
so also our comfort
is abundant through Christ.…
~ II Corinthians 1:3-5
One Day, dear brethren,
one fine and glorious Day,
the Day of the LORD,
we who belong to Christ
shall behold His beauty face-to-face.
Keep this beatific vision in thy soul's eye.
In His Presence there is fullness of joy.
The wicked may 'prosper' outwardly
and even have a measure
of what appears to be
'peace',
but inwardly, they are wasting away.
They may look 'fine',
(even appearing better than you!)
but,
they store up wrath for themselves,
for the Day of God's wrath.
Remember,
this life is the only taste of 'heaven'
(by God's common grace)
that the unbeliever will ever experience.
But,
for those of us who have been savingly wrought upon
by the Holy Spirit,
this life is the only 'hell' we shall ever taste.
That sweet Day of unending pleasure
in the Presence of Jesus
is coming for all of us
who are born-again.
One thing
I have desired
of the LORD,
that will I seek:
that I may dwell
in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty
of the LORD,
and to inquire in His temple.
~ Psalm 27:4
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