"I Know, O LORD, That YOUR Judgments Are Right And Righteous."

GOD knows best what 
cross we need to bear! 

(J.R. Miller)

There is a poem called "The Changed Cross."

It represents a weary one who thought that

her cross was surely heavier than those

of others whom she saw around her, and

wished that she might choose another 

cross instead of her own.

She slept, and in her dream she was

led to a place where many crosses lay--

crosses of various types, shapes and sizes.

There was a little cross most beauteous 

to behold, set in jewels and gold.

"Ah, this I can wear with comfort,"

she said. So she took it up, but

her weak form shook beneath it.

The jewels and the gold were

beautiful, but they were far 

too heavy for her.

Next she saw a lovely cross with

fair flowers entwined around its

sculptured form. Surely that was

the one for her. She lifted it, but

beneath the flowers were piercing 

thorns which tore her flesh.

At last, as she went on,

she came to a plain cross,

without jewels, without ornate

carving, with only a few words

of love inscribed upon it.

This she took up, and it proved

the best of all, the easiest to be

borne. And as she looked upon

it, bathed in the radiance

which fell from Heaven--

she recognized her own 

old cross. She had found

it again, and it was the best

of all, and lightest for her!

GOD knows best what 

cross we need to bear! 

We do not know how heavy 

other people's crosses are.

We envy one who is rich--

his is a golden cross set with 

jewels. But we do not know 

how heavy it is.

Here is another whose life 

seems very lovely. She bears 

a cross entwined with flowers. 

But we do not know what sharp 

thorns are hidden beneath the flowers.

If we could try all the other crosses 

which we think are lighter than ours, 

we would at last find that not one 

of them suited us as well as our own!

"I know, O LORD, that YOUR 
judgments are right and righteous, 
and that in faithfulness YOU have 
afflicted me!" Psalm 119:75

"GOD disciplines us for our good, 
that we may share in HIS holiness. 
No discipline seems pleasant at 
the time, but painful. Later on, 
however, it produces a harvest 
of righteousness and peace for 
those who have been trained by it!" 
Hebrews 12:10-11

    
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GraceGems has published J.C. Ryle's insightful article,
 "The Lord's Supper".