Saturday, August 24, 2013

"... Let Us Exult In Our Troubles And Rejoice In Our Sufferings."

This burden of ours!
(J.R. Miller, "Help for the Day")

This burden of ours is GOD'S gift to us--
and to lay it down would be to lay down 
blessing. Surely it is a wiser love 
which puts new strength into your 
heart and arm, so that you can 
go on with your hard duty, your 
heavy responsibility, your weight 
of care, without fainting--
than would be the sentimentality 
which would take all the load away, 
and leave you free from any burden.

GOD'S purpose always is to make 
something of us, to bring out the best 
that is in us. Hence HE does not clear 
the forest for us, but puts the axe into 
our own hands, and bids us to cut 
it down for ourselves. And while we 
prepare the ground for tillage--
we grow healthy and strong 
ourselves through the toil. 

HE does not drive out the enemies 
for us. HE puts the sword into 
our own hands--
and sends us to drive them out. 
The struggle does us good. 
The wrestling makes us strong.

"Moreover let us exult in our troubles 
and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing 
that pressure and affliction and hardship 
produce patient and unswerving endurance. 
And endurance develops maturity of character." 
Romans 5:3-4
    
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GraceGems has just published J.R. Miller's outstanding 2 page article,
"The Making of a Man".

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