> General Discussions

Suffering in this Life

<< < (2/5) > >>

aqrinc:
Either we Believe and Trust GOD and our Lord Jesus Christ, or we trust our sight and feelings.


1Co 15: 45-58 (LITV)
45  So also it has been written, "The" first "man", Adam, "became a living soul;" the last Adam a life-giving Spirit. Gen. 2:7
46  But not the spiritual first, but the natural; afterward the spiritual.

47  The first man was out of earth, earthy. The second Man was the Lord out of Heaven. Gen. 2:7
48  Such as is the earthy man, such also are the earthy ones. And such as is the heavenly Man, such also are the heavenly ones.

49  And as we bore the image of the earthy man, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.
50  And I say this, brothers, that flesh and blood is not able to inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption.

51  Behold, I speak a mystery to you: we shall not all fall asleep, but we shall all be changed.
52  In a moment, in a glance of an eye, at the last trumpet; for a trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall all be changed.

53  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54  But when this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and this mortal shall put on immortality, then will take place the Word that has been written, "Death was swallowed up in victory." Isa. 25:8

55  "O death, where is your sting? Hades, where is your victory?" Hos. 13:14
56  Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law;
57  but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

58  So that, my beloved brothers, you be firm, immovable, abounding in the work of the Lord always, knowing that your labor is not without fruit in the Lord.

2Co 5: 6-10 (ROTHERHAM)
6 Having good courage, therefore, at all times, and knowing that—remaining at home in the body, we are away from home from the Lord,—

7 By faith, are we walking, not by sight;—

8 We have good courage, however, and are well pleased—rather to be away from home, out of the body, and to come home, unto the Lord.

9 Wherefore also we are ambitious—whether at home, or away from home, to be, well-pleasing unto him.

10 For, we all, must needs be made manifest before the judgment seat of the Christ, that each one may get back the things done by means of the body, according to the things which he practised, whether good or corrupt.

george.

lauriellen:
as i said in my first email, i do fully trust God, even thought He slay me, i will trust Him.....even though i do not understand His methods, i will trust Him....
it is hard for me to pray for the protection or healing of my family and friends anymore, because i know that i may be praying against His will, so i pray for His will to be done, and the strength to endure....that is one of the scriptures that makes perfect sense to me...."he who endures to the end shall be saved".
...because this life is like an endurance race, and sometimes i feel all i (and others) are doing is enduring.
everyone agrees that correction and discipline, done in the "right" way are good things,....but even in our earthy state, we recognize the difference between discipline and abuse.  if any parent is convicted of beating, raping or otherwise abusing their child, the courts take the child away and put the parent in jail.  the parent is considered the worst kind of criminal.  if a woman is battered and abused by her husband, he can go to jail, and society thinks the woman would be insane not to remove herself from that relationship.  our society puts rapists, murderers, abusers of all kinds in jail and consider them sick individuals for doing these things. i accept a certain amount of correction and discipline, but i think we all can honestly say that there are some things in life that humans suffer that are so unspeakable, so horrific, that it defies our ability to understand.(an essay my grandfather wrote of his experiences in the Korean war and the Bataan death march are a good example...most can not read it without breaking  down into tears it is so horrible).   i am in no way  complaining against God, who is soveriegn, and does not owe me or anyone else any kind of explaination of what He chooses to do, i just want to UNDERSTAND Him, so that i can love Him, purely and with my WHOLE heart.  i don't want a little shadow in the corner of my heart always there saying "how could You do this? if you REALLY loved me, you wouldn't make us suffer so."
i realize that i may never have this understanding in this lifetime....but i will keep searching and groping for Him to fully reveal Himself to me. one of my deepest desires is to help others love and trust in Gods mercy, to help others see that they can  lean on Him in times of trouble, i want everyone to see that He only is our source of hope and strength...but how can i do this if i myself have any shadow of doubt?
thank you for letting me vent,
lauriellen

arion:
I don't try to figure it out anymore.  The why's and wondering of why so much pain and suffering of both the righteous and unrighteous is beyond me.  Especially when you see the young and innocent and the things that so many of them are forced to endure.  I do know a few things though.  I know God is good and I know he works all things for the good to those that he calls.  And I also know that eventually even the suffering of those who are not called/choosen in this life will eventually turn out for the good in the ages to come.  It is enough to know that it's all going to end up right in the end.  With that sure knowledge of the end state of all his creation it allows me to not have to dwell on why the evil in this life too much. 

Roy Martin:
I use to ask these kind of questions when I didn't believe in God. I use to say that only an idiot and fool could believe in or love such a God. All the people He killed in the old testament, men women and children. All the deaths of boys just so Moses could deliver people out of Egypt of which most of them died on the way. This was not a God of love, but a God of unmeasured violence and death and suffering. That's what I use to see and think about God. Well I don't think that anymore, but I have to say that I can't love God the way He loves me. I say I love Him, but sometimes I'm not really sure. There are times that I love Him a lot, but that's usually when things are going good. I never dis-love Him. The point I'm making is that I can't love God on my own, just like I can't love a child molester or murderer. God tells me to, but I can't and don't, and might not ever in this life time. I want to want to, and I ask God to help me love them as He does. I admit to God that I don't love Him the way I want to, but I want to want to. I do indeed trust Him, but that wasn't always the case. It took me years to trust and have faith and even start to believe that He was indeed real, but it was God that gave it all to me. I find it very comforting to be honest with God when I talk to Him. I ask Him anything I want to ask Him. One thing for sure is we are not going to understand everything in this life. God gave up His own son to be tortured to death. His reasons are far beyond our understanding. I don't need to know everything. We are just passing through. Death to the one that dies seems horrible and very heart breaking to us, but their trials are over in this harsh and cruel world. They are not sad and want to come back. They are sleeping and at peace for a time.
 These trials are hard and extremely severe for some such as Jennie and those that lose a child early in life. We might not understand or see Gods love in this life, but its certain that we will see it, and it will be something we can't even come close to imagining.

Roy

gmik:
What a wonderful thread!  We can never get enough of this kind of sharing!  Thats why Paul said we look thru a glass darkly, we forget and have to look again (and again....)
Stick to the Word, be truthful and honest always, but keep your heart soft toward Him.

My Gosh, who among us don't wonder about these things??  Sometimes more than others.  Why are there a kabillion universes out there???  Why did God come up w/ this plan???  We ALL would have rather have peace and love on the earth at all times....why such violence since the dawn of times?   Just acknowledge that we sometimes think these things, but KNOW that really these aren't the questions to be asking.

Your responses have been amazing.  Thank you all.

GOD IS SOVEREIGN, and we aren't........ ;) :-*

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page