Encourgment in Suffering

Had my CAT scan on Tuesday. The cat scan showed a hematoma in my groin. And I have some bruised ribs. I see the Doctor this upcoming Tuesday to see what they want to do with the hematoma. I am still in lots of pain. I am getting tired of being hurt and sick. Today I looked up some quotes and bible verses on the topic of pain and suffering. It helps me change my attitude when I read quotes from people who have gone through pain and suffering. And of course I get encouragement from reading the Bible. Maybe you are going through something in your life. If so I hope this can encourage you today!

I am not a theologian or a scholar, but I am very aware of the fact that pain is necessary to all of us. In my own life, I think I can honestly say that out of the deepest pain has come the strongest conviction of the presence of God and the love of God.  ~ Elizabeth Elliot

God never allows pain without a purpose in the lives of His children. He never allows Satan, nor circumstances, nor any ill-intending person to afflict us unless He uses that affliction for our good. God never wastes pain. He always causes it to work together for our ultimate good, the good of conforming us more to the likeness of His Son (see Romans 8:28-29).  ~ Jerry Bridges

I am certain that I never did grow in grace one-half so much anywhere as I have upon the bed of pain.  ~ Charles Spurgeon

God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.   C.S. Lewis

God intentionally allows you to go through painful experiences to equip you for ministry to others.  Rick Warren


We must never minimize the suffering of another. Scripture’s mandate to us is, “Weep with them that weep.” (Romans 12:15, KJV)    Billy Graham

The greatest Christians in history seem to say that their sufferings ended up bringing them the closest to God – so this is the best thing that could happen, not the worst.   Peter Kreeft

Don’t give up because the pain is intense right now. Get on with it, and before long you will find that you have a new vision and a new purpose.  Stuart Singer

I will trust Him. Whatever, wherever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him; in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him; if I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. My sickness, or perplexity, or sorrow may be necessary causes of some great end, which is quite beyond us. He does nothing in vain.   John Henry Newman

On a wall in his bedroom Charles Spurgeon had a plaque with Isaiah 48:10 on it: “I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.” “It is no mean thing to be chosen of God,” he wrote. “God’s choice makes chosen men choice men…We are chosen, not in the palace, but in the furnace. In the furnace, beauty is marred, fashion is destroyed, strength is melted, glory is consumed; yet here eternal love reveals its secrets, and declares its choice.   W. Wiersbe

Whenever you meet someone who has really suffered; been limited, gone through things for the Lord, willing to be imprisoned by the Lord, just being satisfied with Him and nothing else, immediately you scent the fragrance. There is a savor of the Lord. Something has been crushed, something has been broken, and there is a resulting odor of sweetness.   Watchman Nee2 Corinthians 1:3-7 ESV          
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 may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

Romans 8:28-29 ESV         
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Romans 5:3-5 ESV /         
More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Isaiah 43:2 ESV         
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

Psalm 34:19 ESV         
Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

God allows

I try to write in my blog every day, but as you can see that does not always happen. I have been sick for most of my life. You kind of get use to your normal sickness that occusrs. But its those times that are not my normal sickness I get a little scared and frustrated. I don't know how many people that read this blog have struggled with there health much. It gets frustrating being known as the sick person. The scariest thing when dealing with your health is when you hurt and all these other things going on and they don't know what it is. The doctor knows something is wrong he just does not know what it is. Being type one diabetic does not help, when you get sick every one thinks its because you are not doing what you are suppose to do. Some times I do the best I can do and I still get sick. This time I went sledding and got hurt. And when you have something hurt in your body your blood sugars go crazy. I have been basically in bed for a week and a half with pain from my ribs and down. I don't feel like I have much to say the last week or even today.

Since I fight sickness a lot good meaning people try to tell my why I am going through this. I even get told that I don't have enough faith. In the Bible Job went through having his friends try to be wise and tell him whey he was going through his stuff. It must be sin, it must be this or that. Well God is God and he allows certain things to happen in our lives. Paul in 2 Corinthians 12 asks God to remove his thrown in the flesh, he asked three times for it to be removed. God said in response my grace is sufficient when you are weak I am strong.

So this last two weeks or so have been hard. The pain is not going away. I usually don't get scared but I am scared. Unsure what is going on. But I don't believe that God is mad at me or has forsaken me. He is with me and for some reason is allowing me to go through this. I am a normal guy no one special, but what ever I do I want God to have glory. I am sure I will be fine and in a couple of months down the road do something stupid again and hurt myself! But whatever I find out tomorrow may God be glorified!

Praising God in Suffering

You would think as much as I have been sick in my life I would be use to it. But I still hate being sick. And I am not patient and it all ways takes longer to get better than I would like. Went to my regular doctor yesterday. So I told her about my pulled growing muscle and she agreed that is what it is. I was worried I did something to my hernia again. But it's just a pulled muscle but it really hurts. I don't know why God allows me to get hurt and sick so much but I am sure it is to teach me something. Having type one diabetes is a every day battle. And when I am hurt sugars go up. I have been thinking about what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12. He asked God to take away his thorn in the flesh and God said His grace is sufficient. Paul says when we are weak He is strong.

Days like this I get frustrated and wish I did not have so much crap to deal with. I have type one diabetes, major depression, complications with my stomach due to diabetes and on top of all that I have alcoholism. Today I tried to do a few things and the pain was to much so I had to lay down. It is easy for me to feel sorry for my self. I am bored today and I start thinking no one has visited me no one cares, poor me. That is a BAD attitude. I need to have the attitude of Paul. This thing might last a couple more days so I am going to choose to rest in Him and try to choose joy!

I am going to keep walking

No more jumping on the bed....

Or for me no more sledding and going off the ramp! I had hernia surgery at the end of October. It was an emergency surgery and I thought since it's been a few months I was o.k. to go sledding. But the problem was I went on the ramp that was on the hill. Had to go back to the doctor yesterday and make sure I did not mess my surgery up from October because I was in so much pain. Well I am thankful that I just pulled a muscle or strained it. My brother said I should be in a bubble ;-) Hope I heal up and start feeling better if not I have to go back to the doctor in a week! So please pray that I heal up! My blood sugars don't like the pain. They have been high for a few days. My type one diabetes does not like pain. I am thankful that I know the One who can heal me!

Some good news, I am going to be an uncle again. Tom and Amber are exptecting another boy any time now. I am trying to convince them to name him Gary or Joe or what about having a middle name of Peaches? Pray for them and pray for my mom as she travel's out there to meet her 13th grandchild. I guess this is a prayer request post! Thanks for praying and thanks for reading my rambles!

Today I am going to keep walking or maybe keep limping.

A good word from Charles Spurgeon

"Give yourself to the Church. You that are members of the Church have not found it perfect and I hope that you feel almost glad that you have not. If I had never joined a Church till I had found one that was perfect, I would never have joined one at all! And the moment I did join it, if I had found one, I should have spoiled it, for it would not have been a perfect Church after I had become a member of it.

Still, imperfect as it is, it is the dearest place on earth to us... All who have first given themselves to the Lord, should, as speedily as possible, also give themselves to the Lord's people. How else is there to be a Church on the earth? If it is right for anyone to refrain from membership in the Church, it is right for everyone, and then the testimony for God would be lost to the world!

As I have already said, the Church is faulty, but that is no excuse for you not joining it, if you are the Lord's. Nor need your own faults keep you back, for the Church is not an institution for perfect people, but a sanctuary for sinners saved by grace, who, though they are saved, are still sinners and need all the help they can derive from the sympathy and guidance of their fellow believers.

The Church is the nursery for God's weak children where they are nourished and grow strong. It is the fold for Christ's sheep-the home for Christ family" Charles H. Spurgeon

What a great quote from Spurgeon. We need to have this attitude about the Church. I have seen on facebook the last couple of days a few things about Christians. Basically these things are saying a lot of Christians don't act like Christians. I think some times we church folk think we are perfect or better than others. And that is not true. We all need to be forgiven of our sins. Paul said that he is the chief of all sinners. I know I feel that way some times. Church is not to be a social club, but rather a place of love, grace and healing. I have been tired for a long time of playing church or playing religion. I want to be more like Christ. My desire is to walk as Jesus did. To love like Jesus did. So when I go to church I need to be real and accepting and showing grace to others. I am thankful for men like Spurgeon who over a century ago, he wrote something that applies to me today!

I am going to keep walking!

The Valley

 

If you have done much reading of Psalms or know much about David's life you would assume that he struggled with depression. One minute he was praising the Lord and the next he was in despair. I can really relate to David. I have been thinking about this Psalm for the last few days. The Bible talks a lot about God being the shepherd and we are the sheep. Sheep are not the smartest animals in the world. And as humans we are not all ways the smartest either. It's comforting to know that God leads us. David in the first few verses tells us that God leads us in the good times and the bad. The last couple of days I have been feeling like I am walking in the Valley. God's rod and staff will protect and comfort me while I am in the Valley. When I walk in times of the valley there are dangers all around me. Temptations loom in ever corner. Paul tells us that we do not wrestle with flesh and blood but with if you will the dark side. Satan knows what buttons to push when I am in a valley time of life. If I cling to the Lord He will comfort me in this time. I see in the last half of this verse if I hold tight to the Lord in my Valley I will come out better. His goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life. Life is not all ways easy. And for me it is hard some times to know what God wants me to do or to go. But I know if I draw near to Him He will draw near to me. This morning my whole body hurts like I got hit by a truck. I am still in my  valley, but if I hold onto Him I will get through this time

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
²     He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.^[a]
3     He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness^[b]
    for his name's sake.

⁴ Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,^[c]
    I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely^[d] goodness and mercy^[e] shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell^[f] in the house of the Lord forever

 

Keep walking!

God's will, not mine

The last couple of weeks I have been struggling with some deep depression. I have tried to mask it and even wanted to run away from it. Yesterday was my birthday. When I look at my life it is easy for me to think that my life is events of failers. Once I start looking back at what I have done I get depressed. I was reminded yesterday by a friend how gifted of a speaker I am, but through sinful actions it seems that I have blown that. So I have let my self look back and when I look back I get more depressed. Paul tells me not to look back but to push forward. Paul had made a lot of mistakes in his pass. Paul understood that if he looked back it would of held him back. I fall into the trap to many times that maybe others fall into, I sinned and fell hard so therefor I am no longer worthy or able to serve God. When I look at the Bible I know that is not to be true. Peter denied Christ three times, but once He repented Jesus used him.

Another thing I have noticed about my self the last few weeks is that I have a lot of pride in my life. I have all ways wanted to be the center of attention. To be the big thunderstorm in life. But in the body of Christ God wants us to serve Him no matter what. Maybe God is calling me to be that one rain drop instead of the thunderstorm. I love to preach and teach, but maybe I need to learn to serve God more in the back ground. Which has never been my strong point. I have been challenged this weekend to serve God where I am at in life right here right now. 

I think I have been asking the wrong question. Instead of God why did you bring me here I need to be asking God how do you want me to serve you. Today I need to give up my will and my idea of what I think I should be doing. And start asking and doing what God wants me to be doing.

Not sure if any of this makes sense, but at least it makes sense to me :-)

Keep walking!