" PAIN AND SUFFERING "

Good Day To You, it's my prayer that all is well in your sphere of influence. This week we are looking int Pain and Suffering. Many of us are presently dealing with Pain and Suffering. I'd like to believe that we all have heard the story of JOB. The Suffering and Pain that this man went through was unbearable for the most of us. Job was experiencing Extreme Physical Pain as well as Grief over the loss of his Family and Possessions. Now he can't be blamed for wishing he were dead. Job's grief placed him at the crossroads of his faith. Shattering many misconceptions about God such as:(he makes you rich, always keeps you from Trouble and Pain, or Protects your Loved Ones). Job was driven back to the basics of his faith in God. He only had two choices: (1) He could curse God and give up, (2) He could trust God and draw strength from him to continue. Some of you know, that I Suffer Daily with Chronic Pain. As I shared above and the Word Of God is very graphic of what he experienced even if you are one of our Lords best, great suffering can come your way. To have a right set of doctrines is not enough. To know what to believe is not all that is required to please God. Truth untested by life's experiences may become Static and Stagnant. Suffering can bring a dynamic quality to life. Just as it's said a drought can drive the roots of a tree deeper to find water, so suffering can drive us beyond Superficial Acceptance of Truth to Dependence On God for Hope and Life. When we see a Christian Brother or Sister Suffering today, we can respond in one of these ways. (1) We can say, as Job's friends did, that this is a test to help the poor develop more patience and trust in God.(2) We can help the person in need. Although many governments today have their own programs for helping those in need, this is no excuse for ignoring the poor and needy within our reach. Until next Time... Jim,