Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

May 20
Tuesday


PRODUCTIVE
PAIN

READ:
Romans 8:18-30
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All things work
together for good to
those who love God,
to those who are the
called according to His
purpose.
__Romans 8:28
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I'll never forget when our youngest child Matthew fell and broke his wrist. It was grotesque! His arm took a sharp left turn at his wrist and then turned again to resume its normal journey to his hand.

We rushed him to the hospital where the doctor began to set his wrist. I watched as the physician pulled and twisted Matthew's arm. I wanted to jump up and pull him away from my son! But I simply sat and watched, knowing that the agony was necessary to make Matt whole again.

If we trust earthly doctors to do that for our children, how much more we should be willing to trust God, the Great Physician, to reset our broken lives "to be conformed to the image of His Son" (Rom. 8:29). One of God's purposes in pain is to brand the image of Jesus in our hearts. Can we weep with those who weep? God may need to stain our cheeks with our own tears so that we can genuinely empathize with others as Jesus did. Are we self-sufficient? God may need to strip away our security to conform us to the God-sufficiency that Christ displayed. Are we faithless? it may require a tragedy to teach us to trust the Father as Jesus did.

Next time you feel broken, don't panic--praise him! God is at work!
__Joe Stowell
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```````````````````Life's fractures can be mended````````````````
`````````````````````By faith in Christ the Lord--`````````````````
```````````````````At first the pain but then the gain```````````````
```````````````````And usefulness restored. __Hess```````````````
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God's purpose in pain
is to brand his image in our hearts,

***************Today's Bible Reading __Romans 8:18-30***********

18 For I consider that the
sufferings of this present time
are not worthy to be
compared with the glory
which shall be revealed in us.

19 For the earnest expectation
of the creation eagerly waits
for the revealing of the sons
of God....

22 For we know that the
whole creation groans and
labors with birth pangs
together until now. 23 Not
only that, but we also who
have the firstfruits of the
Spirit, even we ourselves
groan within ourselves,
eagerly waiting for the
adoption, the redemption of
our body. 24 For we were
saved in this hope, but hope
that is seen is not hope; for
why does one still hope for
what he sees? 25 But if we
hope for what we don not see,
we eagerly wait for it with
perseverance.

26 Likewise the Spirit also
helps in our weaknesses. For
we do not know what we
should pray for as we ought,
but the Spirit Himself makes
intercession for us with
groanings which cannot be
uttered....

28 And we know that all
things work together for
good to thsoe who love God,
to those who are the called
according to His Son, that He might be
the firstborn among many
brethren. 30 Moreover whom
He predestined, these He also
called; whom He called,
these He also justified; and
whom He justified, these He
also glorified.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to
be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Rom. 8:18).
consider means "to compute or to calculate." When eternity is brought
into our calculation of a problem, future glory overshadows current
pain. __Dennis Fisher