Hurting, And Happy?

Someone has observed that pain and suffering are inevitable, but misery is optional. The Bible bears out that what happens to us in life is not as important as our response to what happens to us. The apostle Peter wrote words of encouragement to a group of suffering Christians - "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials." Peter had just reminded them they had been "begotten again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you" (1 Peter 1:3-6). Great joy while suffering grief and trials? Peter seems to agree that pain and suffering are inevitable, but misery is optional! Problems and pressures and pain and stress and suffering are not items we can delete from the program of our lives like we delete words or paragraphs from a document on our computer’s word-processing program. Some suffering comes packaged with life, and Peter advises at 1 Peter 4:12 that Christians ought not to be bewildered when the bowling ball of adversity and pain comes crashing into the well- arranged pins of our lives – "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you." The pain Peter was predicting was to come from persecution. Peter’s message, unlike much preaching we hear these days, was NOT that they would have their best life now. And it was NOT that if they really have faith their lives will be all healthy and wealthy, or that God will kiss all our "boo boos" away. And Peter’s message was NOT that the big-bad, joy-devouring wolves of death or disease or accidents or heartache or disappointment or financial stress or family struggles would never come huffing and puffing and trying to blow their happy house down!

So, if Peter’s message is not that Christians are exempt from all life’s pain and problems, what is his message? Are you listening? His message is that people may hurt, badly so, and yet be happy at the same time! Not happy they are hurting, but in spite of it. And not the kind of happy found in a meal at McDonalds’s or a bank account that is bulging, teeth that are perfectly white, wearing a size 2 dress, or that the lab report came back negative, etc. The Bible acknowledges that pain is real – and painful! Peter admitted in the passage above that troubles and trials of life "grieve" acutely at times. But he also said it was for "a little while." Why can we be happy even when we hurt? No pain we experience in this life is permanent! It may stay for a long time, even until we die. But Peter urges us to look beyond the grievous things life can and sometimes does dish out, and instead lock on by faith to an eternal home in heaven! Stay tethered to a living hope – the hope grounded in and achored to the fact Jesus Christ got up from being dead! The Christian message is that life can indeed put the hurt on us, but can’t take away the happy hope inside us unless we let it! God is good all the time, and nothing bad that happens to us can change what Christ has done for us. Thanks to Jesus, Christians can still be happy, even when we hurt. 

 By: Dan Gulley, Smithville, TN

The plague of hail

Exo 9:27  And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. 

The plague of hail came. It came with thunder, and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail. It must have been a most terrible sight. It looked as if a judgment day was coming. It frightened Pharaoh so much that he acknowledged his sin, a thing he had never done before. The terror of death seized him. It frightened him into action.

Under the weight of this fear, Pharaoh humbled himself into confessing his sin and acknowledging the LORD was righteous while he and his people were wicked (Exodus 9:27). Was Pharaoh’s sincere in his confession? I doubt so. He did it out of fear and not of true conviction. As soon as his fear was removed, he was back to his old self. His repentance didn’t last long; it was over as soon as the plague was over.

Unless there is a genuine and hearty confession of our sins to God, we have no promise that we shall find mercy and receive forgiveness: "But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word" (Isaiah 66:2).

There will be some who are like Pharaoh who make a confession but will receive no forgiveness because their repentance is not genuine and sincere. A repentance that is born in the storm will die in the calm. My brethren, it is of no use for anyone to say, "I have sinned," merely under the influence of terror, and then to forget it afterwards. Such confession will not receive forgiveness.

A thief who was caught pleaded for mercy: “I’m sorry; please don’t call the police.” A cheating husband who was caught pleaded: “I’m sorry; please don’t tell my wife.” Were they sorry that they had been caught or they had sinned? What if they had not been caught? They would still be doing what they were doing. The thief was sorry because he feared being handed over to the police. The cheating husband was sorry because he feared his wife would know of his unfaithfulness. Both might also pray to God. But if there is no genuine repentance and remorse, will God forgive them? “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise” (Psalm 51:17).

How about us? Do we confess our sins out of fear of a consequence that is about to come? It is important that we come to God for the right reason. God knows whether we are truly repentant or not. A publican’s prayer provides us an excellent example of true repentance and was commended by our Lord Jesus (Luke 18:13-14). Our God can read the heart of a penitent sinner.

Pharaoh, despite what he had said, was not interested in God’s forgiveness; he was interested in a solution to the problem facing him. He just wanted the hail to go away. He thought he could fool God. But God knew his heart: “But as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye will not yet fear the LORD God” (Exodus 9:30).

Pharaoh had worldly repentance. The scripture says: “The sorrow of the world worketh death” (2 Corinthians 7:10b). And true enough, Pharaoh perished as a lost man in the depths of the Red Sea. But a godly repentance leads to salvation (2 Corinthians 7:10a).

Let us be sincere and truthful when we pray for forgiveness of sin: “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:22).                

Jimmy Lau

Psa 119:97  Oh how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.

Do you get frustrated when you try to help friends solve their problems and they don’t listen?

Exo 10:7  And Pharaoh's servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed? 

Moses warned Pharaoh about the plague of locusts that would come. For the first time the officers of Pharaoh intervened before the plague arrived. They didn’t take the threat lightly. Having lost most of their cattle and a large part of the crops to the previous plagues, they dreaded what would be the consequence of things if a swarm of locusts were to come. It would certainly ruin the whole country. Therefore, they pled with Pharaoh to let Israel go. (Exodus 10:7). But Pharaoh would not listen to the advice of his court officials.

Do you get frustrated when you try to help friends solve their problems and they don’t listen? Some people just won’t listen to good advice. What can you do? There is nothing you can do except to watch them sink deeper into trouble.

They are many reasons why some people do not listen to advice. From the Christian’s perspective and as an elder of a congregation, I would like to give three reasons.

1. SIN. Some just love their sins. Perhaps they are already addicted to them, like playing games or serving the internet on the handphone even when in worship and bible class. Some just cannot get their eyes off their phones. It is pitiful. “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3).

It can be any sin – drunkenness, laziness, immoral, stubbornness, selfishness, hatred, bitterness, unforgiving, and etc. They will not turn away from their sins. “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?” (1 Corinthians 6:9).

2. REBELLION. Some just want to rebel: “Why should I listen to you?” They don’t listen to parents, elders, and church members. “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry” (1 Samuel 15:23).

One of the causes of rebellion is PRIDE. Some think they are just too good and will not listen to the advice from others. Such people love to argue that they have done nothing wrong: “Argument only comes by pride, but wisdom is with those who take advice” (Proverbs 13:10, LITV).

3. APATHY. Apathy is a state of indifference. It is a lack of feeling, emotion, interest, and concern. Simply put, it is an attitude of “I don’t care.”  “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth” (Revelations 3:16).

Do you listen to sound advice? Solomon says: “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise” (Proverbs 12:15).

Unfortunately, those in the categories mentioned above will listen to bad advice. They listen to advice that tell them they can drink a little, lie a little, miss the worship a little, swear a little, and play a little during worship. Paul warns: “Do not be deceived: Bad company ruins good morals” (1 Corinthians 15:33). They have been deceived.

There are many examples of good advice in the Bible. The leper Naaman, came to prophet Elisha for healing. But he left in a rage because he didn't like what the prophet told him to do. Well, his servants advised him to listen to the prophet. He did and dipped in the Jordan seven times as Elisha instructed and was healed (2 Kings 5:1-13).

Let us be thankful to God for those who will give good advice. It is because they care and love us: “Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins” (James 5:20).

Jimmy Lau

Psa 119:97  Oh how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.