Pain and Sorrow

Bob Wille said:

“I am comforted by this truth, that when we suffer and die for Christ
it only means that we will begin living with him in heaven.”
2 Timothy 2:11

Though God sends pain and sorrow,
we should take them gladly and thankfully,
since all He permits to come to us is for our spiritual health.
[The Imitation of Christ]

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Agreed. Even when we wear ourselves out in our own disobedience, "GOD intended it for good."

Hebrews 12:

6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

Bob Wille said:

Thank you for your comment and for the very moving image!

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I keep thinking the artist is Thomas Blackwell, but I can't find it googling his name. The original, I think, did not have the halo, and I liked it much better. The message is the same, regardless. It is he who continues to take my rebellion against him, patiently, drinking up my sin like water, each instance, every rebellious thought, and unimaginable horror against the truth. *I* have put him through this till it wears me out, and again he holds me up and puts me back into the fray. It is I who runs close to Hebrews 6, once again putting him to death on the cross.

Oh, here it is --Thomas Blackshear is his name, and the piece titled "Forgiven".

We all have something we can’t escape from be it sin or a disease or weakness. And we suffer in it hopefully in all good faith. These scriptures help to see its love and doing some good. God doesn’t give us more than we can handle and these add to and fill up the sufferings of Christ for our sin. A privilege really.