Suffering and Love

[Shannonkish]

And I saw a river over which every soul must pass to reach the kingdom of Heaven and the name of that river was "suffering"....and then I saw a boat which carries souls across the river and the name of that boat was "love"

Jesus is the Love Boat.

 

[Rafael]

Hast thou no scar?
No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand?
I hear thee sung as mighty in the land.
I hear them hail thy bright ascendant star,
Hast thou no scar?
Hast thou no wound?
Yet I was wounded by the archers, spent,
Leaned against a tree to die: and rent
By ravening wolves that encompassed me, I swooned:
Hast thou no wound?
No wound? No scar?
Yet, as the Master shall the servant be,
And pierced are the feet thatfollow Me:
But thine are whole: can he have followed far
Who hath no wound nor scar?
[Author unknown]

 

[Rafael]

No chance has brought this ill to me;
'Tis God's own hand , so let it be,
He seeth what I cannot see,
There is a needs be for each pain;
And He one day will make it plain,
That earthly loss is heavenly gain.
Like a piece of tapestry viewed from the back,
Appears to be naught but threads tangled
hoplessly;
But in the front a picture fair
Rewards the worker for his care,
Providing his skill and patience rare
Thou art the workman, I the frame,
Lord, for the glory of Thy Name,
Perfect Thine image on the same.
[author unknown]

 

[IKTCA]

Shannon,

Please explain. I need a few more words to understand it.

 

[bluesgal]

Sometimes, when all life's lessons have been learned,
And sun and stars for evermore have set,
The things which our weak judgement here have spurned,
The things o'er which we grieved with lashes wet,
Will flash before us, out of life's dark night,
As stars shine most in deeper tints of blue,
And we shall see how God's plans were right,
And what we thought reproof,was love most true.
(author Unknown)

 

[Shannonkish]

itka,

As Christians, we are NOT promised easy lives, as a matter of fact, we are promised suffering... or persecution. In life, things will get hard.. however, we have Jesus, or "The Love Boat" to help us through those times of suffering and hard times.

 

[repentandbelieve]

Sympathize with others who suffer but bear our own suffering cheerfully. Christ knows the woe those who are suffering and the angels come close to us to the suffering.

People learn from the things they suffer.

And when others are suffering there maybe an opportunity to serve God.

Using Jesus as our example , Not only did he suffer the death of the cross but also in his life he continually suffered by self sacrificing himself.
He came not to be ministerd to but to minister to others. He took upon himself no reputation, but took upon himself the form of a servant. He spent His life doing good. He could have spent his days on earth in ease and plenty and have appropiated for himself the enjoyments of this life. But he lived not to enjoy. he lived to do good and to prevent others from suffering. He sufferd so that others may not suffer, and His example is for us to follow.

Consecreted to God. How can anyone help from loving Jesus. I don't love Jesus because I'm supposed to, I love Him because I can't help it.

But getting back to the subject of suffering, Christ permits people to suffer to call them out of their own selfishness. Suffering I sort of think of as drinking "from the bitter cup". It's something people have to do in order to be made perfect.

Suffering was Gods greatest proof of love for man. And perhaps by our suffering we show our love for God. Thats why I said that we should suffer cheerfully.