Join Joni in the fellowship of suffering. Trust your wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ for his good – his very good reasons for allowing every affliction in your life.
Join Joni in the fellowship of suffering. Trust your wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ for his good – his very good reasons for allowing every affliction in your life.
Do you like to read Charles Spurgeon? Well I just bet you do.
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and I’m always blessed whenever I read his devotional book called “Morning and Evening.” It’s because Spurgeon experienced much pain and affliction; and it even led to his bouts with depression. I’m sure he resonated with the words of Moses in Numbers 11:11, “Why have you afflicted your servant?” Spurgeon was a Christian leader who preached the Word fearlessly; he was a man of enormous influence in the kingdom, and yet, he suffered so much. But listen to what he wrote about that in “Morning and Evening.”
He says, “Our heavenly Father sends us frequent troubles for good reason. First, he desires to try our faith. If our faith is worth anything, it will stand the test. Imitation metals are afraid of fire, but gold isn’t! It’s a poor faith that can only trust God when friends are true, the body is healthy, and business, profitable; but true faith holds fast to the Lord’s faithfulness when friends are gone, and the body is sick, and spirits are depressed, and when the light of God’s countenance is hidden. When you are in the worst of trouble yet can say, ‘Even though he slay me, yet will I trust in him,’ that is heaven-born faith.”
“The Lord also afflicts his servants to glorify himself… when ‘tribulation works patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope,’ the Lord is honored by these growing virtues. We should never enjoy the juice of the grape, if it were not crushed in the winepress; nor discover the sweet perfume of cinnamon, were it not pressed and beaten; nor would we feel the warmth of fire, if the coals were not utterly consumed.
[Another reason for trials is that] present afflictions heighten future joy. The shadows in the picture bring out the beauty of the light. The supreme blessing of heaven will be greater because we have known the curse of earth’s sin and sorrow. I mean isn’t peace sweeter after a conflict? And rest more welcome after a time of hard labor? Won’t past sufferings enhance the bliss of the glorified? These are but a few good reasons why our heavenly Father allows afflictions to touch our lives.”
Well thank you, Mr. Spurgeon. Those powerful words that were written by this English Baptist preacher in the 1800s still have meaning – fresh meaning – to this day. And, oh, did his reflections from within reach into my tired and weary heart. Don’t know about you, but sometimes I just need to be reminded that distressing trials are not random; they are placed upon us by a wise and sovereign God who has good reasons for allowing them. And I need to read – and often read – Psalm 119:71, “It is good that I’ve been afflicted for it has caused me to learn God’s statutes.” Well right there, God is saying that our hardships, as painful as they are; those hardships are good for our soul. They produce patience, perseverance, maturity, endurance, and ultimately good character. So, may your tired and weary heart be refreshed by these words of hope. Words from our friend, Pastor Charles Spurgeon. And thank you for joining me in the fellowship of suffering as we trust our wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ for his good – his very good reasons for allowing every affliction in our life. Those are your hope-filled words today from joniradio.org.
© Joni and Friends