How shall we endure the things which hurt and wound us?

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(J.R. Miller)

"Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: " 1 Peter 2:23

None of us can live long in the thick of life--and not sometimes be touched rudely, perhaps even cruelly, by others. How shall we endure the things which hurt and wound us? We know what Jesus would do, what He actually did. "When they hurled their insults at Him--He did not retaliate; when He suffered--He made no threats." They drove the nails into His gentle hands, and as the iron went crashing through His tender flesh He prayed, "Father, forgive them!" They hung Him on the cross--but in answer to that cruelty, instead of a withering curse upon the world, He wrought salvation there for men!

" Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye." Colossians 3:13

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C.H. Spurgeon Quotes

Succeed

Posted: 04 Feb 2013 12:00 AM PST

No man ever succeeds in anything who does not give himself wholly to it: it matters not what it is, concentration is essential to perfection in any pursuit. He who would be eminent in any one direction must forego a great many other things which are perfectly allowable; these he must renounce for the sake of his one object. He will not succeed unless he sacrifices all other things to the one chief thing.
C.H. Spurgeon

He will sustain you!

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(J.R. Miller)

"Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee." Psalm 55:22

The promise is not that the Lord will remove the load we cast upon Him, nor that He will carry it for us--but that He will sustain us so that we may carry it.
He does not free us from the duty--but He strengthens us for it.
He does not deliver us from the conflict--but He enables us to overcome.
He does not withhold or withdraw the trial from us--but He helps us in trial to be submissive and victorious, and makes it a blessing to us.
He does not mitigate the hardness or severity of our circumstances, taking away the difficult elements, removing the thorns, making life easy for us--but He puts Divine grace into our hearts, so that we can live sweetly in all the hard, adverse circumstances.

"My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13

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The rough stalk of suffering

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(J.R. Miller)

"These are they which came out of great tribulation!" Revelation 7:14

Much of the most beautiful Christian living in this world, comes out of sorrow. As "fair flowers bloom upon rough stalks"--so many of the fairest flowers of human life, grow upon the rough stalk of suffering.

We take our place with the beloved disciple John on the other side, and we see that those who in Heaven wear the whitest robes, and sing the loudest songs of victory--are those who have come out of "great tribulation". Heaven's highest places are filling, not from earth's homes of glad festivity and tearless joy--but from . . .
its chambers of pain,
its valleys of struggle where the battle is hard, and
its scenes of sorrow, where pale cheeks are wet with tears, and where hearts are broken.

"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;" 2 Corinthians 4:17
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The subtle beginnings of self-indulgence!

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(J.R. Miller)

We do many things which to our own eyes appear innocent and harmless--but which have in them a hidden evil which we cannot see.

We indulge ourselves in many things which do not appear sinful to us--but which leave on our soul a touch of blight, and a soiling of purity--of which we do not dream!

We permit ourselves many little habits in which we see no danger--but which are silently entwining their invisible threads into a strong cable which may some day bind us hand and foot!

We spare ourselves self-denials and sacrifices, thinking there is no reason why we should make them, unaware that we are lowering our standard of holy living, and permitting the subtle beginnings of self-indulgence to creep into our hearts!

"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful."
Psalm 1:1

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