tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441908040982501903.post2572611839701681592..comments2023-12-18T19:38:22.023-08:00Comments on The Good Portion: The circular reasoning of sufferingLaurie M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15840896949617719814noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441908040982501903.post-16169794707236324772009-04-19T10:04:00.000-07:002009-04-19T10:04:00.000-07:00Sherri,
Thanks for stopping by, and taking a mome...Sherri, <br />Thanks for stopping by, and taking a moment to comment. I find it's a lot easier to be angry at God for our suffering when we forget that He was willing to subject Himself to it as well, and through no sinfulness of His own. Truly we should identify with that thief on the cross, "We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." (That's NOT to say our suffering bears a direct one-to-one relationship to our sin. Clearly, that's not the case either as we often see the innocent suffer at the hands of others.)<br /><br />But as you say, the kind of love and compassion that would bring such a God to do such a thing is almost unthinkable. I know it's a struggle for me just to believe it.Laurie M.https://www.blogger.com/profile/15840896949617719814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441908040982501903.post-82035211650234019512009-04-19T09:47:00.000-07:002009-04-19T09:47:00.000-07:00Great insight in this devotional! If we could real...Great insight in this devotional! If we could really understand His own reasons for HIS suffering "for and alongside us," maybe we would not be so quick to blame and judge Him for our own suffering.Sherri Wardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02370897359440297281noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441908040982501903.post-79348203930747237512009-04-18T19:58:00.000-07:002009-04-18T19:58:00.000-07:00Andy, I just read a book by Os Guinness about this...Andy, I just read a book by Os Guinness about this subject. It was an amazing and devastating work called Unspeakable. It was written from a Christian perspective although not specifically to Christians (ala C.S. Lewis). His point was much like yours and I'm in whole-hearted agreement. Those of us who are in Christ even have the advantage over Job in the form of God's revelation in Scripture - words of God's intent given specifically to us to give us incredible hope in suffering (even though in this life we will likely get very few answers as to "why"). At the end of Job's suffering He got God. If the end of my suffering is to see God, then when that day comes I don't think I'll find fault with God either!Laurie M.https://www.blogger.com/profile/15840896949617719814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441908040982501903.post-75129785444833277612009-04-18T18:59:00.000-07:002009-04-18T18:59:00.000-07:00I've occasionally grappled with this topic. That's...I've occasionally grappled with this topic. That's when I read 2 Cor 1:3ff again. He will end all of our suffering at the end of time. We live in that hope!Karinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12953073381987950597noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441908040982501903.post-16679593809274780622009-04-18T16:06:00.000-07:002009-04-18T16:06:00.000-07:00The only thing to say is, Amen! Thanks Laurie!The only thing to say is, Amen! Thanks Laurie!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441908040982501903.post-84214237397768272352009-04-18T13:30:00.000-07:002009-04-18T13:30:00.000-07:00At chapel service yesterday the speaker was preach...At chapel service yesterday the speaker was preaching from Job. His point was we can never understand God totally, but we know Him, and He would not allow suffering without a good reason.<br /><br />And that was enough for Job, and needs to be for us.Ancotihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11867701557331682926noreply@blogger.com