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FOR
CONSIDER
HIM: gar analogisasthe (2PAMM) gar ton toiauten:
For (gar)
introduces the reason for the exhortation to look unto Jesus and to
keep looking to Him. Look
unto him, for a comparison with Him will show you how much more He had
to endure than you have had to endure. This principle is just as valid
today as it was in the first century.
Westcott
comments...
The example of the triumph of
Christ through suffering leads to a further consideration of the work
of suffering for the Christian. Suffering is essentially a divine
discipline. Under this aspect the author shews that the contemplation
of Christ's victory through suffering brings sovereign support in
affliction...
Be patient, the writer says, look
to Christ; for I charge you to consider His sufferings. If the eyes
are steadfastly turned to Him (aphorao) the believer cannot fail to
ponder the vision and to estimate the power of His work in relation to
Life. That is sufficient in order that Christians may support their
afflictions. If the leader bears the brunt of the battle the soldier
can follow....
Two thoughts are suggested by the
consideration of Christ's sufferings (12:3). The sufferings of the
Hebrews were relatively slight (12:4); and all sufferings which come
from God are the wise discipline of a Father (12:5, 6). (The Epistle
to the Hebrews)
Peter in
a parallel passage explains why we are to consider Jesus (see Ann
Ortlund's 44 meditations re
Fix Your Eyes On Jesus)...
For you have been called for this
purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example
for you to follow in His steps (see note
1 Peter 2:21)
Consider
(357)
(analogizomai from aná = again - idea of
repetition +
logizomai
[see study] = reckon, think) means to think,
reckon, count up or
reason with thoroughness and completeness and so to think out
carefully, reason thoroughly and with careful deliberation, consider accurately and distinctly or
again and again. The verb can also include the idea of meditation (see
Meditate). This word was used in calculations. Consider by way
of comparison. This verb can also include the idea of meditation.
The
aorist imperative
is a command calling
for the reader to give this his or her utmost attention. Do this now!
Don't delay. It calls for the reader to carry out a specific act
(consider Jesus) with a note of urgency.
Westcott adds that
analogizomai...
does not occur elsewhere in the
LXX
or NT. It is common in classical Greek, and expresses in particular
the careful estimate of one object with regard to another. Plat.
Theaet. p. 186 A; Resp. 10.618 C. The use here in respect of a person
and not of a thing is remarkable. The writer seems to say ‘Consider
Christ, reckoning up His sufferings point by point, going over them
again and again, not the sufferings on the Cross only, but all that
led up to it.’ This is to be done once for all (aorist imperative).
(The Epistle to the Hebrews)
Compare to the similar idea of
remember again...
But
remember
(present
imperative = keep
on remembering again and again = anamimnesko from ana =
again + mimnesko = remember) the former days, when, after being
enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, (see note
Hebrews 10:32).
Consider
His incarnation and why it had to occur...
Therefore, He had to be made like
His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and
faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation
for the sins of the people (see note
Hebrews 2:17).
Yet, because He endured, Jesus
sat down at the right hand of God. His example is proof to the readers
will also be rewarded if they likewise endure...
Therefore, do not throw away your
confidence, which has a great reward (see note
Hebrews 10:35).
Moses considered Him for
he considered...
considering the reproach of
Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking
to the reward (see note
Hebrews 11:26)
No one can miss
the wisdom of this passage for the writer is calling for his readers
(including us today) to be totally absorbed with Jesus. This requires
a turning away from those things that distract us and then a
consciously focusing and meditating on Jesus. Ideally if we are
focusing on Jesus first, then we will be motivated and
empowered to turn away from distractions. This is why we must read and
re-read the Gospel accounts for they emphasize the life of our Lord.
WHO HAS
ENDURED SUCH HOSTILITY BY SINNERS AGAINST HIMSELF: hupomemenekota (RAPMSA)
hupo ton hamartolon eis heauton antilogian :
Endured (5278)
(hupomeno from hupó = under + méno = remain) (Click
word study on related word
hupomone)
literally means to abide under. The root idea of is that of remaining
under some discipline, subjecting one’s self to something which
demands the acquiescence of the will to something against which one
naturally would rebel. It portrays a picture of steadfastly and
unflinchingly bearing up under a heavy load and describes that quality
of character which does not allow one to surrender to circumstances or
succumb under trial. The picture is that of steadfastness, constancy
and endurance.
Hupomeno has in it a forward look, the ability
to focus on what is beyond the current pressures as we saw in the
previous verse in which Jesus
Who for the joy set before Him
endured (hupomeno) the Cross despising the shame (see
note
Hebrews 12:2).
Endured
is in the
perfect tense
which emphasizes the abiding effect of Christ's redemptive suffering.
Westcott adds that...
For the use of the
perfect
in connexion with the abiding results of Christ's work the following
passages should be carefully studied:
Hebrews 12:2 (note)
(has
sat down - kekathiken):
Hebrews 1:4
(note) (He
has inherited - kekleronomeken);
Hebrews 2:9 (note)
(was
made lower - lattomenon...crowned
with - stephanomenon)
Hebrews 2:18
(was
tempted - peponthen);
Hebrews 4:14 (note)
(has
passed through - dieleluthota);
Hebrews 4:15
(note)
(has
been tempted - pepeirasmenon);
Hebrews 7:26
(note) (separated
- kechorismenos);
Hebrews 7:28 (note)
(made
perfect - teteleiomenon);
Hebrews 9:26
(note)
(manifested
- pephanerotai).
Remember that even Jesus was perfected through His sufferings (see
note
Hebrews 2:10).
Hupomeno does not
describe a grim resignation or a passive "grin and bear" attitude but
a triumphant facing of difficult circumstances knowing that even out
of evil God guarantees good. It is courageous gallantry which accepts
suffering and hardship and turns them into grace and glory. It is the
ability to endure when circumstances are difficult and is not a
passive sitting down and bearing things but bearing up in a way that
honors and glorifies our heavenly Father.
The difficulties
in our lives,
The obstacles we face,
Give God the opportunity
To show His power and grace.
Morris writes that
hupomeno represents the exercise of
the
attitude of the soldier who in the thick of battle is not dismayed but
fights on stoutly whatever the difficulties.
Amy Carmichael in
Candles in the Dark
writes that
The best training is to learn to
accept everything as it comes, as from Him whom our soul loves. The
tests are always unexpected things, not great things that can be
written up, but the common little rubs of life, silly little nothings,
things you are ashamed of minding (at all). Yet they can knock a
strong man over and lay him very low.
Endured such hostility - The hostility describes the opposition
the Messiah endured from sinful men, even (and especially) religious
(Jews who should have known better) men in both word and act. In the
present context, the Jewish readers who had been born again (or were
strongly considering the claims of the Messiah) were persecuted and
mistreated by their Jewish brethren (not spiritual brethren but
physical for both were from the lineage of Jacob) who were still
clinging to the order of the Old Covenant of Law, including things
like the temple sacrifices. The writer calls to their mind the example
of the Author and Perfecter of their faith to encourage his readers to
"hang on" despite the opposition which they were meeting with that
endured by Messiah, and to do this in order that they would not be
weary, fainting in their souls.
Believers today need the same encouragement, especially in our
culture which is sliding further and further from Biblical standards
and into the abyss of paganism, debauchery and false spirituality, all
of which are hostile toward Christianity.
Westcott adds that...
such opposition as shewed itself in
the infliction of the most cruel shame and death, in comparison with
which your sufferings are insignificant. (Ibid)
Simeon prophesied of this
hostility...
And Simeon blessed them, and said
to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and
rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed
(antilego)" (Luke 2:24)
Hostility
(485)
(antilogia from
antilego = contradict in turn from anti = against +
lego speak) literally a word spoken against or speaking
against and so talking back, face to face, in opposition against (a
dispute involving opposite opinions). Our English word dispute
describes a disagreement, a quarrel, an argument or a verbal
controversy.
Antilogia
can also mean defiance against authority (with special emphasis on
verbal defiance -- see examples below of this use in the
Septuagint)
or rebellion as by Korah in Jude 1:11.
Antilogia
describes contradiction or controversy with the added sense that
strife is involved. Strife means bitter sometimes violent conflict or
dissension. The English word hostility pictures enmity
(deep-seated dislike or ill will or a manifestation of such feeling)
or antagonism.
Vincent
writes that antilogia describes "the practice of gainsaying"
where "Gainsay is a literal translation, being compounded of the
Anglo-Saxon gegn, which reappears in the German gegen, against, and
say." In our English dictionaries gainsay means to deny, contradict or
speak against.
Paul
explaining how it he ended up in Rome in prison declared that...
(just as the Romans were willing to
release Paul) the Jews objected (antilego - root verb of
antilogia) (and) I was forced to appeal to Caesar; not that I had any
accusation against my nation. (Acts 28:19)
Antilogia
is used 4 times in the NT..
Hebrews 6:16 (note)
For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath
given as confirmation is an end of every dispute.
Hebrews 7:7 (note)
But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. (Comment:
Here the sense of antilogia is that of beyond all doubt or
denial or controversy. And so the writer is asserting a principle
which no one thinks of questioning [or disputing] -- it is the less
who is blessed, and the greater who blesses)
Hebrews 12:3 For
consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against
Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart.
Jude 1:11 Woe to them! For
they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong
into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.
There are 19
uses of antilogia in the
Septuagint (LXX)
(Ex. 18:16; Num. 20:13; 27:14;
Deut. 1:12; 17:8; 19:17; 21:5; 25:1; 32:51; 33:8; 2 Sam. 15:4; Ps.
18:43; 31:20; 55:9; 80:6; 81:7; 106:32; Prov. 17:11; 18:18; Heb. 6:16;
7:7; 12:3; Jude 1:11) and here is a representative use...
Numbers 20:13 Those were the waters of Meribah (Hebrew means
place of strife or contention;
LXX =
antilogia = dispute), because the sons of Israel
contended with the LORD, and He proved Himself holy among them.
Deuteronomy 1:12 'How can I
alone bear the load and burden of you and your strife (Hebrew = rib =
strife, controversy, quarrel; LXX = antilogia)?
Psalm 31:20 (Spurgeon's
note) Thou dost hide
them in the secret place of Thy presence from the conspiracies of man;
Thou dost keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife
(Hebrew = rib = strife, controversy, quarrel; LXX = antilogia) of
tongues.
Psalm 80:6 (Spurgeon's
note) Thou dost make us
an object of contention (Hebrew = madown = strife, contention; LXX =
antilogia) to our neighbors; And our enemies laugh among themselves.
Sinners
(268)(hamartolos)
describes those devoted to sin and thus whose behavior does not measure up to standard moral
expectations. They are those who miss the mark set by God's holiness.
Here is a powerful illustration
of the call to endure...
Sir Winston Churchill was invited
back to his alma mater, Harrow, to address the students near the end
of his storied life of public service, which included guiding Britain
through her darkest and finest hours. When the five-foot, five-inch
bulldog of a man took the platform, everyone waited breathlessly upon
his words—and they would never forget what they heard:
“Young gentlemen, never give up.
Never give up.
Never give up!
Never! Never! Never!”
With that Churchill sat down.
That's what the writer of Hebrews is calling for an endurance from his
readers such as Jesus manifested. They are to diligently live out
their faith. Are you about to give up beloved? Don't do it! Never give
up! Never! Never! Never! Consider Jesus and remember that He Who
promised is faithful to fulfill His promise that He would never, ever,
no never leave you nor forsake you (see note
Hebrews 13:5).
The Christian life is not a sprint, but a marathon. Over the years we
have been repeatedly saddened by acquaintances who did not persevere
and who dropped by the wayside of this world.
SO THAT YOU
MAY NOT GROW WEARY AND LOSE HEART: hina me kamete (2PAAS) tais
psuchais humon ekluomenoi (PPPMPN):
So that
(2443)
(hina) introduces a purpose clause, the purpose of the
encouragement to think about Jesus' suffering.
Spurgeon
comments...
It has not come to that yet with
any of you who are now here; you have not shed your blood for Christ
yet, for these are not martyr days, so can you be wearied and faint?
If you run with the footmen, and they weary you how will you contend
with horses? We ought to be ashamed of ourselves if we grow weary in a
race that is so easy compared with that of the men and women who laid
down their lives for Christ’s sake.
Think how he wrestled, think how he
ran; and let your consideration of him nerve you for your struggle,
and brace up every muscle of your spirit so that you will be
determined that, as he won, so Will you by the divine help of him who
is “the Author and Finisher of our faith.”
Westcott
observes that...
At this point the image is changed.
The thought is no longer of effort but of endurance; of the assault of
a powerful adversary which must be met, and not of a struggle
voluntarily sought. (Ibid)
Grow weary
(2577)
(kamno) means to grow fatigued or weary in soul, and thus to become
discouraged. Vine writes that kamno means primarily, “to work,” hence,
from the effect of constant work, “to be weary”.
In James kamno
is translated "sick" but as discussed in the note below, speaks not so
much of physical as of spiritual sickness (weariness of soul).
In the context
of one ancient writing kamno conveyed the idea of being tired or weary
of the continued succession of the wars.
Grow weary and lose heart were sometimes used for the exhaustion a
runner could face. (The call to endurance in Hebrews 12:1 reflects the
language of long-distance races.)
The phrase grow
weary and lose heart was used in the ancient world to describe a
runner’s exhausted collapse. The suffering in view is mainly
persecution (for being a Christian) in various forms, but short of martyrdom.
Kamno is
used 2 times in the NT (or 3 in the Textus Receptus - see Rev 2:3), in
the current verse and in...
James 5:15 and the prayer
(euche - not the usual word for prayer in the NT but a word signifying
a fervent wish or strong petition) offered in faith (faith of the
elders, not of the person who is sick - i.e., they believe in the
power of God to accomplish what they are asking) will restore (sozo -
make whole) the one who is sick (kamno - in context most likely
refers to that down mental state induced by the guilt of sin), and the
Lord will raise him up, and if (since) he has committed sins, they
will be forgiven him. (Comment: Vincent writes that kamno
"originally means to work. Hence, “him that is laboring under
disease.”" Macarthur adds that "The idea here is that the elders’
prayers will deliver weak, defeated believers from their spiritual
weakness and restore them to spiritual wholeness")
Rev 2:3 (Jesus to the church
at Ephesus) And hast borne, and hast patience, and for My name's sake
hast laboured, and hast not fainted. (Note that the Nestle
Aland and other modern manuscripts have kopiao here instead of kamno).
Lose heart
(1590)
(ekluo from ek = out or intensifier + luo = to
loose) means literally to loosen out and to to untie, to dissolve, to
release. To be unstrung. To relax effort. Figuratively ekluo means to
give up. To be without strength (Mt 15:32, Mark 8:3). Ekluo was used
to describe reapers who had been overcome by heat and toil.
Since ekluo
means to unloose, the opposite idea is to gird up (Greek anazonnumi)
as used figuratively in first Peter...
Therefore, gird (gird up -
anazonnumi) your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope
completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of
Jesus Christ. (See note
1 Peter 1:13)
In the
passive voice ekluo means to to become slack or so tired and weary as to give out and
possibly even to faint from exhaustion. To be exhausted as a result of
giving in to evil. To be physically or morally weak.
To become disheartened
or discouraged, losing the
motivation to accomplish a valid goal (as in Gal 6:9).
In the Gospels
ekluo speaks of those who become physically weak and faint from
lack of food.
Ekluo was
used in a number of contexts such as to spill water; to be physically
weak (described as having limp, soft, or lifeless hands), to have a
weak heart; or to be morally lax. Here in Hebrews, the writer uses
ekluo to encourage his readers to “not slacken” when they undergo
trials. We all need to remember that whatever trials we are going
trough, God allows (or sometimes sends) and thus we are ultimately in
our Father's hands. Such providential training through correction or
discipline (which is expounded on in the following passages - see note
Hebrews 12:5)
and is always Divinely designed for our good.
They are the
words which Aristotle uses of an athlete who collapses on the ground
after he has surged past the finish line. So the writer of Hebrews is in effect
saying
"Don't give up too soon.
Don't collapse until you break the finish line."
Ekluo is
found 5 times in the NT...
Matthew 15:32 And Jesus
called His disciples to Him, and said, "I feel compassion for the
multitude, because they have remained with Me now three days and have
nothing to eat; and I do not wish to send them away hungry, lest
they faint on the way."
Mark 8:3 and if I send them
away hungry to their home, they will faint (be
exhausted) on the way; and some of them have come from a distance."
Galatians 6:9 And let us not
lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not
grow weary.
Hebrews 12:3 For
consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against
Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart.
Hebrews 12:5 (note)
and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as
sons, "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, Nor
faint when you are reproved by Him
Ekluo is
used 45 times in the
Septuagint (LXX)
(Ge 27:40; 49:24; Deut 20:3; Jos
10:6; 18:3; 1 Sa 14:28; 30:21; 2 Sa 4:1; 16:2, 14; 17:2, 29; 21:11,
15; 1 Ki 20:43; 2 Chr. 15:7; Ezra 4:4; Neh. 6:9; Job 19:25; Pr 3:11;
6:3; Isa 13:7; 29:9; 46:2; 51:20; Jer 4:31; 12:5; 38:4; 49:24; Lam
2:12, 19; Ezek 7:17; 31:15; Da 8:27)
Deuteronomy 20:3 "And he
shall say to them, 'Hear, O Israel, you are approaching the battle
against your enemies today. Do not be fainthearted
(Hebrew = rakak = to be tender, weak, soft. Lxx = ekluo). Do not be
afraid, or panic, or tremble before them,
2 Samuel 21:15 Now when the
Philistines were at war again with Israel, David went down and his
servants with him; and as they fought against the Philistines, David
became weary (Hebrew = iph = to be faint; Lxx = ekluo)
2 Chronicles 15:7 "But you
(the Spirit of God came upon Azariah who said to Asa) , be strong and
do not lose courage (Hebrew is literally "let not your hands be
weak"; Lxx = ekluo), for there is reward for your work."
Ezra 4:4 Then the people of
the land discouraged (KJV is more literal = "weakened the
hands"; Lxx = ekluo) the people of Judah, and frightened them from
building,
Nehemiah 6:9 For all of them
were trying to frighten us, thinking, "They will become
discouraged (Hebrew = raphah = sink, relax + yad =
hand - literally "relax the hand"; Lxx = ekluo) with the work and it
will not be done." But now, O God, strengthen my hands (Comment:
A good prayer for all of
us who may letting our hands "relax" and be becoming weary in the
Lord's work! It is His work you are doing isn't it? Remember,
He initiates and enables all His ministry through us. There is much
being done today in the church ostensibly in His Name, but is
initiated and empowered by the fallen flesh, which is especially
deceptive and subtle when it puts on an external cloak of religious
garb and speech!)
Proverbs 3:11 (KJV) My son,
despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary
(Hebrew = quwts = to be grieved, loathe, abhor; Lxx = ekluo) of his
correction:
Isaiah 13:7 Therefore all
hands will fall limp (Hebrew = raphah = sink, relax ;
Lxx = ekluo) and every man's heart will melt. (Comment: When will this
occur? The context explains that this will come about in the
Day of the Lord)
Jeremiah 12:5 "If you have
run with footmen and they have tired you out (Hebrew = laah = to
become weary or tired; Lxx = ekluo), Then how can you compete with
horses? If you fall down in a land of peace, How will you do in the
thicket of the Jordan?
Ezekiel 7:17 '(Context is
the destruction of Jerusalem) All hands will hang limp (Hebrew =
raphah = sink, relax ; Lxx = ekluo), and all knees will become
like water.
It is normal for Christians to
have experiences of stress and suffering that threaten their faith and
press too hard or last too long and feel almost intolerable - we've
all experienced this sense of despair. Losing
heart is always a great spiritual danger. And the readers were in that
danger, as are many believers today in our society which is adrift
morally and ethically. Contemplation of Christ, His sufferings and His
reward, is the great preventative of such weariness and loss of heart.
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Our Daily Bread - A Hole in
the Head. - Hebrews 12:3 -
Private Raymond Cote was in Germany with the 12th Infantry after World
War II. During maneuvers, he was put on sentry duty to guard some
pontoons on the banks of the Rhine. Because of an oversight, he was
not relieved for 6 days. He knew the general order that states: "To
quit my post only when properly relieved." So he stayed on duty day
and night even when it rained heavily. Sympathetic farmers gave him
food and milk. When he finally was relieved and got back to his
outfit, his commanding officer praised his "strong sense of duty." But
some of his buddies wisecracked that Cote had "a hole in his head."
Followers of the Savior also need a strong determination to carry out
faithfully whatever duty the Commanding Officer may assign. It may
involve much discomfort, perhaps causing people to regard us as having
a hole in the head. But our faithful Commander, whose head was
lacerated by a crown of thorns, also had holes in His hands, feet, and
side because He did His Father's will.
What will strengthen us to remain faithful when tempted to quit some
God-assigned post before our Lord properly relieves us? It is the
thought of "Him who endures such hostility from sinners against
Himself" (Heb. 12:3). - V C Grounds (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
I would be true,
for there are those who trust me;
I would be pure, for there are those who care.
I would be strong, for there is much to suffer;
I would be brave, for there is much to dare.--Walter
To remain faithful where God has
placed you, give God first place in your heart.
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Our Daily Bread - A Sacrifice Remembered - A white wall in the Veterans
Memorial Museum in Branson, Missouri, bears the names of 406,000 US
soldiers who died in World War II. Each name points beyond itself to
the larger cause for which they died.
Nearly every nation has monuments to its fallen soldiers and a day to
remember those who died fighting for their country. Whether or not we
agree with their ideals, we do well to ponder their courage and
sacrifice.
Hebrews 11 lists a number of heroes who lived and died courageously
"by faith." Near the end of the chapter, the list changes from the
names of individuals to groups of believers whose experiences ranged
from miraculous deliverance to torture and death because they refused
to compromise their faith in God.
Individually and collectively, they remind us that the spiritual
battle is not over. One paraphrase of Hebrews 12:1 says, "Do you see
what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these
veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it" (The
Message by Eugene Peterson).
As we recall every sacrifice made on our behalf and every example of
spiritual courage, let's determine to keep our eyes on Jesus and to
join the parade of faithful veterans of the faith. —David C.
McCasland (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
As we remember
those who've gone before
And think about the sacrifice they made,
We cannot help but think about our Lord,
Who gave His life—our ransom fully paid. —Hess
Let's never forget that others have died so that we might live.
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Our Daily Bread - Roughed Up To Grow Up - Many Christians have to be lovingly roughed up before they will grow
up. Although the heavenly Father never allows His children to suffer
needlessly, sometimes He lets them experience hard knocks so they'll
become mature believers.
The need for "bad weather" to stimulate growth can be seen in nature.
Scientists say that the seeds of some desert bushes must be damaged by
a storm before they will germinate. They are covered with hard shells
that keep out water. This allows them to lie dormant on the sand for
several seasons until conditions are right for growth.
When heavy rains finally come, the little seeds are carried away in a
flash flood. They are banged against sand, gravel, and rocks as they
rush down the slopes. Eventually they settle in a depression where the
soil has become damp to a depth of several feet. Only then do they
begin to grow, for moisture is absorbed through the nicks and
scratches they picked up on their downhill plunge.
Similarly, difficulties may be needed to wake up a sleeping saint.
This may hurt for a while, but if we yield to the Lord we will find
that life's bruises can mark the beginning of spiritual advances. We
may prefer to remain "seeds," but He wants us to become "fruitful
trees." —Mart De Haan (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Should Thy mercy send me sorrow, toil, and woe,
Or should pain attend me on my path below,
Grant that I may never fail Thy hand to see,
Grant that I may ever cast my care on Thee. —Montgomery
There are no gains without pains
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Our Daily Bread - Are You Struggling? - I was in my second year of widowhood and I was struggling. Morning
after morning my prayer-life consisted of one daily sigh: "Lord, I
shouldn't be struggling like this!" "And why not?" His still, small
voice asked me from within one morning.
Then the answer came—unrecognized pride! Somehow I had thought that a
person of my spiritual maturity should be beyond such struggle. What a
ridiculous thought! I had never been a widow before and needed the
freedom to be a true learner—even a struggling learner.
At the same time, I was reminded of the story of a man who took home a
cocoon so he could watch the emperor moth emerge. As the moth
struggled to get through the tiny opening, the man enlarged it with a
snip of his scissors. The moth emerged easily—but its wings were
shriveled. The struggle through the narrow opening is God's way to
force fluid from its body into its wings. The "merciful" snip, in
reality, was cruel.
Hebrews 12 describes the Christian life as a race that involves
endurance, discipline, and correction. We never get beyond the need of
a holy striving against self and sin. Sometimes the struggle is
exactly what we need to become what God intends us to be.—Joanie Yoder
(Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
When God allows His chastening hand
To give us little rest,
His only purpose is our good—
He wants for us His best. —D. De Haan
We experience God's strength in the strain of our struggle
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Our Daily Bread - Remembrance Day - I was in London’s Heathrow Airport waiting for a connecting flight to
the US. An announcement came over the public address system stating
that it was “Remembrance Day” in the UK, the day on which people
honored those who had died for their country in times of war. The
announcement further said that at 11:00 a.m. there would be 2 minutes
of silence and that it would be appreciated if everyone kept that in
mind. Thousands of people from all over the world stood in silence as
a tribute to the fallen soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen of the
UK.
The desire to remember those who gave their lives for their country is
noble. Yet, as meaningful as that is, it cannot compare to the
privilege that belongs to us when we approach the Lord’s Table. As we
celebrate Communion, we are obeying Christ’s command that we remember
His death (Luke 22:19) and to do it “till He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26).
When He sacrificed His life for us, He provided the forgiveness of
sins that sets us free and secures for us an eternal home in heaven.
Rather than letting the Lord’s Supper become routine, make every
opportunity at the Table a true “Remembrance Day” by honoring Him till
He comes. —Bill Crowder (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Thank You, Lord, for dying for me
On the cross of Calvary;
Help me always to remember
What You did to set me free. —Sper
Remembering Christ’s death for us should cause us to live for Him |
