Weep with those who weep
Often time we as Christians find that our experiences war with our doctrine. We believe that God is sovereign, but horrible things happen. We believe that God is good, yet every day people die horrible deaths. How are we to reconcile what we think about our experiences, with what we know Scripture says?
The answer to that is trust God. Trust what God has to say in His Word. In James 1 we are told to consider times of trial an opportunity for rejoicing. Why, because God is at work in our lives, and through our faithfulness to Him. But what are we to do when we cannot see how God is working (that will happen)? James goes on to say that if we lack the wisdom to see God at work then we must pray to God and ask him for the wisdom to see His work.
The problem is that as long as we are on this earth we will never know true unmixed happiness. There will always be a cause to mourn as long as we are on this sin-marred planet. For the servant of God there will always be times of rejoicing, and times of weeping.
1 Corinthians 6:10
As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having everything but possesing nothing.
There will always be times of sorrow and times of rejoicing, and usually they will run concurrent to on another. Let me quote Piper: "We rejoice with those who rejoice, and we weep with those who weep; and we always know someone rejoicing, and we always know someone weeping." This is just one of Piper's deeply insightful thought in a recent
September 11th Memorial service, at his church.
If you have ever heard Piper preach then you know that he embodies rejoicing with those rejoicing, and weeping with those weeping. This sermon is not different. Piper pours out his heart, and wrestles with the question of why do tragic things happen. Piper also talks about Katrina, and how God is working through death and tragedy.
If you want to know how to deal with Katrina in your own mind, and how to bring God the glory in the aftermath of any tragedy then sit down and take the time to listen to Pastor Piper wrestle the emotions of experience to the ground with God's Word.
Challenge the thoughts of your own experience with Scripture and see if they match up. Wrestle with what God's word says compared to your sense of fairness (see Romans 9). Be ready; one day your are going to have to minister to someone who has been through tragedy. For there sake wrestle with these questions now.
The answer to that is trust God. Trust what God has to say in His Word. In James 1 we are told to consider times of trial an opportunity for rejoicing. Why, because God is at work in our lives, and through our faithfulness to Him. But what are we to do when we cannot see how God is working (that will happen)? James goes on to say that if we lack the wisdom to see God at work then we must pray to God and ask him for the wisdom to see His work.
The problem is that as long as we are on this earth we will never know true unmixed happiness. There will always be a cause to mourn as long as we are on this sin-marred planet. For the servant of God there will always be times of rejoicing, and times of weeping.
1 Corinthians 6:10
As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having everything but possesing nothing.
There will always be times of sorrow and times of rejoicing, and usually they will run concurrent to on another. Let me quote Piper: "We rejoice with those who rejoice, and we weep with those who weep; and we always know someone rejoicing, and we always know someone weeping." This is just one of Piper's deeply insightful thought in a recent
September 11th Memorial service, at his church.
If you have ever heard Piper preach then you know that he embodies rejoicing with those rejoicing, and weeping with those weeping. This sermon is not different. Piper pours out his heart, and wrestles with the question of why do tragic things happen. Piper also talks about Katrina, and how God is working through death and tragedy.
If you want to know how to deal with Katrina in your own mind, and how to bring God the glory in the aftermath of any tragedy then sit down and take the time to listen to Pastor Piper wrestle the emotions of experience to the ground with God's Word.
Challenge the thoughts of your own experience with Scripture and see if they match up. Wrestle with what God's word says compared to your sense of fairness (see Romans 9). Be ready; one day your are going to have to minister to someone who has been through tragedy. For there sake wrestle with these questions now.
posted by Paul at 8:20 AM
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