Perspicuity?

03-15-21 –Affliction! -- Job 21:22

My friend, may I ask you a question? When sin enters into our lives, what are the choices? It seems they may be limited. We can try to cover it up and hope it goes away or we can confront it, and cut it out of our lives. Which way keeps the sin from diseasing our lives altogether? You choose?

My friend, life’s a story, welcome to This Passing Day. I’m M. Clifford Brunner.

I was watching a dog-training show the other day on television where the dog owner was completely baffled by his dog’s reaction to running water. All he had to do was to reach for the faucet and turn it just a bit and the dog, tail between its legs, would scoot for the nearest hiding place. What it perceived as pain and suffering, however irrationally, was, in fact, a blessing. But, it was a blessing that it simply didn’t want to wait around and discover.

How helpless and confused we must look to God when, confronted by the prospect of disappointment or pain, we hightail it and run away. Like the dog afraid of the very thing that might give it comfort, we react irrationally when confront- ed with the prospect of something that we perceive as an affliction. We head in the other direction, not even willing to discover what might have been a blessing in the first place.

A funny thing happened in Darlington, Maryland, several years ago. Edith, a mother of eight, was coming home from a neighbor’s house one Saturday afternoon. Things seemed too quiet as she walked across her front yard. Curious, she peered through the screen door and saw five of her youngest children huddled together, concentrating on something. As she crept closer to them, trying to discover the center of attention, she could not believe her eyes. Smack dab in the middle of the circle were five baby skunks. Edith screamed at the top of her voice, “Quick, children...run!” Each kid grabbed a skunk and ran. (Swindoll, The Quest for Character, Multnomah, p. 192)

Oh that we might be so smart when confronted by affliction. When we see our afflictions as something to run away from, often we leave behind the one thing that can help us the most, the very thing that is causing the pain. Perhaps if we vowed to carry it for awhile and see what it might do for us, we might not be so quick to run from it. After awhile, if it hasn’t knocked us down yet, what would be the purpose of running from it. That might be the perfect time to pick it up and learn from it. We may be baffled by affliction, but if we trust that God is in control, there is never cause to run.

We pray. Heavenly Father, help us to be smart, perspicacious, when confronted by affliction. When we see our afflictions as something to run away from, often we leave behind the one thing that can help us the most, the very thing that is causing the pain. Help us O Lord be willing to carry it for awhile and see what it might do for us, and forgive us when we when are tempted to run from it. After awhile, if it hasn’t knocked us down yet, what would be the purpose of running from it. Thank you for making us understand that this might be the perfect time to pick it up and learn from it. We may be baffled by affliction, but if we trust that you are in control, there is never cause to run. In Jesus name we pray. Amen!

Therefore my friend, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry for itself; each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 6:34) This Passing Day.

May this passing day honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be a blessing to you and everyone you meet. Find a stranger and say hello. Don't let another day pass without your day blessing someone else.

If you have a special prayer request, please send your request to "This Passing Day!"

<thispassingday@gmail.com> From Beech Springs, God bless you for Jesus sake.

Perspicuity?

03-15-21 –Affliction! -- Job 21:22

My friend, may I ask you a question? When sin enters into our lives, what are the choices? It seems they may be limited. We can try to cover it up and hope it goes away or we can confront it, and cut it out of our lives. Which way keeps the sin from diseasing our lives altogether? You choose?

My friend, life’s a story, welcome to This Passing Day. I’m M. Clifford Brunner.

I was watching a dog-training show the other day on television where the dog owner was completely baffled by his dog’s reaction to running water. All he had to do was to reach for the faucet and turn it just a bit and the dog, tail between its legs, would scoot for the nearest hiding place. What it perceived as pain and suffering, however irrationally, was, in fact, a blessing. But, it was a blessing that it simply didn’t want to wait around and discover.

How helpless and confused we must look to God when, confronted by the prospect of disappointment or pain, we hightail it and run away. Like the dog afraid of the very thing that might give it comfort, we react irrationally when confront- ed with the prospect of something that we perceive as an affliction. We head in the other direction, not even willing to discover what might have been a blessing in the first place.

A funny thing happened in Darlington, Maryland, several years ago. Edith, a mother of eight, was coming home from a neighbor’s house one Saturday afternoon. Things seemed too quiet as she walked across her front yard. Curious, she peered through the screen door and saw five of her youngest children huddled together, concentrating on something. As she crept closer to them, trying to discover the center of attention, she could not believe her eyes. Smack dab in the middle of the circle were five baby skunks. Edith screamed at the top of her voice, “Quick, children...run!” Each kid grabbed a skunk and ran. (Swindoll, The Quest for Character, Multnomah, p. 192)

Oh that we might be so smart when confronted by affliction. When we see our afflictions as something to run away from, often we leave behind the one thing that can help us the most, the very thing that is causing the pain. Perhaps if we vowed to carry it for awhile and see what it might do for us, we might not be so quick to run from it. After awhile, if it hasn’t knocked us down yet, what would be the purpose of running from it. That might be the perfect time to pick it up and learn from it. We may be baffled by affliction, but if we trust that God is in control, there is never cause to run.

We pray. Heavenly Father, help us to be smart, perspicacious, when confronted by affliction. When we see our afflictions as something to run away from, often we leave behind the one thing that can help us the most, the very thing that is causing the pain. Help us O Lord be willing to carry it for awhile and see what it might do for us, and forgive us when we when are tempted to run from it. After awhile, if it hasn’t knocked us down yet, what would be the purpose of running from it. Thank you for making us understand that this might be the perfect time to pick it up and learn from it. We may be baffled by affliction, but if we trust that you are in control, there is never cause to run. In Jesus name we pray. Amen!

Therefore my friend, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry for itself; each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 6:34) This Passing Day.

May this passing day honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be a blessing to you and everyone you meet. Find a stranger and say hello. Don't let another day pass without your day blessing someone else.

If you have a special prayer request, please send your request to "This Passing Day!"

<thispassingday@gmail.com> From Beech Springs, God bless you for Jesus sake.