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Posts Tagged ‘suffering’

Person of Integrity-Job

April 11th, 2018 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Person of Integrity from the Bible is Job.

In the book of Job, his noble character is described as “blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.”

His faith had the attention of God and Satan. They had a conversation about him. Satan told God that the only reason that Job was upright was because God had blessed him and put a hedge around him. But if God would strike everything he has, Satan was convinced that Job would curse God to his face. Tragedy followed this conversation.

One by one, messengers came to tell Job that he lost his wealth, his sons and daughters, and his livestock. Job responded to the news by tearing his robe, shaving his head, and worshiping God. He said, “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.”

The faithfulness of Job to worship the LORD in tragedy inspires us to stay true to God in our brokenness and to live a life of integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

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Q and A-Why Does God Allow Suffering?

May 4th, 2016 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Q and A Segment explores the question, “Why does God allow suffering in the world?”

This is a big question that deserves some attention, because so many people ask it out loud or ponder it in their hearts.

Suffering started in the world after sin entered the human race. This was the result of a choice that Adam and Eve made, which led to the reality of physical death, conflict between people, pain during child birth, frustration from work, and shame, to name a few. God made Adam and Eve with the dignity to have the freedom to make choices. When they disregarded God’s Word and ate from the forbidden fruit, pain and suffering followed.

Ever since, our world has been broken. We live with the consequences of Adam and Eve’s decision.

The good news is that God had a plan to redeem us from the curse of sin. He sent Jesus, who suffered extreme pain at the cross, and then rose from the dead. He can sympathize with our pain, and He knows how to take us beyond it. He is preparing a place for His followers in heaven, where tears, pain, sin and death will not be found.

When it comes to suffering, there are no easy answers, but the presence of suffering calls for the compassion of Christ to be expressed through His followers in the Year of Exploration.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

LIFE APPLICATION TRUTH-REDEMPTIVE SUFFERING

October 8th, 2012 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – From Isaiah 53:10.

Speaking of Jesus, “Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.”

The death of Jesus at the cross was the will of the LORD. His suffering was for a purpose. That purpose is revealed in verse 5 of the same chapter. “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”

The reasons for our suffering in this life may not always be clearly understood, but through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we see that suffering within God’s plan is never wasted. Jesus said we would have trouble, but He also said, “take heart, I have overcome the world.”  Through Jesus, we have grace to overcome the trials of this life.

Living with hope through adversity is a vital sign of a changed life in the Year of Transformation.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com