Pleasant Places vs Eternal Home

[sheshisown]

How unjust is suffering? How good or evil is pain? We only know this answer best when we are experiencing pain ourselves.

Pain does one thing well to me~ it turns me into a coward.
When I think of anxiety which gnaws at my heart like fire~
And loneliness which stretches out like a vast desert inside me.
The heart-breaking routine of monotonous misery borne daily~
Or of dull constant aches which blacken my whole landscape of vision.
Or the sudden nauseating pains that knock my heart out with one blow~
Or pains which seem intolerable until they suddenly increase.
Of the infuriating scorpion stinging pains~ that startle the soul into mania~
These thoughts over-shadow my spirit…

If I knew of a way to escape I would crawl through sewers to find it.

…But what good does it to tell you of my feelings? You know them already, they are yours. I do not argue that pain is not pain-filled. No. But let me show again that the old Christian doctrine of “being made perfect through suffering†Hebrews 2:10, is not incredible…

sheshisown~

 

[JoJo]

Re: Unbelievable pain…

One good thing that can be said of pain: it humbles us and makes us realize how much we are dependent on God.

 

[sheshisown]

Unbelievable joy

How marvelous is our God!

Who gives us~ beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That we may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the LORD,
That He may be glorified." :heart

[youtube:s2x0ara7]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhayBSnG7Xk[/youtube:s2x0ara7]

:nod

shesHISown~

 

[sheshisown]

Here ~ <i believe> is a very curious fact about this world we live in...

We all desire (in one manner or another) to have happiness, and to be secure.
Yet God wisely with-holds it from us, by the corrupted nature of the world we have attained through sin. Though we experience some joy, pleasure, and fun which He has scattered abroad for us and allowed in the world, still~ we are NEVER safe though we may even experience "some" ectasy.

Yet~ it is not really hard to see why He has done so~
Should we possess the security we crave in this life~ it would teach us to rest our hearts in this world, and we would oppose and fight any obstacle that would turn our love toward God instead. . .

But a few moments of happy love~ a symphony~ a sweet meeting with dear friends and family~ a hot bath~ a well won football match~ a trip to an amusement park~ do not have this tendency to restrain us to remain terrestrial forever.

So our Heavenly Father refreshes us with a few pleasant places... but He will not encourage us to make them our home. :heart

:D sheshisown~

 

[JoJo]

I imagine that these lovely things on earth are but a microscopic sampling of the joy we will experience in Heaven with our Lord and our fellow believers. :amen

 

[nyc christian]

I feel safe and happy in Christ - I dont think he is withholding it from me.

 

[sheshisown]

NYC christian~

Actually your security and happiness, or joy <in Christ> IS NOT the security and happiness I was speaking of ... but rather the fact that we each have a few enjoyments while we are here in this world... even in midst our sufferings. :yes

Though none of our present happiness (in this life) can be sustained it all fades. Youth becomes age, brilliance becomes dull headedness, fame is not remembered and is easily replaced by the next shooting star, even great deeds are re-written in history books...

Yet for all that~ our JOY daily in Jesus never fades but becomes more glorious and bright as we draw nearer The Dawning of His Day! :heart

sheshisown~

 

[nyc christian]

Carry on then lol

Oh OK Gotcha :amen

 

[sheshisown]

~Yup yup, okey dokey...