Deeper Life #226

Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

—Hebrews 12:11

WHEN MY HEART IS STUNG in the first moment of suffering, and when His “rod and staff have comforted me,” I count it all joy to suffer for the glory of God.

How very hard it is to be

A Christian! Hard for you and me.

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And the sole thing that I remark

Upon this difficulty, this;

We do not see it where it is,

At the beginning of the race:

As we proceed, it shifts its place,

And where we looked for crowns to fall,

We find the tug’s to come—that’s all.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

And I find it hard

To be a Christian, as I said!

Still every now and then my head

Raised glad, sinks mournful—all grows

drear

Spite of the sunshine.

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But Easter-Day breaks! But

Christ rises! Mercy every way

Is infinite—and who can say? (Robert Browning)

“Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.” Be willing to suffer as a Christian!

Prayer Thought: Help me to have patience in suffering, O Lord, knowing that “all things work together” according to Your will and wishes.

SUGGESTED READING: ¹Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, ²Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. ⁴Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. ⁵And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: ⁶For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. ⁷If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? ⁸But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. ⁹Further-more we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? ¹⁰For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. ¹¹Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. ¹²Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; ¹³And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. ¹⁴Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.

—Hebrews 12:1–14