When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!”
--John 19:26
Yesterday, we talked about Jesus’ dying words on the cross…how He showed forgiveness for those who tortured and killed Him.
And today, I’d like us to reflect on some other words that Jesus spoke during His final hours…when he spoke words of comfort and compassion, like those in the verse above.
Isn’t it amazing that in His moment of dying Jesus thought of others? He didn’t care about Himself. In the midst of His excruciating pain…in spite of His horrible humiliation…He still reached out and cared for others.
And the application for you and me is clear, isn’t it?
In the midst of whatever you may be facing today…a mound of bills…a pile of laundry…or a load of frustration…could you speak a word of compassion to someone who needs it?
Who knows, your words might be the very things that shine the light of Jesus Christ into the darkness of someone’s life...and bring them to a saving knowledge of Him!
IN THE MIDST OF YOUR PERSONAL STRUGGLES, REACH OUT WITH COMPASSION FOR OTHERS.
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him: But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.”
Job 23:8-11
In 1856, Charles Spurgeon was one of the best-known and popular preachers in England with his church filled to overflowing week after week. When the church needed to build a larger building, they temporarily moved to the Surrey Gardens Music Hall during construction. On the first Sunday at Surrey Gardens, the crowd that gathered was estimated at 14,000 which far exceeded the building’s capacity. Early in the service, someone shouted “Fire!” and the panicked crowd rushed for the exits. Eight people were trampled to death in the chaos. Spurgeon, who was just twenty-five years old, carried that grief with him for the rest of his life. He later confided to friends that he sometimes burst into tears for no apparent reason. On the wall of Spurgeon’s bedroom was a plaque with Isaiah 48:10 on it: “Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.”
Things do not always go the way we want them to. There is pain, suffering, sickness, betrayal, tears, and heartache in every life. Many times these trials are outside of our control, and sometimes, they are even caused by other people. But faith looks at those events through the lens of trust in God’s overall plan for our lives. Such trials can be part of the purifying process by which God makes us more like His Son. But if we become bitter or lose our faith in Him, the benefit of the trial will be lost.
Today's Growth Principle:
Every affliction and trial God allows in our lives is meant for our good and His glory.
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