GOD NEVER WASTES PAIN

For men are not cast off by the Lord forever,

Though He brings grief He will show compassion,

So great is His unfailing love,

For He does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the

Children of men.

-Lamentations 3:31-33

God does not willingly bring affliction or grief to us. He does not delight in causing us to experience pain or heartache. He always has a purpose for the grief He brings or allows to come into our lives. Most often we do not know what that purpose is but it is enough to know that His infinite wisdom and perfect love have determined that the particular sorrow is best for us. God never wastes pain.

-jerry bridges

NEVER WASTE PAIN

GOD NEVER WASTES PAIN

For men are not cast off by the Lord forever,

Though He brings grief He will show compassion,

So great is His unfailing love,

For He does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the

Children of men.

-Lamentations 3:31-33

God does not willingly bring affliction or grief to us. He does not delight in causing us to experience pain or heartache. He always has a purpose for the grief He brings or allows to come into our lives. Most often we do not know what that purpose is but it is enough to know that His infinite wisdom and perfect love have determined that the particular sorrow is best for us. God never wastes pain.

-jerry bridges

ALTARS

Everyone has an altar. It can be visible or invisible, holy or profane, elaborate or ordinary,  but it’s always there. It can be based on ideologies, dreams or simple pleasures, but we can always find a foundation . We have to. Everyone’s life needs to revolve around something.

Because everyone has an  altar, everyone brings offerings. Some people offer their bodies  to people and  pleasure. Others offer their minds to areas of study. Still others offer their emotions to a trend of the day or a relationship of the month. We can offer finances to gods of materialism, and exploitation,  time to gods of entertainment  and apathy and talent to gods of fame and fortune. 

We have no shortage of gifts to bring to our altars. All human beings are drawn to a cause even if the cause is themselves…In a world  of false altars, the only way God can establish true praise in His people is to break down His rivals. His Word calls that “Refining.” We call it pain.  

-Chris Tiegreen