Thursday, December 28, 2006

Practicing Theology: Gaining a Biblical Perspective on Suffering

Please, if there's nothing else you do today--or this weekend--read this post on Pyromaniacs by Dan Phillips.

For several weeks now, after one of my husband's recent Sunday morning sermons, I've been pondering making a post titled, "It was good that I was afflicted" based on Psalm 119:71. I still might post more on this Biblical principle, but for now I can't imagine doing it any better than Dan has done.

I know that some of my regular readers are suffering and/or struggling in various ways, and as Dan posted, "I've no doubt you have challenges, as do I. And to you they're very large, as mine are to me. (I hasten to say yours may very well dwarf mine.)".

With that in mind, it is my prayer and desire that you will draw strength from drawing closer to God as you seek to know Him better and understand His sovereign plan through your present struggles--He has indeed given us a "great cloud of witnesses"!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow. Thanks for sharing that, Connie. I read the post and thoroughly enjoyed it. I intend to listen to Joni's talk as soon as I get some quiet time alone. I am looking forward to that too. Perspective. A good word for the New Year.

Kim said...

It kind of left me just speechless.

Connie said...

Clarissa: Joni also has co-authored some great books on the topic of suffering--the audio from the Piper conf. should be excellent.

Kim: I know exactly what you mean.

Rebekah said...

You're right. I went and read the post and it is very meaningful. Really helps to put my "slumps" in perspective - and it is encouragement to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ more often. I am going to read it again when I have time to really think on it some more.