I agree with Selwyn that we must be open to the idea that God can use the bad things which happen to us for His good purpose.
He writes in today’s study: “Evil is evil, you say, tragedy is tragedy. Nothing can alter that. The death of someone you loved, loss … infidelity … slander – these [...]
Selwyn continues to look at the significance of Lament.
Again, he is able to articulate some excellent points about our agony during periods of ‘confused’ suffering – and his words have even greater force because we know that his life contained more suffering then what most people experience.
In particular, I thought these bits were good: “Lament has the potential [...]
I liked the way Selwyn describes the difference between grumbling against God and lament.
He writes: “A grumbler has already reached a conclusion about life, has shut down all open-mindedness with questions that are barely concealed accusations.
In contract, a person uttering a lament is expressing a desire to understand what is happening. That person is knocking [...]
Selwyn starts today’s study with these words: “Another matter we need to face as participants in God’s big story is this: we must be willing to lament.”
What is lament? From the Macquarie Dictionary: 1. to feel or express sorrow or regret for; mourn for or over. 2. to feel, show, or express grief, sorrow or [...]
Selwyn says some challenging things in today’s study.
“If we insist that because we are Christians we should be exempt from the effects of the Fall, that we live in a broken world, our attitude will bring us into conflict with God’s purposes for our lives. … Take, for instance, the matter of bereavement. Some people [...]
Selwyn, now moves on to a new topic. He says: “Having seen something of the way in which God weaves the details of our lives into His big story we move on now to consider the question: How should we live as participants in God’s big story? First, we must accept the inevitabilities of life. [...]
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When sin recoiled
In today’s study we see another example – the most important example – of Jesus experiencing the same sorts of experiences that we go through. We can never say to God: “You can’t know what it was like to be human!”
He experienced the best and worst of what life on earth has to offer. He [...]
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