MYSTERY OF SUFFERING (cont.) 2. Trophimus. Again the Apostle Paul wrote of another of his fellow- laborers saying, “ Trophimus have l left at M iletum sick” (II Tim. 4:20). Here was a faithful servant whom God did not see fit to heal. 3. Timothy. To his “ son in the faith” Paul wrote, saying, “ Use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities” (I Tim. 5:23). The great apostle did not prescribe more faith, but a medicinal treatment for Timothy’s “ often infirmities.” Bear in mind, my friend, that I am not saying God does not hear the prayer of faith on behalf of the sick. I believe He does often raise up the sick in answer to prayer, but accord- . ing to His own, perfect will, and often by the means of medical science. Sometimes, however, it is not His all wise plan to relieve the suffering saint; and to say that those who are not healed lack faith to be healed is both contrary to the teaching of the Scriptures and unfair to the sufferer. It makes the one being tested and tried wonder if, after all, he has faith enough for salvation, if indeed, he lacks the faith necessary to physical healing. In other words, if God has provided for physical healing in the atonement, as many claim, then if a person prays for physical healing and his prayer is not answered by restor ation to health, he begins to doubt whether or not his prayer for salva tion from sin has been heard. Do you not see where this line of reasoning leads? Not long since I received a letter from a groping soul, whose loved one had gone through such a bitter exper ience. And the result had been a ner vous, miserable state of mind and body, doubt filling the whole being concerning the welfare of the soul. I am glad the Word of God is not as cruel as is the shallow student of the eternal Word who says that suffering is the result of lack of faith. The fallacy of these two arguments is seen in the very fact that hundreds and thousands of God’s dear saints have died— because of disease. More over, His own signal blessing upon the service of Christian doctors and nurses who have gone into all the world with the Gospel speaks for it self. The medical missionary tells us that over and over again the success ful treatment of physical pain has given him entrance into the heart of the pagan, and has opened the way for the soul-saving message of The Great Physician. No, my dear Christian sufferer, God is giving you an opportunity to bear testimony to Him, for His glory, as we shall see in our further examina
tion of the Scriptures. He has com mitted unto you a special trust. Let us see this from His own infallible Word. Trouble Is a Trust Christian doctors and nurses are entrusted with a gift to use to the glory of God. All education is a trust, and we must answer to the Lord for it. Money is a trust; a beautiful voice, the gift of teaching, the care of chil dren in the home and in the school — all these are trusts from the Giver of “ every good and perfect gift” (James 1:17). And in this sense trou ble is a trust to the child of God. We must face it and use it for the glory of His name. God can not trust some of His peo ple with money; neither can He trust all of us with sorrow and suffering. He knows that we would not use it for His glory. Job is a good example of one whom God could permit to suffer. And his griefs were not the result of sin in his life! Neither were they the result of lack of faith! God bore testimony to the faithfulness and devotion of His servant. Turn to the Bible record, and read the story of how Satan accused Job to God and how God permitted Satan to try Job, “for an example of suffer ing affliction, and of patience” (James 5:10,11). Remember, as you read, that Job knew nothing about this conver sation between God and Satan. He did not know, as we know now, that he was to be an object-lesson in patience and faith for many generations to come. Had he known why he was called to suffer, it would have been easier for him to endure; but his vic tory would not have been so triumph ant. Perhaps God is using you, my Christian brother, in the same way, as an object-lesson in patience before your family and friends. With his children gone, his prop erty gone, his body a loathsome thing, yet “ in all this did not Job sin with his lips,” when even his wife bade him “ curse God, and die” (Job 2:9, 10). “ The Lord gave,” he said; “ and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). “Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place.” So astonished were they at the change that had taken place in him that they “ sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.” (See Job 2:11- 13.) They just sat and looked at him in his miserable condition. Think of it! Seven days and seven nights! Then they began to upbraid and
accuse him, and say that all this ca lamity had come upon him because he was a hypocrite and had sinned. No wonder Job answered them, say ing, “Miserable comforters are ye all” (Job 16:2). No wonder he called them “forgers of lies” and “ physicians of no value” (Job 13:4). Some of the most sublime of all the words of Scripture fell from the lips of Job during his sore affliction. “ Though he slay me, yet will I trust him,” Job said of Jehovah (Job 13:15). “ I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me” (Job 19:25-27). These and other ut terances of this man of God bear wit ness to his fidelity to his Redeemer, even though he did not understand why he was called to suffer so.
And Satan’s mouth was closed, for Job glorified God. Can that be said of you — of me? How do we behave when trouble comes? Satan is “ the accuser of our brethren . . . before our God day and night” (Rev. 12:10). Let us not give him a chance to say that our God is not able to sustain in any trial. Turn now to the closing chapter of the book of Job, and see how God blessed him “ when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before” (Job 42:10) — sons and daughters, flocks and herds, and many years of joy. Like wise, as we endure trials for Christ’s sake, we have His strength and pres ence and joy now, and for all eternity everlasting life and His glory to be hold, and to share. Trouble rightly used is a trust. To the child of God who seeks His will, whatever the cost, it is one way of honoring Him. It is easy to be a hap py Christian in the time of prosperity
30
THE KING'S BUSINESS
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker