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The
highest courage is to dare to be yourself in the face of adversity,
choosing right over wrong, ethics over convenience, and truth over
popularity.
Travel the path of integrity without looking back, for THERE IS
NEVER A WRONG TIME TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
-
Bishop Soc Villegas
25 July 2007
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LESSONS OF JOB
(Part 1)
REDEMPTIVE SUFFERING
My dear brothers and sisters
in Christ, peace to you all. It was just last Thursday at the Seniors
Assembly that we talked about our theme for 2010. It is a very rich
theme, and will take a lifetime to appreciate more fully. It is about
the majesty of God, about redemptive suffering, about being awed and
humbled in His presence. It seems God is not wasting time in getting us
on our learning track. Last Saturday we experienced the devastating
rains and flood. Many lives were lost, many homes and material
possessions were lost, and many experienced pain and grief due to
separation from loved ones, hunger and thirst, and uncertainty about the
future.
Our first lesson is about the greatness and majesty of God and of His
creation. "Who has laid out a channel for the downpour and for the
thunderstorm a path to bring rain ...?" (Job 38:25-26a). "Have
you an arm like that of God, and can you thunder with a voice like his?
Adorn yourself with grandeur and majesty, and array yourself with glory
and splendor. Let loose the fury of your wrath; tear down the wicked and
shatter them. Bring down the haughty with a glance; bury them in the
dust together; ..." (Job 40:9-13a). We cannot explain the heavy
rains and flood. We find it hard to accept the devastation God has
allowed to be wrought. We are bewildered. We are distraught. But God is
just bringing home the point that He is the Almighty! Oftentimes He can
only get His message through in situations of pain and grief, just like
in the case of Job.
Our second lesson is about redemptive suffering. The authentic gospel is
that of the cross, and suffering is its child. The only way to glory is
through the cross. Only in suffering can we experience redemption. This
is achieved through the suffering of Jesus, and through our suffering as
well. We share in the sufferings of Christ. Now that is a great
privilege! In fact, the great challenge to living the Christian life is
a life of comfort and absence of pain. So when pain comes, especially
extreme pain through such a devastation as this flood, then there is
that great opportunity to grow in Christ. We offer up our suffering. We
grow in such virtues as trusting in Jesus, hoping in the Lord, even
being joyful in all circumstances. We are being purified, and we are
walking in the path of Christ.
Our third lesson is about reverential fear (awe) and humility. What an
awesome experience it is when the floodwaters rampage, and when we are
helplessly tossed about. How humbling it is when we are no longer in
control. How puny we truly are compared to the majesty of God. If in our
fear and humility we cry out to Him and resign our lives and our
well-being to Him, then we would have learned one aspect of what He
wants to teach us.
Those who were severely and negatively affected now have to rebuild
their lives. And that is the opportunity God gives us. We rebuild our
lives on the foundation that is Christ. We turn ever deeper to God, and
have greater zeal to bring other people to Him. No one knows when
tragedy or calamity will strike. One must always be prepared, by being
in a right relationship with Him. One must be aware that we all belong
to the same family, and that we must be concerned about each other. We
help each other out, not only when there is a calamity such as this, but
even in ordinary times. And we must take care of the wonderful creation
God has given us. Water, an elemental aspect of nature, is life-giving
and essential to life. It becomes destructive when we severely disturb
the ecological balance.
It is right for us to shed tears at the calamity we have all
experienced. But our experience should bring us closer to God. And we
should have just a little bit more appreciation of His awesome majesty.
Never forget: just and righteous is He! And in that we can rejoice.
May the Lord bless and protect His people.
frank
(September 29, 2009)
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