Basic HTML Version
right hand of God the Father this
very minute, Acts
7:56,
receives lit–
tle children today! So does God the
Father. Parents, choosing to live life
God's way, according to his com–
mandments and Bible instructions,
can bring their children to God
· through his ministers today and, in
prayer, ask him to protect them. And
he will! He does!
But the world, as a whole, is cut
off from God. The world does not
practice God's way of life and
teachings in the Bible. Therefore,
God keeps hands off this world and
stays out of the lives of those who
reject him and his teaéhings, just as
he's done for the nearly
6 ,000
years
of human history.
Because of it, the world in gener–
al is having to learn a lesson- the
painful lesson of what happens
when the human race is cut off
from God's protection, guidance
and contact. That's why there are
so many heartrending personal and
world ills! That's why there is so
much suffering!
Even the Rlghteous Suffer
Our world is on a course of life
contrary to God's wholesome way
of living. All humanity is suffering,
including those who decide to
choose correctly and live God' s
way. All of us affect each other.
Others' mistakes and actions can
and often do hurt. Others' selfish–
ness and inconsideration, sorne–
times outright disrespect , persecu–
tion and hatred, cause pain. And
often they are not another's actions,
but our own .
The poet-musician Asaph men–
tioned how saddened and bewildered
he became after noting those living
contrary to God seemed to prosper
and get ahead. They scoffed at the
idea that God even took note of their
self-centered conduct. Their money,
they thought , could buy them any–
thing (Ps.
73: 1-15).
Said Asaph: "But as for me, my
feet were almost gone; my steps
had well nigh slipped. For
I
was
envious at the foolish, when
1
saw
the prosperity of the wicked" (Ps.
73:2-3).
It
was a tria! for him.
"When
1
thought to know this [un–
derstand it]," he said, " it was too
painful for me" (verse
16) .
But when Asaph considered the
end of it all, he knew better than to
14
be envious of wrongdoers: "Until 1
went into the sanctuary of God;
then understood
1
their end" (verse
17).
Once Asaph got his mind back
in gear and on God' s truth, he
remembered we humans eventually
are responsible to God for what we
do in this life- and we are eternaJly
rewarded accordingly.
Says God in Scripture: "Be not
deceived; God is not mocked: for
whatsoever aman soweth, that shall
he also reap. For he that soweth to
his ftesh shall of the ftesh reap cor–
ruption; but he that soweth to the
Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life
everlasting" (Gal.
6:7-8).
God has aJlowed even those who
serve him to suffer the world' s
hatred and persecution since the
very first murder of Abe) by his
brother Caín. Says the Creator God
of those who chose to live the way
of joy and giving that God set in
motion:
"And others were tortured, not
accepting deliverance; that they
might obtain a better resurrection:
and others had tria! of cruel mock–
ings and scourgings, yea, moreover
of bonds and imprisonment: they
were stoned, they were sawn asun–
der, were tempted, were slain with
the sword: they wandered about in
sheepskins and goatskins; being
destitute, afllicted, tormented; (of
whom the world was not worthy:)
they wandered in deserts, and in
mountains, and in dens and caves of
the earth" (Heb.
11 :35-38).
Jesus Christ himself suffered.
People of bis day tried to kili him
more than once. He was accused
and maligned, spit upon, slapped in
the face, beaten unmercifully and
cruelly crucified.
And so God makes it plain to
even those choosing right, not to
think it strange when difficult trials
strike, causing suffering: "Beloved,
think it not strange concerning the
fiery tria! which is to try you, as
though sorne s trange thing hap–
pened unto you: but rejoice, inas–
much as ye are partakers of
Christ's sufferings; that, when his
glory shall be revealed, ye may be
glad also with exceeding joy"
(1
Pet.
4:12-13).
But he adds this to make sure
that any suffering isn't from break–
ing his law but from seeking to do
his will: " But Jet none of you suffer
as a murderer, oras a thief, oras an
evildoer, or as a busybody in other
men's matters. Yet if any man suf–
fer as a Christian, let him not be
ashamed; but Jet him glorify God
on this behatr• (verses
15-16) .
Why does God let the righteous
suffer? Because it gives absolute
proof where their loyalty is, and it
aJlows those so tested to build godly
character that will last for all eter–
nity-character that continues on
into eterna! life when Christ
returns to reward individuals who
serve him. "And, behold," says
Jesus,
"I
come quickly; and my
reward is with me, to give every
man according as his work shall
be. . . . Blessed are they that do his
commandments, that they may
have right to the tree of life ... "
(Rev.
22:12, 14).
God is Falr and Just
And the beauty of God's way is
that all who have ever lived or ever
will live will have an opportunity to
choose right and have "right to the
tree of Ji fe."
Kristen's parents can take heart.
All of you who have lost a loved one
can take heart. Little Kristen will
live again by a resurrection! All
who have ever lived and died in
ignorance of God's way of life, or
ever will live will be given their
opportunity to live a normal, right
way of life.
God is righteous! God is just! He
is merciful! These thousands of mil–
lions of people, including little Kris–
ten and other small children who did
not know God and did not have the
opportunity to understand and
choose his way of life, will have their
opportunity in a resurrection de–
scribed by John in Revelation
20:12:
"And
I
saw the dead, small and
great, s tand before God; and the
books were opened [books of the
Bible revealing the right way to
live]; and another book was opened,
which is the book of life: and the
dead were judged out of those
things which were written in tbe
books, according to their works."
How fair! They will live again!
They will be taught Bible truth on
how to live, and then be given an
opportunity to live God's way.
What comforting words for all of
us! o
The
PLAIN TRUTH