The Hard-Boiled Missionary

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking e put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

             ". . . all things work together for good to them that love God."  Romans  8:28

     A lady who had been suffering for a long time was visited by many friends seeking to comfort her with verses of Scripture.  One verse which was used most frequently was Romans 8:28.  Instead of being encouraged, she began to resent the verse repeated so monotonously by those who were well and healthy. They little realized that it is easy to quote these verses glibly and loosely, when not in the same situation.  It is not always easy to understand that our sufferings and trials and pain are for a purpose.  It takes great faith to appropriate it.  Let us be careful not to thoughtlessly quote Scriptures, for sometimes we cannot see God's purpose until later when the testing is past.

     Yet it is true, whether we realize it or not, that everything God permits to come into our lives must have a reason.  Whatever God sends up on us is necessary and for some good purpose which we shall understand afterward.

     A missionary was captured by cannibals.  "I suppose you intend to eat me?"  said the missionary, and the chief grunted his affirmation.  "Try a sample first, and see if you like it,"  said the missionary as he took his knife and cut a slab from the calf of his leg and handed it to him.  "Try this and see."  The chief took one bite and choked.  The missionary had a cork let.  The chief wanted no more of it and the missionary was spared. Years before, he had thought it a great misfortune to lose his leg and to wear an artificial one, but afterward it saved his life.  It worked out "for good."

"Bread For Life"