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And now, here's today's Truth Talk Live host. Today is August 18th or 818. And so we're here with Doctor Date the word Carson today and thinking about Romans eight eighteen. And the question that we would love for you to call in at 866-348-7884 is. How did gods?
Glory. Yeah. How did his glory in you eclipse your suffering? When you think about it, horrible situation he went through. But somehow or another God's glory eclipsed That, what did that look like in your life?
866348788486634 Truth to read Romans 8:18. It says, For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory. which shall be revealed. Yeah. And you know, there's many that know my story, obviously many times Yeah.
I saw God's glory. spectacularly through the worst of situations. is there's an angle of it that you only get through suffering. And as you see it, It bursts of faith in you. that you know that you know.
A, he's there, it's real. He doesn't gonna let you go. You know, there's a God hug for you. I promise. Doc, it's 8:18.
Yeah. And it always brings me to Romans 8:18. It's been bringing me here for years since I've been doing Date the Word. Before Date the Word was verse for the date, and um. There are other 18 verses.
But every time, it's always you need to meditate today on Romans 8, 18, because suffering is real. The saint is going to suffer. It's part of God's plan in our development. I preached a sermon years ago at Liberty entitled God Uses I just wish he didn't. And then What are the things God uses That I wish he didn't, and one of the points was he uses suffering.
And that that suffering can be physical. It can be emotional. We do talk about the components of our physical life dealing with suffering, but there's also the persecution that comes. And we don't, you know, sometimes it's very hard to even come close to comparing what many of our brothers and sisters around the world are dealing with right now. Their suffering is not so much a physical, they got a diagnosis that they have to deal with.
They are being beaten and harmed because they name the name of Christ.
So that's a type of suffering. But when it's taking place, Okay. Paul and Peter both bring out. There is a glory that br God brings forth. He does things with our suffering for us and for others.
That would never have happened if it wasn't for the suffering we're going through.
So how about you? eight six six three four eight 78848663487884. How did God's glory in you eclipse God's glory? Yeah Suffering, you know, and you think about characters from the Bible. Maybe you want to call in with somebody you thought, you know, like, man, you just take the guy who wrote the verse, okay?
Yes. He had a little bit of suffering. You know, a little bit. But oh my goodness, did God's glory eclipse all that for all of us, for all time? Yeah.
Yeah. When he writes about the things that he endured. And um And yet Yeah. I mean, I don't know, there's so many stories out there on Paul, but just think he's in that Philippian jail having been beaten and he's praising God, and all of a sudden he's got a question: what must I do to be saved?
Well, how did that happen? Because of suffering. Amen. We got Rachel is in Greenville, Ohio. How about you?
866-348-7884. Rachel, you're on True Talk Live. Thank you so much for calling. Uh Yeah, thanks for having people call in.
So what have you got? What are you thinking? Yeah. Um so I try to look at everything now as lessons versus suffering. Not that I don't get down sometimes in the middle of it, but at this point, I know the suffering is character building.
Um so I don't necessarily Even think of it as suffering anymore. I say thank you because there's always growth from suffering. There's always growth from pain. There's growth from havoc. There's growth from all of it and it it gives depth to your soul.
Um it's it's never age brings wisdom. It it's pain. It really is. And you get to a certain point where you go through so much stuff and you're just grateful because you have the right mindset. And if you have the right mindset of God's teachings, Heaven is on earth, right?
Because no matter what comes your way, you are grateful, you are thankful. I've never been crucified on a cross. I have never been. I can't even talk about it. I've never had the things.
Even close done to me that what our Lord went through for all of us to save us. And I'm I just can't be anything but grateful. Oh. Um Rachel, you dropped a nugget. of wisdom that I got to go back to.
Age doesn't bring wisdom. Pain brings wisdom. Wow. Oh, wow. Listeners, that was worth tuning into for today's show.
My goodness, I'm going to be meditating on that for quite a while. That was good. Thank you for sharing that. Yeah, of course.
Well, it's all God. Everything is God. Everything good is God. Um even when it's bad. The good parts are God.
The bad parts may be the devil, but God will allow it, you know, just like He. Wow. He let certain stories in the Bible where he wouldn't change their heart because he wanted people to go to him. He wanted that pain and suffering to happen so they would go even deeper to him with a bigger heart and more love and more understanding and more comprehension of his lessons and his teachings and how we're supposed to be, and pain does that. Amen.
Amen. And Job himself, right? That's what I was thinking of. That. You know, ha talk about having to go deep and You know, then the just the glory of actually knowing God.
Yeah. And how deep you know, God sent Um a lot There's so many times when you think about how God is at work, and He's working in us. that we might know him. But there's also he's working in us that we might make him known. And that's the Philippians component where Paul says the things that have happened to me have happened for the furtherance of the gospel.
So he's looking at these circumstances where everybody else is going, this is not right. You should not be going through this. I can't believe a Christian has to face this. And he's like, this is how God's cutting a path for me to share the gospel right now. And so sometimes it's a joke.
We're not on this earth to do anything but have our character tested from Are we going to go to heaven? Are we going to go to hell?
So, how will your character be tested? And my character has now learned that if you listen to God, you have heaven on earth already. You're already in heaven because you're giving what he's telling you.
So, you can be at peace. We got to go to a break, Rachel. I'm sorry. But I know you're listening. You are thinking 866-348-7884.
Give us a call. Rachel, can you stay on with us? Yeah, absolutely. That'd be wonderful. We'll be right back.
You're listening to the Truth Network and TruthNetwork.com. It is 8.18 in Romans 8.18. A corner doctor date the word Carson. All it lines up. For I consider that the suffering of this present time.
sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. And so in your own life, how did God's glory in you eclipse your suffering. We would love to hear. Really love to hear your thoughts, your story, what what sh what might come to your mind. 866 the number to call, eight six six three four eight 7884.
And we still have Rachel with us. We also have Miss Jay's going to be on a minute. But, Rachel, I sensed from Your words that pain brings wisdom, that you might have experienced some. And was it there anything in that that you might be willing to share? Um Man, um, I think that some people are built for extra pain For God, not necessarily extra pain, but it turns out to be extra joy if you get your mind right and you comprehend His lessons and His love for you.
Um but I can tell you that Through all the suffering, what pulled me out and what saved me was not. doctors or antidepressants or anything else. It was these people that prayed over me. And something happened to my heart that day. I'd never seen anyone pray like that in my life with such belief that God was capable of anything and He could do anything and He could heal anyone.
And something happened to me that day and um I just Enjoy him and I soak him up. And the Trinity is so very real, especially the Holy Spirit on this earth. Um now I spend mornings going out and watching the sunrise and I talk to him and read my Bible and I enjoy his skies because he in the he's in the clouds at day and the fire at night. And he's always there. And he's waiting for people to see him because he's just always there.
Um so once I realized he was always there, um I felt just this unconditional love that is very healing. And I just love him so much and I'm so grateful for his love and him pulling me out of Everything. And we are so grateful that you uh Experience that as well as you had the courage to call and share because I can imagine there are so many that were blessed. Uh with your testimony and is kind of fascinating that um You know, I was saying to Doc, because my own testimony, I have a few issues, and I said, you know, at some point you do consider it pure joy. Yeah.
You do, and you consider yourself tolerant, and God made me tolerant, and anything good in me, and anything, any wisdom I have. It's all him. Like, we are nothing. And I'm okay with that. And I don't care.
I know everything good in me is him. And people say, you, you. Do you sleep extra at night or what is it? Like it's this ray of light and He puts it in you. If you let 'em.
And if you see them and if you notice them in that light, once you have it. Um It's a halo. It really is. It really, really is. But he definitely blessed me.
So, all that suffering, I'm extremely blessed. Oh, thank you, Rachel, so much. God bless you. You have an amazing, amazing day. We're so grateful for your call.
And Doug is amazing. Absolutely. Thank you. God bless. Bye-bye.
All right, we got Miss Jay. We've had a little phone issue, but we got her. Miss Jay, you're on True Talk Live. Hey, Brother Robbie, how are you? I am wonderful.
I want to remind everybody, though, to call in with your idea: 866-348-7884. But go ahead, Miss Jay. Our minds happen through the the suffering of a domestic violence. Husband that tried to take my life and kill me, and I survived it fighting with him literally. With my grandchildren in the back seat.
And after I survived that, it was such a brokenheartedness. that took place that I didn't want to live Didn't want to kill myself naturally, but the will to keep going on. And I just oh man, I just must have laid around for months and then The warmth of that came over me. And um And I felt his warmth and I felt his hug and He said, I was going to have to trust him, and that was going to be my strength in him. And that also is going to be my joy.
And so that wisdom came from there. And then he said, because of what you're going through, it's going to help other women too. That time he had shown me a vision of, um Winning Was matted down in the first I saw a pup of smoke, but after that he told me. And then I started with animals and bulls running through. And then when it cleared up, he told me to look down.
And there were women Well, there were bodies that was matted down in the ground. And he told me to reach my hand out. And when I reached my hand out, somebody grabbed my arm. And it shocked me, but it was a woman. And then someone grabbed my other arm.
And I was like, and he said, you're going to be reaching the brokenhearted. met that people that've been broken in the church. He said, just like your heart's been broken from your husband. He said, these are their hearts have been broken from the church. that they believed in at that time.
And then I did start a woman's ministry called Sisterseed Restoration. And um I also sister Sister C restoration. C uh like S E E? Oh, seed sister seed. The seed restoration.
I started it in my home and had four women in there, and some other things transpired with me. I started having accidents, and I wasn't able to keep it open, but He recently told me that those are going to be refreshed and reused and started over again. But because the building wasn't there, I wasn't even going to have the house building anymore. I still do it. When if I see them on the street or just talk to women just to encourage them.
Yeah, it's just a matter of comforting others for the comfort you were comforted with, isn't it? Yes, exactly.
So, but I do know that God's going to allow me to have a building where women are going to be able to come together and grow. you know, um, t and get over that brokenheartedness.
So that was my clip from that.
So yeah, well I am I man, I mean, uh, there's no way I can really You know, comprehend, kind of, but nonetheless, you know, God showed up in the midst of that. Horror, when you said you laid around depressed, W was your husband still in the picture at that point in time? Um no, he had went he had went to jail. He was in jail at that time. From trying to take my life.
And um, I I just was in great despair. And it feels like there was no more hope. And I couldn't go to the church where we were going because it was my husband's church at the time. And so I was trying to find a new church myself. You know, so I was sitting out in the parking lot just trying to figure out what I was going to do.
And I was way, and New Jersey is my hometown, but I was here in Greensville. And then I was sitting in this church parking lot. And I said, I'm just going to have to probably just go back to New Jersey. But God turned everything around, sitting in that parking lot. Um he had me look up And it had a woman's program that was going on.
It said Uh it was um A beautiful A Beautiful Life, that's what the name of it was. And they were doing a women's conference that weekend told me to call that number. And when I did, the woman sent that over that was over the whole program, she answered the phone and I told her what was going on and she said she met me out in the parking lot and she took me in and I stayed for that women's conference that whole weekend. And and things turned around for me. It's like that.
That's awesome. God to the rescue, as always, in his glory eclipsed our suffering. Thank you, Ms. Jay. As always, It's wonderful to hear more of your story.
And I'm so grateful for your courage to call in and share that today. You have an amazing week. Yeah. Thank you. Bye-bye.
Doc? It's 8.18. Yeah. And Ms. Jay said, God brings us to a place where we have to trust him.
And for me, 818 has a little bit of a. Today is being a a a milestone. Ten years ago, 818 was the day after hearing news that you don't want to ever hear. when a doctor said, You have cancer. And um I had been challenged back in my days at Liberty as a student by a professor.
For some reason today, I've not been able to recall which professor it was, but he told me to memorize 10 Psalms. And I memorized Psalms 56, and Psalms 56, 3 says, When I am afraid, I will trust in you. Suffering leads us to trust God. I love it. I love it.
How about you? We would love to hear from you: 866-348-7884. 866-34 Truth. Um You're listening to the Truth Network and TruthNetwork.com. It is.
8-18. Or September 18th, which means, yeah, ooze. That would be 9-18th. We just spent time on September. Yeah, we did.
Getting ready for date the word daily moments. Oh, I'm suffering because I don't know what month it is anyway. Romans 8:18 says, For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be. Revealed. will be.
It will be revealed in us. And so, as you experience these things and You know, we we Emotional suffering is a great deal worse. than physical suffering. Right. And It depends on your situation.
And maybe I shouldn't say that just so because I know that there's some horrible physical suffering that goes on. But in my. own experience and I've had some horrible physical suffering. Um The the emotional ones Wow. But there are three responses, are there not, Doc?
When you are faced with this suffering and When trials come, when suffering comes, we have to make decisions. That's where this verse begins: for I consider. And so as I'm considering what I'm facing right now, in relationship to God. Uh do I turn To God? Or do I turn on God?
Or do I turn away from God? And I've seen these responses where as these tragedies come, people will turn on God. They get so angry with God, so mad at God. The ones that I've seen, and I'm wondering if you've experienced the same thing. People that lost somebody very close to them, I know of one individual, I won't use his name, but he lost his father at a fairly young age.
Not You know, he was a adult, but I mean, oh my goodness. To say he turned on God would be an understatement. I mean, he was. He was in a tirade over it, but No, how about you? 866-348-7884.
Go ahead, Donna. Your friend. It's experiencing bereavement. That's different than grief. Bereavement means to be robbed.
Uh Jacob said In Genesis 42, that God had bereaved him of his family. He had lost Rachel, he lost Joseph, he was going to lose Simeon, and he goes, You have bereaved me, you have robbed me. When someone robs you, you get angry. Right. And so you can end up turning on God, and then people will turn away from God.
If that's the way God's going to treat me, if He's going to allow this, I'm going to just walk away from Him.
Well, the thing is, Job had that opportunity to walk away from God when His whole world came crashing down. The worst experience that I mean, anybody could ever, just one calamity after another, and yet he said, though he slay me, I will worship him.
So we have to make choices. Are we going to turn on God? Are we going to turn away from God? Are we going to turn to God? And what Paul is saying to us, consider these sufferings.
God's going to take this and use it. And as you said a little while ago, we're only 10 verses away from Romans 8, 28, where God... He's going to use all things for good to those who love him. And as we come to him, he's going to take these situations, again, open doors. For sharing the gospel, making himself known.
The disciples, one day, were on a boat, and all of a sudden there's a storm like you wouldn't believe. These guys who were professional fishermen, they knew how to navigate a storm or scare it to death, and all of a sudden they find themselves going, We are scared to death in your sleeping. Wake up, save us. And then he said, Peace be still. in a storm just like that, and all of a sudden they were astonished and who he was.
They learned who could this be?
Well, God uses suffering so that we can get to know him, but also so we can make him known.
So turn to him.
Well, we got TTL Mike.
Some people call him Mark. Excuse me, Mike TTL. We can go either way. Mike, you're on True Talk Live. They're in Dayton, Ohio.
What have you got for us? A lot of people Don't have great suffering. You know what I mean? Um They have day to day software? And sometimes that can just build up on you.
You know what I mean? Oh, yeah. The co-worker yeah, the co-worker at work. He just doesn't want to talk to you. He just wants to be mean to you.
You know what I mean? And then You have to call the bank because the bank doesn't want to talk to you. It what does one does some stuff and then You know, you're the insurance company? Yeah. Yeah, the insurance company is a bank.
You get this person on the other end of the phone that doesn't speak English or a computer that, you know, yeah. And um, and you feel like you know, the world's against you, you know what I mean? I know exactly what you mean. Yeah and then Then all of a sudden, you're talking to the bank person, and the bank person opens up to me and says, Oh, my mother just passed away. And Uh it's been it was really hard.
And you get to minister to that person over the phone because you're talking to them about a bank problem that you had. And then now you get to talk to them about a problem that you already went through and you understand what they're feeling like. And you can say, that's why we have our hope in Jesus, that we can get to heaven some day and meet them in the sky, you know, and meet them there. Right, a divine appointment. You thought that, oh my gosh, I've got to talk to the bank again.
Like the last thing in the world you want to really do, and then all of a sudden. Oh, well, there was a reason for that, and here's this moment. Mm-hmm. That's beautiful, Mike. I love it.
And just for your enjoyment, because you happen to be on the phone with us, and you have an old friend that's sitting in the studio with us, and we've not. Heard from him yet because he just came in. Bill Hitchcock from your boot camp experience. Do you remember Bill? Yes, I do.
Well, Bill, this is your moment. Say hi, Mike. Hi, Mike. How's it going? Hi, Mike.
See, it looks like he was suffering just to be on the radio. He does. Bill's kind of, oh, I'm not sure I want to be doing this. But, Bill, you look good on radio. Oh, yeah, I know.
Yeah. 100%.
So, yeah, we had his basketball journey boot camp last fall, and both Bill and Mike were there. Really, really fun times. Hopefully, not too much suffering. They had to eat my food. Oh.
I had to work in the kitchen with Robbie. That's enough for anyone suffering.
Well, we have been forewarned. Yes, you have.
So in the meantime, anybody that actually wants to speak to the topic, we would love to hear from if not that we're that Mike did, Mike obviously did. 866-348-7884. 866-348-7884. Mike, it's an opportunity we all get, right?
Well Consider. I think we yeah, I think sometimes if we wallow in our own sorrows or our own or driving to work, we get a flat tire. it sometimes it's an opportunity that somebody stops by and helps you change that tire, you might have an opportunity to speak to them. You know what I mean? Oh, I remember one time Mike you you may know that I was a car dealer for many years.
And if you're a car dealer for whatever reason The employees feel like whatever's on your car can be theirs, you know? And so. I was on my way home one night in the company truck. And I got a flat tire and I went to, and it was raining just to make it extra fun and it's dark. And I reach under the back of my truck like you would expect to find a spare tire there, but somebody thought that they needed that for a customer or something.
And so I'm standing there in the pouring rain, bewildered at the fact that I have no spare tire. And, you know, I'm just like, oh my goodness. And just like you said, Mike. I have often thought it was an angel because the timing could not have been any better. The guy was from out of town, probably never could not have been nicer.
Do you need a ride? How do you know? Like, how did you know I needed a ride? You know, it was just. And he was just and he took me.
It it was just I've never forgotten it and I never will. Um Because I didn't have my thumb out. I wasn't doing anything that would indicate that somebody needed to pull up here and. But there it was. Just like on cle on c on cued.
Thank you, Mike. I need to remember that. That was a nice cue, Mike. Thank you. God bless.
God bless. You know, I. Yeah, I think a lot of times we just get We lose the communication with God. And I think that's a lot of times that what God wants us to do. is continually in our Little sorrows, what we think, oh, the grass is too tall.
Well, how about spending a little bit of time cutting the grass with God? You know what I mean? And And Just learning to Acknowledge him in all your ways and not just some of them. You know what I mean? And And then you'll be surprised what God does with your life and how much relationship you'll have with Him.
Amen. And how much He loves you, you know? Um you'll be surprised at how much he just cares for you. You know what I mean? I do.
And uh. And and the devil just wants to tell you that You're you he doesn't care for you. Look, he got you got a flat tire. You know what I mean? So or your grass is so long that it hasn't stopped raining for seven days, you know what I mean?
So and now you gotta bale the grass.
Well, there you go.
Well, thank you, Mike. You have a great week. God bless you, my friend. Bye-bye. 866-348-7884-866 three four eight seven eight eight four The question is, how did God's glory eclipse Your suffering.
So, Bill, you're in that studio, and I told you I was going to ask you this.
So, now here's your opportunity. You got to get close to the mic, though, to tell you. You're trying to run away. I know. We've noticed.
Yeah. Yeah. Oh, you're waiting for me to respond. Um Well, I've struggled somewhat with this as far as Uh the joy in your suffering kind of I I remember reading that verse thinking How is this even humanly possible? But uh You know, I worked very hard at a before Christ BC.
to throw my marriage away. And um Basically, we got invited to church as a last resort, and my wife looked at me And said, we might as well go. What do we got to lose? Because our marriage was so bad at that point. And all right, we get to get suffering through marriage here when we're on the other side of the break.
Which I can hardly wait to hear the rest of this one. 866, what's your story? 866-348-7884. How did God glory? Eclipse your suffering.
You're listening to the Truth Network and TruthNetwork.com. Welcome back to True Talk Live. It is August the 18th or 818. Which you know has to do with Romans 8:18. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed.
In us. And so, how did God's glory eclipse your suffering? That's what we're talking about. We would love. Your story, your insight, or Maybe a Bible character that you saw this happen just inspired you.
866, the number to call in 866-348-7884-866-34 Truth. When we left our hero, Bill Hitchcock. Hero. He's our hero. He was.
Going from heathen heathenism And suffering in marriage to wait till you hear this, man. I know a little bit of this story. Um God is good, right? We're going to see an eclipse here any minute.
So go ahead, Bill. Yeah, as I said before. Basically, our marriage was in the gutter and uh So we got invited to church, and a real God thing, we had three different people invite us on the same day on a Saturday. within about a four hour period, three completely different people that did not know each other. and got invited to church.
So, No, three different churches. And so, which door did you pick? Number one, number two. Yeah, well, the wife picked and basically said, We've got nothing to lose, let's go. And uh The pastor got me the first service.
I mean The next weekend I was up out of bed. And my wife's like, where are you going? And I said, I got to hear that guy talk one more time. And God got me. um repented from my wayward ways.
I I never cheated on my wife, but Man, I I did it in my head. I mean, there's no doubt about it. I mean, and For any man out there who's who's in that affair mode. It happens long before in your head, before it happens physically.
So So anyway, um After we got going to church and we both ended up saved and And uh where did you live at the time? Was that in Sharon? Cannapolis. Cannapolis, yeah. And then my wife's mother passed away suddenly, completely unexpected.
and my wife was very bitter for years. And so I watched her suffer with that. And then we started to grow in Christ. And We got the diagnosis like You had said earlier the C word, so Um As of right now, My wife is Ten years With stage four metastatic breast cancer. It's moved into her bones.
And as of Saturday we had she had a brain scan full body scan, full C T scans, pelvic chest, a stomach, everything you can think of got scanned, including her brain. and everything came back a hundred percent negative, nothing new.
So, praise God. If you talk about suffering and glory, there's two. Yeah. And I look back just Thinking How could she go through that alone? If I had had an affair 'cause she would have thrown me up.
There's no two ways. She's strong enough to have turfed me to the curb. She's that strong. I I mean, to deal with what she's dealt with, she's that strong.
So anyway, i I look back and I think only God could have kept it all glued together.
Well, another thing that I know, just 'cause I know you well, and Um That I think is part of God's glory that's eclipsed in that situation to know that. You know, you came to Christ later in life like I did. Right. And I guess I'll just say it this way: you pray over your wife in a beautiful way constantly, right? Yes.
Um. You know, when the Bible says lay hands and... You have to realize, and so many of us that go to church on a weekly basis. you have to realize you have the same power that raised Christ from the dead. You have that Holy Spirit power, and you can pray that over your spouse.
You know, people. Our they act hopeless when they hear the C word. And we've got testaments right here in this room of how God has victory over it. He truly does. The blood of Christ has victory over it.
So. Um It's incredible. The miracles that God can do if we've if we but you pray I mean, it's a beautiful thing to me. You don't just you didn't just pray once, you you pray all the time. I try to pray on a daily basis.
I may not lay hands on every time. But uh early on the first five years probably, yeah, every day laid hands. And You know, you have to, in my mind, it's like, well, God, I've said the same prayer over. I know you've heard me. And I just pray the blood of Christ over washer.
You know, by his stripes she's healed. And that's... Um Yeah, and I I I've I've You know, I just get to hear stuff like that and I marvel. And I and I also think Like, man. How good does that make her feel that her husband is...
Considering her Suffering and considering this situation, and what a picture of what God is doing. And because obviously, Christ is interceding for us constantly. you know, pretty cool that you can just rest assured that that's going on too. And it's a highly amazing thing.
Well, we just got a few more minutes for you to get in your story. Maybe this. Got something to you, we would love to hear it. We would love to fit you in. 866-348-7884.
866-348-7884. I think personally that that that that for me and You know, as recently as last March, you know, we had this accident. And I think most Everybody in the studio for certainly is aware of it. And God keeps... revealing to me his glory in things of that kind of suffering.
Of how much he loves us, but not only how much he loves us, but how much you. You're loved. I always had this feeling God wants me to know how much I'm loved. Like the outpouring of love from people in my church, from people at the radio, from listeners. No matter where I turned, my family...
Most of all. Like my kids, you know, two one daughter spent the night with my wife, then they would switch over my other daughter back and forth while we were in the hospital. Um and just surrounded by Uh engulfed with the love of people and the love of, um And so There's a line, and I wish I had the scripture right in front of me to share with you, but I think it's remarkable that when Naomi. Uh when Ruth is explaining to Naomi in the book of Ruth How she Was Gleaning with Boaz. She says And I'm going to paraphrase it because I don't have it right in front of me along the lines of.
I helped Boaz out by taking his bread. I did Boaz a favor by taking his bread. Right. And the picture of that is that when somebody Does that for you? you're actually doing them a favor because they get the blessing of helping you.
And so she was actually explaining to her mother-in-law that look here. And so when they came and built a wheelchair ramp on the back of my house, when I was in a wheelchair, Right. What my Sunday school teacher said to me, because I said, you know. I just can't believe y'all would do this to me. He says, Robbie, we would do it for so many other people, but they rob us of the blessing.
And so, what Ruth was saying is, I didn't rob Boaz of the blessing of giving me this bread. And so, when people are pouring their love out to us, when we are. Incapacitated in whatever sense, right? We literally rob them. If we don't.
give him an opportunity to share that.
Well Your suffering opens that door. for God to do a work in our lives, that we get to see Him. But it also opens that door for other people to use their spiritual gifts and I do think of that component of like the washing of feet. Um Is the humbling the person who's washing the feet, or is it the humbling the person who's having their feet washed? Exactly.
And and The first time I experienced it, I really didn't want someone washing my feet. And then I'm realizing. That's how I kind of feel on my spiritual journey when I'm dealing with a difficulty. I don't want. In And then I had a guy when I was dealing with a situation, a medical issue.
I'm at the hospital, he comes in. And we'd always joked around, but that day he came in and he said, Don't say a word. And he opened up his Bible and he read scripture. He then opened up a hymn book and he sang a song and then he prayed. I never knew.
that he had such a spiritual gift of mercy until that moment. because in that moment I needed it and the fact that I was quiet and let him do what God had equipped him to do. To this day, I'm in tears right now thinking about how my friend Ed just blessed me like because again, I was suffering, but it opened a door for him to use his spiritual gift. That's how God's glory works. Yeah, it's like Rachel said, right?
Pain brings wisdom. Pain brings wisdom. Right. she was so right, because we've each seen things that we just never would have seen. And experience things we never would have experienced.
And it makes James 1 appear to make sense. Consider it pure joy, right? And as you're going through it, if you're not making sense, he gives the request a request. L if you lack wisdom, ask.
So God, what's going on here? And it's not why am I going through this, but how can you use what I'm going through? Yes. Once again, Dr. Date the Word.
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