August 5 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Hebrews 12:1-13:

¹Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
²Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
³For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
⁴Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
⁵And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
⁶For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
⁷If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
⁸But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
⁹Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
¹⁰For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
¹¹Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
¹²Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
¹³And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

Devotional

There are two kinds of suffering, or perhaps we should say, two kinds of sufferers. A man may suffer as an evil doer, or a man may suffer as a Christian. We are concerned now with the sufferings of Christians. All Christians must suffer, some more and some less. And the question has often been asked, Why? why should a Christian suffer? We may not be able fully to explain the problem of suffering; but the Bible makes it clear, that God has an all wise purpose, when He sends suffering upon us. It is very clear that there is a relationship between the suffering of the present time and the glory that shall be revealed in the future. Paul, who suf­fered a great deal, said, "Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." We cannot attain unto this glory without suffering. We are God's children and heirs with Christ, "if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." Our sufferings are insignificant in comparison with the greatness of the glory. As our text says, "I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." So if we must pass through trials and tribulations, and endure the chastening of the Lord, may we rejoice, "inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy."

Prayer

Our Father, we thank Thee that we know that Thou dost control our lives; that things do not come to us by chance, but out of Thy fatherly hand. Thou dost not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men; but Thou dost chasten them, whom Thou lovest, and Thy chastening is for our profit. May we there­fore humble ourselves under Thy mighty hand, and Thou wilt exalt us in due time. May we cast all our care upon Thee, for Thou carest for us. Pardon our sins. For Jesus' sake. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: I Pet. 4:15, 16; 2 Cor. 4:17; Rom. 8:17; 1 Pet. 4:13.

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