The Pain and Pleasure of Learning

If I knew what my moments, days, months and years would have consisted of, would I have willingly faced them? Would I be willing to relive those same time frames with all the lessons given and learned, wounds received and inflicted?

I have had the luxury of reading several Lamplighter Publishing Rare Collector Series books this week. They are beautiful books from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries that portray Godliness and the beauty of Biblical character qualities couched in the loveliest stories. More than once, the parallels of my days have corresponded amazingly with these books.

While reading "Joel...a boy of Galilee", I was given a new peer perspective of the life of Christ. All these scriptures pooled together in an instantly new, spider webbed understanding as I filtered it through my own recent events.

• Christ came at the 'appointed' time. He did not drag His feet despite knowing the pain He would endure.
• He humbled Himself every moment.
• He never explained Himself or tried to defend Himself. He just praised GOD, spoke from the Bible while being a living example.
• He asked once for relief, for GOD to take the cup from Him, but then asked for GOD's will to be done, not His own.

How often have I come up against a struggle or pain in my life and asked GOD to please remove it!? I cannot count how many times I have lived this scenario. Life is painful at times....but it is nothing in comparison to what Jesus chose to endure. If we are to be like Christ, then we should expect nothing less than what He experienced.

Hebrews12:1-7
Jesus, the Example


1Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
4You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin;
5and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,
"MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD,
NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM;
6FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES,
AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES."
7It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?

Here is the closing paragraph from Lamplighter's "Sweet Revenge" which has become a dear prayer:

     'And Martin Hope is going his way unnoticed except by the One Who takes note of all that is done for His sake. The people of Brentwich love him because he is the best friend they have when their poor bodies are overtaken by pain and weakness. Foxy loves him in return for the unwavering devotion which he has ever shown as a friend; but no one thinks of making any sort of fuss over him, and he never expects or wants it. He pursues his way, doing 'whatsoever his hand findeth to do with his might', and leaving the results in the hands of Him who never forgets the humblest service that is rendered to Him, and in His name.'