Church Fathers V3 - Fr George Grube - Saint Mina Coptic Orthodox ...

operated in this way He would become nothing but a genie in a magic lamp,
granting wishes here and there, willy-nilly, with no plan or purpose. Instead
what God will grant us is enough grace to lead our lives in a good and moral
way, so that eventually we will gain eternal life with Him. If we seek Him in
prayer, we will find Him by acknowledging our deep dependence on His
goodness - although we may not know the ways in which He will act to save us!
And sometimes God may act in direct opposition to our wishes, simply because
it is the best way for us - even though our finite minds will not recognize His
goodness in this regard. The old adage, “God writes straight with crooked lines!”
still stands true.
If you are suffering it may not be the result of something you did, but simply
the way this world is. The real gift from God, the way He answers prayers, is to
believe this as His will and not question His Divine Wisdom. Everyone suffers,
some a little, some a great deal. The thing we can do is to accept our suffering
with patience and grace. The more we suffer and continue talking with God in
faith, the greater will be our reward. Therefore, you must know that suffering is
never in vain and is always a prelude to something better, something glorious
and true.
Seek help from people who might assist you, understand that God does not
deal in magical solutions, and do not lose faith in Him, even though you may
not appreciate the cross He has sent you. It’s OK to be disappointed, and want
things to get better, however it's not OK to turn away from God because you
think He is not granting your immediate needs.
WRITINGS OF THE FATHERS:
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+ No person on this earth is able to avoid affliction; and although the afflictions
which the Lord sends us are not great, men imagine them beyond their strength
and are sometimes crushed by them. The reason for this is that they will not
humble their souls and commit themselves to the will of God. But the Lord
Himself gives His grace to those who submit to His will. They will endure all
things with fortitude for the sake of God whom they love, and with whom they
wish to be glorified forever. It is impossible to escape tribulation in this world but
the man who gives himself over to the will of God bears all tribulation easily,
viewing it as putting trust in their Lord, and so the tribulation passes.
- Archimandrite Sophrony
+ Living this life, let us be carefully on guard and “with all watchfulness, keep
our heart” (Proverbs 4:23). For we have enemies, powerful and crafty - the
wicked demons, and it is against these that we wrestle.
- St. Anthony of Egypt
- 138 -