Covenanter Witness Vol. 55 - Rparchives.org

ighteous"sins"eyes"TribulationIn the world ye shall have tribulation" (John16 :33)."Many are the afflictions of the(Psalm 34:19). "Man is born unto trouble, as theupward"sparks fly (Job 5:7).Young and old, rich and poor, good and bad, allsuffer tribulation. It is God's will. It is good forus. "Joint-heirs with Christ ; if so be that we sufferwith Him" (Romans 8:17).What is tribulation? It is interesting to notethe derivation of the term. The word comes fromthe Latin, in which language a tribulum meant aheavy wooden sledge that was used in threshinggrain. The grain was spread upon the hard floor.Oxen dragged the heavy tribulum back and forthover the straw. This forced the precious grain fromits hiding place in the husk. If the stalk could feel,how hard must have been the process !But only socould the best in the stalk be brought forth.What does the word mean as applied to ourlives? It stands for the toil, the pain, the temptations, the disappointments that come to every earnest soul in the discipline of life. The more consecrated, the more cultured, the greater the tribulation. Jesus the Christ suffered more exquisitely bothphysically andmentally than any man can possiblysuffer. Why? Because of His higher nature.The beast in his stall, with plenty of food, hasno tribulation. The spiritual being called Christianman, with physical and mental endowments passingandcomprehension, suffers intensely in meetingsolving his problems.Why does tribulation come? Because it isneeded to bring out the best that is in us. True itcomes because of sin, but since we are sinners it isso arranged that our tribulations shall be overruled for our good. What man might have beenand how he could have enjoyed Heaven had he notfallen, we can only speculate. But we know that theman who is patient under tribulation reveals beauties of faith and service that are most glorious inthe realm of mind and spirit. As man is now constituted, tribulation is a blessing.What are the uses of tribulation?It makesman humble. It sends him to the source of all power.Many a foolish scoffer cries, "God help me !" in timeof sudden distress.It makes man useful. Having suffered and toiled, man knows how to sympathize with and howto help his fellow man.It makes man Christlike. "It doth not yet appearwhat we shall be : but we know that, when He shallappear, we shall be like Him" (I John 3:2).The tribulations of the sinner are to lead himto repentance. The tribulations of the righteous areto develop within him the Christian graces and tofit him to enjoy Heaven.WHAT TEEN-AGERS Continued from page 422them. Think what an increasingly good effect therewould be for the motoring public if there could beachieved the teen-agers' goal of driving instructionfor all potential young motorists. Ultimately, trafficover the nation's roads and streets would be almostwholly under the control of trained drivers with aresultant rise in safety for all.The above copy is supplied by the EvangelicalPress Association.December 28, 1955"Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down,and the feeble knees" (Hebrews 12:12)."I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which noman could number, of all nations, and kindreds, andpeople, andtongues,stood before the throne, andbefore the Lamb, clothed with white robes, andpalms in their hands .... These are they which cameout of great tribulation . . . the Lamb which is in theand shall leadmidst of the throne shall feed them,them unto living fountains of waters : and God shallwipe away all tears from their (Revelation 7 :.9-17) Lutheran Observer.God's Cure for Waste and WantBy Rev. George S. LauderdaleThe man is happywho strives to waste nothing. Idleness takes the time of many persons, andfoolish things their money; there are others whoare busy always and quite thrifty but are greatwasters nevertheless, their time being spent in unessential things.What is important? The Bible answers thatthe souls of men are important: "Let him know,that he which converteth the sinner from the errorof his ways shall save a soul from death, and shallhide a multitude of(James 5:20). Souls appeared so valuable to the Lord Jesus Christ thatHe left heaven, became man, suffered, and died toredeem them from sin and hell.Your life is free from waste in proportion toyour efforts to glorify Jesus Christ by winningsouls to Him. Certain church workers report thatthey feel like they are getting nothing done thoughthey attend meetings nearly every night in theweek. If they are doing little or no concerted praying,giving, studying, sending and going on behalf ofworld missions, they should feel that way!Where Wasting StartsGod would have no one suffer from want, andHe decrees that those who have,share their blessings. All who disobey Him are wasters. Fellow Christian, there is a fixed amount of money requiredto feed and clothe us, and of course, our heavenlyFather knows exactly that amount, and has it for us.He would be a poor father, if He did not! If wespend more on ourselves than we need, we grieveGod and deprive others of the gospel.Every minute of time and every small piece ofmoney which we selfishly clutch or misappropriatereally does us no good, nor anybody else. Does yourautomobile (s), flashy jewelry, and extravagantautomobile (s), flashy jewelry, and extravagantclothing? Advertising your selfishness does not pay!Infinite good comes from investing your time andtreasure in Christ's work of evangelizing the nations.How to RepentIf you have been a waster and want to do (better, pray, asking God to show you where the dividing line is in your affairs between necessities andluxuries. Ask Him to show you how much time each.task in your daily round really requires and for thegrace of concentration that you will finish in that(Continued on page 426)423