Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
You can spot them nearly every time: a special group of people who seem happy all the time, eyes sparkling, smiles at the ready, laughter comes easily. They were deeply loved in babyhood by father or mother (or both!). They are "endowed," even probably enjoying a prenatal warmth when mother-to-be was happy and secure. It's fairly easy for them to say, "Yes, I believe God loves me!" They go through life having a continual picnic; they don't walk, they dance their way through.
Solomon speaks of them in contrast with those not so endowed: "All the days of the afflicted are evil [wretched, NEB]: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast" (Prov. 15:15). The "afflicted" are those who lacked that warm, cuddly love in babyhood or childhood. They may have been orphans, or raised by an alcoholic or drug-addicted parent, or in a home poisoned by infidelity and divorce. It's no fault of their own that they are not richly endowed, and are "afflicted." Is it fair that the "ticket to heaven" seems to be a "faith" that comes naturally for lucky people? Or, forget heaven for a moment, that all their days" here have to be "wretched"? Don't jump to a conclusion too soon:
(1) While it is true that "faith" is the "ticket to heaven," faith is not easier for some than for others because "God hath dealt to every person the measure of faith" (Rom. 12:3). There is no such thing as "natural" faith. It must always be learned, received, imported, and exercised in fellowship with Christ.
(2) Let us assume that the Virgin Mary gave Him natural cuddly emotional warmth in His babyhood, still He was reared in an unbelieving family with all the liabilities anyone can have known in a hard childhood (compare Matt. 13:53-58; John 7:2-8; Psalm 69:7-11). He says He was "afflicted ... from My youth up" (Psalm 88:15). All the "natural" emotional warmth He may have had from childhood vanished as He hung on the cross; there He had to live entirely by faith based strictly on God's word.
(3) Your preparation to enjoy not only heaven but life here and now may possibly be even easier than for those richly endowed emotionally since childhood. Faith is not emotion; true happiness comes only from fellowship with Christ; and where is He to be found? "Preaching Good News to the poor; healing the broken-hearted; proclaiming deliverance to the captives; recovering sight for the blind; setting at liberty them that are bruised; proclaiming the justification-by-faith 'acceptance' of the Lord (see Luke 4:18, 19). Join Him, and let Him make you happy.
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: November 27, 1999.
Copyright © 2011 by Robert J. Wieland.
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
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Please forward these messages to your friends and encourage them to subscribe. The "Dial Daily Bread" Web site resides at: http://1888message.org/
To subscribe send an e-mail message with "subscribe" in the body of the message to: dailybread@1888message.org
------------------------------
Robert J. Wieland's inspirational "Dial Daily Bread" messages are availalbe via e-mail to anyone who wishes to receive a daily portion of uplifting Good News. "Dial Daily Bread" is FREE. Due to travel or other circumstances, there may be intervals when "Dial Daily Bread" will not be sent.
You can spot them nearly every time: a special group of people who seem happy all the time, eyes sparkling, smiles at the ready, laughter comes easily. They were deeply loved in babyhood by father or mother (or both!). They are "endowed," even probably enjoying a prenatal warmth when mother-to-be was happy and secure. It's fairly easy for them to say, "Yes, I believe God loves me!" They go through life having a continual picnic; they don't walk, they dance their way through.
Solomon speaks of them in contrast with those not so endowed: "All the days of the afflicted are evil [wretched, NEB]: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast" (Prov. 15:15). The "afflicted" are those who lacked that warm, cuddly love in babyhood or childhood. They may have been orphans, or raised by an alcoholic or drug-addicted parent, or in a home poisoned by infidelity and divorce. It's no fault of their own that they are not richly endowed, and are "afflicted." Is it fair that the "ticket to heaven" seems to be a "faith" that comes naturally for lucky people? Or, forget heaven for a moment, that all their days" here have to be "wretched"? Don't jump to a conclusion too soon:
(1) While it is true that "faith" is the "ticket to heaven," faith is not easier for some than for others because "God hath dealt to every person the measure of faith" (Rom. 12:3). There is no such thing as "natural" faith. It must always be learned, received, imported, and exercised in fellowship with Christ.
(2) Let us assume that the Virgin Mary gave Him natural cuddly emotional warmth in His babyhood, still He was reared in an unbelieving family with all the liabilities anyone can have known in a hard childhood (compare Matt. 13:53-58; John 7:2-8; Psalm 69:7-11). He says He was "afflicted ... from My youth up" (Psalm 88:15). All the "natural" emotional warmth He may have had from childhood vanished as He hung on the cross; there He had to live entirely by faith based strictly on God's word.
(3) Your preparation to enjoy not only heaven but life here and now may possibly be even easier than for those richly endowed emotionally since childhood. Faith is not emotion; true happiness comes only from fellowship with Christ; and where is He to be found? "Preaching Good News to the poor; healing the broken-hearted; proclaiming deliverance to the captives; recovering sight for the blind; setting at liberty them that are bruised; proclaiming the justification-by-faith 'acceptance' of the Lord (see Luke 4:18, 19). Join Him, and let Him make you happy.
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: November 27, 1999.
Copyright © 2011 by Robert J. Wieland.
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
------------------------------
Please forward these messages to your friends and encourage them to subscribe. The "Dial Daily Bread" Web site resides at: http://1888message.org/
To subscribe send an e-mail message with "subscribe" in the body of the message to: dailybread@1888message.org
------------------------------
Robert J. Wieland's inspirational "Dial Daily Bread" messages are availalbe via e-mail to anyone who wishes to receive a daily portion of uplifting Good News. "Dial Daily Bread" is FREE. Due to travel or other circumstances, there may be intervals when "Dial Daily Bread" will not be sent.
