Tag Archives: Strength

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on November 14, 2015
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Can Glory be Achieved Through Suffering? — Rev. David J. Schreffler

 

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November 14, 2015

“Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. And one does not presume to take this honor, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”; as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”. In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrews 5:1 – 10

“In a world where success is measured by how quickly a person can climb to the top and importance is measured by how much glory a person can grab, these words in the letter to the Hebrews tell a completely different story. It is always difficult to come to terms with the call of God as having nothing to do with honor, and everything to do with serving. Even Christ did not glorify himself–it was God who claimed and called him–and it was through his suffering that he was truly glorified. Jesus was never looking for the place of importance and status; he came to serve and that is the call that we share as the people of God. The same God who calls us has promised to be with us, to provide those places of refuge, to bring life and salvation out of suffering and death.” (Luther Seminary, G*d Pause devotions, Gayle Bintliff, Tanque Verde Lutheran Church, Tucson, Ariz. Master of Divinity , 2001)

“He learned obedience through suffering.” Oh, we spend a lot of time and money trying to avoid suffering, to reduce suffering and to avoid growing old. As sure as the sun will rise and set this day, we will all experience some amount of suffering in our lives. We cannot avoid it. So what do we do with suffering? We learn about ourselves and our abilities, and the depth of our mental, physical and spiritual arsenal. There is no glory to be gained through our suffering – but for Christ his glory was achieved through his suffering. That does not mean we try to cause our own suffering. But we do learn from all of our experiences, including suffering. We learn about endurance, about perseverance, and about faith. We learn to put our trust in others, especially our trust in G*d who promises to always be with us and to help us find a way out of all of our experiences. (1 Cor. 10:13ff). Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight… says the Proverb (3:5). I think there is a simple truth hidden here: how can we know how happy we can be, if we have never experienced sadness?

Pastor Dave

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on November 12, 2015
Tags: Strength,   

Think Before You Speak — Rev. David J. Schreffler

imageNovember 12, 2015

“Then one of the servants answered and said, “Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the Lord is with him.” – (1 Samuel 16:18)

“When we are younger, we think we know a lot more than we do. And a lot of times we just blurt things out. But as we get older, hopefully we learn to measure our words. We learn not to always say what we’re thinking. We learn there are inside thoughts and outside thoughts. (Some people don’t get this memo—ever.). It is a good thing to be known as someone who is prudent in speech. That is how David was described, which is a little unusual for a younger man. In 1 Samuel 16:18 we read, “Then one of the servants answered and said, ‘Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the Lord is with him” (emphasis added).


Interestingly, “prudent in speech” means weighing things in the mind and forming a judgment. It is thinking about what you say before you say it. When Jesus was transfigured, Moses and Elijah appeared, talking with Him. Peter, who was there with James and John, blurted out, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” (Mark 9:5). The next verse gives us this insight: “He did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid” (verse 6).

Have you ever said something when you didn’t know what to say, and you ended up saying the lamest thing ever? An old proverb says that it is better to be silent and thought a fool than to open your mouth and dispel all doubt. Sometimes when you don’t say anything, people may think you are very wise. Let them think that.” (Crosswalk Devotions, How to Look Wise – Greg Laurie Daily Devotion – October 13, 2015)

I wish there was a school we could go to that would give lessons on prudent speech. Yes, I realize there are speech classes that still teach high school and college students how to do public speaking. This is not what I am talking about. I am looking for the class that teaches an individual how NOT to put their “foot in their mouth”. For example, I have done the unthinkable – asked a woman when the baby was due, when they were not pregnant. How I needed a class on prudent speech at that moment. I have used inappropriate words at inappropriate times – called someone the wrong name in public – there are so many examples of my problems with “imprudent speech”. It has taken me many years as a pastor to learn that sometimes it is better to be the silent, non-anxious presence than to seek to say words that may prove to be foolish or may prove me to be the same. Let us thank the proverbial advice: “An old proverb says that it is better to be silent and thought a fool than to open your mouth and dispel all doubt”.

Pastor Dave