"Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: ... he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised" (James 1:12)
There is one kind of human suffering which can be known only to the believing Christian, and that is voluntary suffering deliberately and knowingly incurred for the sake of Jesus Christ!
Such voluntary suffering displayed among us in these times is a luxury, a treasure of fabulous value, a source of riches beyond the power of the mind to conceive. And it is rare as well as precious, for there are few in this decadent age who will of their own choice go down into the dark mine looking for jewels.
But of their own choice it must be, for there is no other way to get down. God will not force us into this kind of suffering; He will not lay this cross upon us nor embarrass us with riches we do not want.
Some riches are reserved for those who apply to serve in the legion of the expendables, who love not their lives unto the death, who volunteer to suffer for Christ's sake and who follow up their application with lives that challenge the devil and invite the fury of hell.
Such as these have said goodbye to the world's toys; they have chosen to suffer affliction with the people of God. They have accepted toil and suffering as their earthly portion.
But where are they? Has this breed of Christian died out of the earth? Have the saints of God joined the mad scramble for security?
Are we now afraid to suffer and unwilling to die? I hope not- but I wonder. And only God has the answer!
~A. W. Tozer~
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