The Glory That Shall Be Revealed: Beyond The Veil of Suffering

[Anthony Pritchard]

The Glory That Shall Be Revealed: Beyond The Veil of Suffering

As I near seventy-one years on this earth, I’ve come to see life as a tapestry woven with both blessings and sorrows. Some joys are so rich they defy description, like the gift of salvation, like the forty beautiful years I shared with my beloved wife, like the gift of a child. And some sorrows, devastating in their weight, such as her death, the horrors of violent death I have witnessed, and the betrayal of a trusted friend, shake us to our core.

Yet through it all, I remain anchored in the greatest truth of all: His great salvation. My Lord, my God, and my Savior shed His blood not for some sins, but for all, past, present, and future. The debt is paid in full. Hell is the consequence of rejecting the gift freely offered. What a glorious gospel: that the vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives (To God Be the Glory - Frances J. Crosby).

And in the midst of accumulated sorrow, I am comforted by this unbreakable promise:

“I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Hebrews 13:5

I hold fast as well to Paul’s reckoning, who saw beyond the veil of suffering to the glory that awaits:

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18

So I press on, not as one without hope, but as one upheld by grace. The sorrows may accumulate, but so does the glory. And one day, all tears will be wiped away, and the tapestry will be complete.

~Tony

© A.K. Pritchard 2021 – Free to use with proper attribution.

 

[timf]

Php 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Php 1:22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.
Php 1:23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
Php 1:24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

At 75 and with stage four cancer I can relate to Paul as I sense a sort of wistful desire in verse 23 that he shakes off in verse 24.

As far as the ups and downs of life here is an article that touches on the benefit of difficulties.

Beneficial Adversity

There was an image circulated via email a few days ago with four pictures. The first showed the men on Iwo Jima raising the US flag in WWII. It was titled, “Hard times make strong men”. The next image was of a man working on his car in the 1950s. It was titled, “Strong men make good times”. The third image was of people partying in the 1980s. It was titled, “Good times make weak men”. The last picture was of abandoned houses in Detroit that looked like a demilitarized zone. It was titled, “Weak men make hard times”.

I once worked with a man (a non-custodial parent) who said one of the saddest things I have ever heard, he said, “The laziest person I have ever seen is my son. He never gets up from a video game except to go to the refrigerator.” It is not uncommon for the older generation to comment on the flaws they see in the younger generation. However, this does not automatically mean that these observations are invalid.

By creating a social environment for our children of unending entertainment, subsidized indolence, unrestrained consumerism, offense at every slight (real or imagined), and the cultivation of a critical spirit to contend with that of a movie, restaurant or theater critic, we may have produced a generation of perpetual adolescents with weak character. This may have been done with good intentions, but the result indicates that it might be legitimately called child abuse.

A generation or two ago a wayward child could have been sent to the military where exposure to an adverse environment might have helped him develop the strength of character he was missing. Unfortunately, the military environment has been modified as to not inflict such character improving difficulty. In addition, the military no longer desires to accept those in need of correction.

The bible tells us that the Lord “chastens” those he loves.

Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, wrestling against sin. And ye have quite forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives. Hebrews 12:4-6

There is a saying that the best education in the world comes from the school of hard knocks, the problem is that the tuition is so high. For Christians, we have the option to surrender ourselves to the Lord’s leading in humility and sincerity so that we might avoid the more harsh chastening the Lord might use to get our attention such as getting laid off, finding ourselves in the midst of divorce, or struggling with addiction when we should have already been seeking his leading.

Satan is almost finished using Christians to advance the plan of global collectivism he has been advancing for centuries. As a result, Christians should expect to face increasing hostility and persecution. In addition to finally getting Christians to curtail their love affair with the world, we might find that increasing hostility improves our character by seeking after and clinging to Jesus. This might result in a more clear testimony as Peter tells those about to undergo persecution;

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 1 Peter 3:15

 

[Anthony Pritchard]

Php 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Php 1:22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.
Php 1:23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
Php 1:24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

At 75 and with stage four cancer I can relate to Paul as I sense a sort of wistful desire in verse 23 that he shakes off in verse 24.

As far as the ups and downs of life here is an article that touches on the benefit of difficulties.

Beneficial Adversity

There was an image circulated via email a few days ago with four pictures. The first showed the men on Iwo Jima raising the US flag in WWII. It was titled, “Hard times make strong men”. The next image was of a man working on his car in the 1950s. It was titled, “Strong men make good times”. The third image was of people partying in the 1980s. It was titled, “Good times make weak men”. The last picture was of abandoned houses in Detroit that looked like a demilitarized zone. It was titled, “Weak men make hard times”.

I once worked with a man (a non-custodial parent) who said one of the saddest things I have ever heard, he said, “The laziest person I have ever seen is my son. He never gets up from a video game except to go to the refrigerator.” It is not uncommon for the older generation to comment on the flaws they see in the younger generation. However, this does not automatically mean that these observations are invalid.

By creating a social environment for our children of unending entertainment, subsidized indolence, unrestrained consumerism, offense at every slight (real or imagined), and the cultivation of a critical spirit to contend with that of a movie, restaurant or theater critic, we may have produced a generation of perpetual adolescents with weak character. This may have been done with good intentions, but the result indicates that it might be legitimately called child abuse.

A generation or two ago a wayward child could have been sent to the military where exposure to an adverse environment might have helped him develop the strength of character he was missing. Unfortunately, the military environment has been modified as to not inflict such character improving difficulty. In addition, the military no longer desires to accept those in need of correction.

The bible tells us that the Lord “chastens” those he loves.

Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, wrestling against sin. And ye have quite forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives. Hebrews 12:4-6

There is a saying that the best education in the world comes from the school of hard knocks, the problem is that the tuition is so high. For Christians, we have the option to surrender ourselves to the Lord’s leading in humility and sincerity so that we might avoid the more harsh chastening the Lord might use to get our attention such as getting laid off, finding ourselves in the midst of divorce, or struggling with addiction when we should have already been seeking his leading.

Satan is almost finished using Christians to advance the plan of global collectivism he has been advancing for centuries. As a result, Christians should expect to face increasing hostility and persecution. In addition to finally getting Christians to curtail their love affair with the world, we might find that increasing hostility improves our character by seeking after and clinging to Jesus. This might result in a more clear testimony as Peter tells those about to undergo persecution;

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 1 Peter 3:15

Thank you for sharing this. Your words carry the weight of someone who is walking through real suffering with a steady eye on Christ. Paul’s tension in Philippians 1 is not theoretical, and you are feeling the same pull he describes, the desire to depart and be with Christ. That is a testimony in itself.

Your reflections on adversity are fitting. Scripture does not hide the fact that the Lord uses difficulty to shape His people, and Hebrews 12 makes that plain. Adversity is costly, but the fruit is real, and your perspective shows that you have learned to read your circumstances through the lens of God’s faithfulness rather than despair.

I will lift you up before the Throne of Grace in prayer. Thank you again.