A grindstone is a revolving disk made of stone which is used for grinding, polishing or sharpening. It can commonly be seen grinding down wheat or sharpening and polishing metal for various purposes.
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I suppose one of the hardest questions to answer is: “Why do I have to deal with so much adversity?!”
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Epraphras is not a name you hear much of. He was a member of the church in Colosse, and obviously a dear saint in the Lord. We know that he suffered imprisonment with Paul at one time. But the thing that really impresses me about this saint is what Paul wrote about him– he always wrestled in prayer!
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As hundreds of rockets were launched from Gaza this past Saturday night, Jews worldwide observed Tisha B’Av. Many ominous events mark this particular day in Jewish history. On this day, the first and the second Temple were destroyed. Jews were expelled out of England, France, and Spain in different years on this very day. But this day of infamy was initially marked when 10 of the 12 spies came back and gave a bad report of the land. When the twelve spies returned from spying out the promised land, only Joshua and Caleb gave a good report, saying the land was full of milk and honey. They believed the promise of God so emphatically that they tore their clothes and implored the children of Israel, saying, “the Lord is with us, do not fear them!” Israel’s reaction was unbelievably severe. They were ready to STONE the faithful spies!
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A few days ago I received a very detailed call from a friend dealing with trials that seem nearly impossible to bear. Often the best thing a friend can do is simply listen, and while doing just that I was reminded of Horatio Spafford.
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Over the weekend, the ministry lost a dear brother who suddenly died of a heart attack. In times of mourning, the realization dawned (once again) that this life is utterly fleeting … a vapor in the wind … and these frail human bodies in which we dwell are mortal dust. We are living in the land of the dead and dying, and only those of us who truly know and are known by the Messiah, upon our death, will enter the land of the truly living!
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Counselors, encouragers, and people who offer care to others often encounter those whose past failures threaten to define them and hinder their development, healing, and sanctification. Our enemy capitalizes on our failures and regrets, pressing home the current influence of what we could have, would have, or should have done, if only we were wiser, more courageous, honest, or godly.
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