God treats Christian people well
Even in their troubles.
Those who cry a while on earth
Will not wail forever.
They will take complete delight
In Christ's heavenly garden
Which He has prepared for them
For their full enjoyment.
Though God's children sow with tears
In a time of sorrow,
Yet at last the year brings on
All that they have longed for.
After winter comes the time
To bring in the harvest;
Then their pain and trouble bear
Fruit in joy and laughter.
Dr Kleinig pointed out that Paul Gerhardt was speaking from experience here. He was not arguing doctrine in the last four stanzas. Rather, he was just expressing the highs and lows of life that he had experienced. Satan takes these lows and exaggerates them, bringing on depression.
Dr Kleinig talked about the cross being the secret to managing depression and finding joy in life. God uses our sins to refine us. Our sorrow can even increase our capacity for enjoyment of life. In other words, the anfechtung is both good and bad (as is Jesus' cross) and is used by God for our blessing.
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How timely that you should post this, Susan. :)
ReplyDeleteTimely, huh? I should've written this up 5 weeks ago, when Kleinig's words were fresher in my mind. Now I'm just going off my very skimpy notes. And then with what I put on loopers and on your blog, I just didn't have the oomph to write it here again. ;-)
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