Threads...

"I'll take a diet," my friend says to the waitress as we sit down for a visit.

"I've got one I'd give you...for free," I say in jest, and we all laugh.

Diet. A regimen of eating we usually equate with eating for good health. Everyone has a diet, but not all are really healthy.

"You need to watch your salt," the doctor warns my Grandfather.

"You know, just a few years ago they told us to keep a little piece of salt in our pockets, so that if we became over heated while working in the field..."

"Well," the doctor cautions my 85+ year old Grandfather, "been making any fence lately?"

Poor doctor-- little did he know, it hadn't been but a couple of years,and yes, indeed--my Grandpa had been making fence. That is quite another story. The point is that from one year to the next the 'experts' tell us one thing is good for us, or bad for us depending on the year, the expert, and circumstances.

"Everyone's strange but thee and me, and sometimes I even wonder about thee," my Grandmother would nod sagely. She always had a little 'saying' to fit the moment.

"Why?" the little child asks. And every answer you give they have the same question, "Why?"

Lamentations 3:39 Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
40) Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Jehovah. 41) Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.

Ever had a child--age is no respecter of this behavior, I've seen adults do the same thing--they do something they KNOW they shouldn't. They blatantly rebel against the 'rules', then when punished they cry, "What did you do that for?!" or worse "You got me in trouble!" When in reality it is their own choice or choices that caused their suffering. They act as if, "Well, there is just something wrong--with someone else--it's not MY fault I got in trouble."

Jeremiah, the prophet, has cried and prophesied to people who would not hear, would not see, would not turn from their evil ways, for many years. He has watched the Babylonian army march on his beloved country--his beloved city, Jerusalem. Finally, he watched the destruction of all that he held dear. The devastation and heart break of war was all around him, yet he asks:

"Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?"

And he gives them an answer--"Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Jehovah. 41) Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens."

Lamentation 3:48 Mine eye runneth down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people. 49) Mine eye poureth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,
50) Till Jehovah look down, and behold from heaven.

Jeremiah kept in mind that: "For he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men." Lamentation 3:33 God does not enjoy punishing people, but as the writer of Hebrews 12:6 tells us "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, And scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

Hebrews 12:7 It is for chastening that ye endure; God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father chasteneth not?"

We must remember as Jeremiah encourages: Lamentations 3:24 Jehovah is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. 25) Jehovah is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. 26) It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of Jehovah.

Sometimes we suffer, and we don't see a reason. Sometimes we suffer, and we know the reason. No matter which it is, we need to learn from our experiences whether happy, sad, good, or bad. The law of God is not whimsical. That means it isn't one thing one minute--for one person--and something else the next minute--for someone else. And His care is only for our benefit...whether we can understand it or not.

Hallelujah! What a Saviour!