"The Lord also will be _a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble_." Ps. 9:9.
7. What has G.o.d promised His children when pa.s.sing through trials and afflictions?
"When thou pa.s.sest through the waters, _I will be with thee_; and through the rivers, _they shall not overflow thee_: when thou walkest through the fire, _thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee_." Isa. 43:2.
8. What did David say with reference to his being afflicted?
"_It is good for me that I have been afflicted_; that I might learn Thy statutes." Ps. 119:71.
9. When afflicted, for what did he pray?
"Look upon my affliction and my pain; and _forgive all my sins_." Ps.
25:18.
10. Before he was afflicted, what did he do?
"_Before I was afflicted I went astray_: but now have I kept Thy word."
Ps. 119:67.
11. What did Christ learn through suffering?
"Though He were a Son, yet _learned He obedience by the things which He suffered_." Heb. 5:8.
12. In perfecting character, what must come to all?
"And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou _the chastening of the Lord_; nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him: _for whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth_." Heb. 12:5, 6.
13. Is this chastening a pleasant experience?
"Now _no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous_: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." Verse 11.
14. What courage and strength, therefore, should come to us even in the hour of affliction?
"Wherefore _lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees_."
Verse 12. See also Job 4:3, 4; Isa. 35:3.
15. What did Job say in the midst of his afflictions?
"Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him." Job 13:15.
16. What is G.o.d called in the Scriptures?
"The G.o.d of all comfort." 2 Cor. 1:3.
17. Whom does G.o.d comfort?
"G.o.d, that comforteth _those that are cast down_." 2 Cor. 7:6.
[Ill.u.s.tration.]
Christ The Consoler. "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Matt. 11:28.
18. What promise is made to those that mourn?
"Blessed are they that mourn: for _they shall be comforted_." Matt. 5:4.
19. Why does G.o.d comfort us in tribulation?
"Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, _that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort where-*with we ourselves are comforted of G.o.d_." 2 Cor. 1:4.
NOTE.-One who has pa.s.sed through trouble and affliction himself, and received comfort from G.o.d, is better able to minister comfort to others.
20. How should we sympathize with others in their sorrows?
"Weep with them that weep." Rom. 12:15. "To him that is afflicted _pity should be showed from his friend_." Job 6:14.
21. Does Jesus sympathize with us in our afflictions?
"For we have not an high priest which cannot be _touched with the feeling of our infirmities_; but was in all points tempted like as we are." Heb.
4:15.
22. How did He manifest His sympathy in the case of Mary and her friends weeping over the death of Lazarus?
"When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, _He groaned in the spirit, and was troubled_, and said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto Him, Lord, come and see. _Jesus wept._" John 11:33-35.
NOTE.-Not alone for Mary and her friends did Jesus weep. Looking down through the ages, He saw the tears and the heartaches which death would bring to mankind in this sin-stricken world. His heart was touched with human woe, and He wept with those that wept.
23. Whatever may come, what blessed a.s.surance has every one who loves G.o.d?
"And we know that _all things work together for good to them that love G.o.d_." Rom. 8:28.
NOTE.-If one loves G.o.d, he may rest a.s.sured that out of every trial and affliction good will come.
24. In bereavement, like whom should we not sorrow?
"As others which have no hope." 1 Thess. 4:13.
25. When our friends fall asleep in death, with what words are we told to comfort one another?
"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will G.o.d bring with Him.... For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of G.o.d: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. _Wherefore comfort one another with these words._" Verses 14-18.