What do you think?
Rate this book
The Gift of Suffering
The Gift of Suffering
127 pages, Paperback
First published December 12, 1921
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 13, 2011
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, one of the great Baptist pulpiteers was F. B. Meyer. The Gift of Suffering is a collection of his sermons collated after his death, but most dealing with issues of suffering and its counterpart, peace. Some deal with dissatisfaction, isolation, and the difficulty of knowing the will of God, however. In spite of archaic language and a rather ornate prose, better suited to the days before broadcasting cooled down speech (according to Mcluhan) or Strunk and White simplified language such that it more resembles line drawings than the rich colors of the Renaissance, this little volume has a lot going for it.
Perhaps, one of the most important concepts in the book can be found in the introduction. Noting that many people think of faith as some inner strength already present in the human believer, Meyer defines faith in the following way: “Faith unites herself first with the purpose of God, ascertaining what that purpose is, and then faith yields herself in absolute abandonment that God may realize that purpose.” (p. 4) I like this because in the introduction, as in a later sermon, Meyer emphasizes commitment over emotions. He offers a clever line comparing our commitment to God as being equivalent to investment capital while our emotions should be considered “pocket change.” (p. 77) From there, he warns that God doesn’t hold believers responsible for what they FEEL, but for what they WILL (p. 78).
At another point, the late preacher reminds us that we build eternal character within the tedium of everyday life (p. 27) and offers a cute poem about not seeing God’s purpose in everyday life. The poem has the fish looking for the water in which they swim and the birds looking for the air in which they fly (p. 28).
I particularly benefited from his comparison of people who assume that everything that goes wrong is due to their sin as being like hypochondriacs who read about diseases and immediately think they have it. He says that people who are healthy don’t look for disease all the time (p. 81). I also liked the fact that he exhorts believers to use their MINDS and not to be afraid of their intellectual faculties (p. 130). How many believers need to hear this message today. He follows that up by using the illustration of the angel setting Peter free from prison. When Peter couldn’t extricate himself from prison, God sent an angel. When they were out on the street so that Peter could help himself, the angel disappeared. “Thus God treats us still. He will dictate a miraculous course by miraculous methods. But when the ordinary light of reason is adequate to the task. He will leave us to act as occasion may serve.” (p. 131)
The sermon on the kingdom had a delightful line that reads: “Every time being tempted we overcome, every time we persevere through suffering for others, every time we serve with humility and lowliness, we approach nearer and nearer to the throne, because the marvelous point is that whereas earthly thrones are ascended, we descend to heavenly thrones.” (p. 147) I also enjoyed the sermon on Philippians 2 where Meyer agreed with my understanding of the “kenosis” which took place in the Incarnation as Jesus, still God, opted to live as man with “one arm tied behind his back.” (pp. 163-4)
Yet, I find a few things lacking in this collection. There is always a tendency in preaching to sentimentalize and Meyer falls prey to this, as well. When writing about Stephen (the 1st century martyr), Meyer waxes poetically about all the ways that the Holy Spirit was demonstrated in Stephen’s ministry as one of the “seven.” Yet, his entire description is built on a sentimental idea of Stephen’s ministry and not founded upon the text. (p. 116) Still, the bulk of the collection contains sermons that still speak to modern believers, albeit some of the illustrations (such as the one about looking at a child’s weak imitation of the paradigm in a printing or cursive copybook—p. 153) are anachronistic. And, there are times when he takes a poet like George Herbert to task for his imagery as though most theological talk doesn’t use metaphor (p. 163). So, even though I benefited greatly from reading this volume, I recognize that it isn’t perfect and it is a product of its era.
Perhaps, one of the most important concepts in the book can be found in the introduction. Noting that many people think of faith as some inner strength already present in the human believer, Meyer defines faith in the following way: “Faith unites herself first with the purpose of God, ascertaining what that purpose is, and then faith yields herself in absolute abandonment that God may realize that purpose.” (p. 4) I like this because in the introduction, as in a later sermon, Meyer emphasizes commitment over emotions. He offers a clever line comparing our commitment to God as being equivalent to investment capital while our emotions should be considered “pocket change.” (p. 77) From there, he warns that God doesn’t hold believers responsible for what they FEEL, but for what they WILL (p. 78).
At another point, the late preacher reminds us that we build eternal character within the tedium of everyday life (p. 27) and offers a cute poem about not seeing God’s purpose in everyday life. The poem has the fish looking for the water in which they swim and the birds looking for the air in which they fly (p. 28).
I particularly benefited from his comparison of people who assume that everything that goes wrong is due to their sin as being like hypochondriacs who read about diseases and immediately think they have it. He says that people who are healthy don’t look for disease all the time (p. 81). I also liked the fact that he exhorts believers to use their MINDS and not to be afraid of their intellectual faculties (p. 130). How many believers need to hear this message today. He follows that up by using the illustration of the angel setting Peter free from prison. When Peter couldn’t extricate himself from prison, God sent an angel. When they were out on the street so that Peter could help himself, the angel disappeared. “Thus God treats us still. He will dictate a miraculous course by miraculous methods. But when the ordinary light of reason is adequate to the task. He will leave us to act as occasion may serve.” (p. 131)
The sermon on the kingdom had a delightful line that reads: “Every time being tempted we overcome, every time we persevere through suffering for others, every time we serve with humility and lowliness, we approach nearer and nearer to the throne, because the marvelous point is that whereas earthly thrones are ascended, we descend to heavenly thrones.” (p. 147) I also enjoyed the sermon on Philippians 2 where Meyer agreed with my understanding of the “kenosis” which took place in the Incarnation as Jesus, still God, opted to live as man with “one arm tied behind his back.” (pp. 163-4)
Yet, I find a few things lacking in this collection. There is always a tendency in preaching to sentimentalize and Meyer falls prey to this, as well. When writing about Stephen (the 1st century martyr), Meyer waxes poetically about all the ways that the Holy Spirit was demonstrated in Stephen’s ministry as one of the “seven.” Yet, his entire description is built on a sentimental idea of Stephen’s ministry and not founded upon the text. (p. 116) Still, the bulk of the collection contains sermons that still speak to modern believers, albeit some of the illustrations (such as the one about looking at a child’s weak imitation of the paradigm in a printing or cursive copybook—p. 153) are anachronistic. And, there are times when he takes a poet like George Herbert to task for his imagery as though most theological talk doesn’t use metaphor (p. 163). So, even though I benefited greatly from reading this volume, I recognize that it isn’t perfect and it is a product of its era.
May 30, 2012
This book was perfect for me as I went through an extreme season of loss dealing with the death of my dad and then, the next day, my oldest sister. I learned much from this "season", this book and so many other ways Christ has shown me His love for me and His world. I highly recommend this book!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews