Good morning,
God never wastes trouble.
Our sin nature has trained all of us to see anything that causes us
trouble as a negative. For those of us in the developed world, we often
think of inconvenience, lack of desirable alternatives, health issues
or injustice as suffering for Jesus. Because of the world wide media
reports, we will sometimes hear of what other people are going through
in other places and mentally and often prayerfully come alongside those
who are suffering beyond our own personal limits. The Apostle Peter
pointed out to the believers in his day that the Devil is always
prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. His
counsel to those under pressure was not only meant for people then, but
those of us living ever since. What God requires of us is that we stand
firm in our faith in God, his love, his plan for us and for those around
us who are being challenged by suffering. Our Enemy’s goal is to get
us to look away from our Shepherd during the training and discipline he
builds into our lives and see ourselves as victims being destroyed by
the circumstances of life.
It’s hard to realize that
God designed suffering to help us grow and change in ways that will give
us ministry and maturity in our witness to a watching world. Pain and
fear are both constants for everyone, so how we deal with these
difficulties will show those around us the reality or the emptiness of
our relationship with the God of the Bible. Suffering teaches us to
know our Shepherd like nothing else can, and a close walk with Jesus is
more than worth the temporary challenges we face today. The other
benefit to our present sufferings is that our suffering now can only
last as long as the Lord has planned and then we will have the joy of
experiencing the reasons for the pain. The Lord promises us
restoration, support and strength that will come from his loving care
for us during the dark, challenging experiences that brought us so much
closer to our Savior and our brothers and sisters in Jesus. Thank God
for the firm foundation of our faith in God that makes all of life
worthwhile now and for eternity.
I Peter 1:9 Stand
firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your
Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the
same kind of suffering you are. 10 In his kindness God called you to
share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have
suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you,
and he will place you on a firm foundation.
Roy Wisner
