Verse of the Day: 2
Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we
may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with
which we ourselves are comforted by God.
There are many reasons why
we are allowed to suffer. For those of us that read and study the Word of God
continually, we know this fact, and we are not caught by surprise when
suffering and trials occur. We may not always understand the “why”, but we
certainly understand that challenges and tribulations will enter the life of
the believer. Sometimes the suffering will come in the form of persecution,
consequences for a bad decision (possibly involving sin), illness, death of a
loved one or friend, loss of employment, and the list goes on. There are times
when the suffering is so great that it can bring us to the brink of an
emotional breakdown. It can bring us to a place of hopelessness, and even to
death’s door. Why would God allow His children to suffer in such a manner? We
know that ultimately it will all work out for our good (and God’s glory), and
that the goal is to make us more like Jesus (Rom 8:28-29). However, there are
other reasons why God allows our suffering. In this chapter, the Apostle Paul
tells us of at least two reasons, one being that God does not want us to trust
in ourselves in times of deep despair (v. 10). The Apostle listed many of the
things he suffered throughout his ministry for the Lord, some of which brought
him to the brink of death (2 Cor 11:22-33). In order for any of us to continue
in our service to the Lord, with the confidence that He will take care of us,
no matter what the circumstances, we have to be allowed to suffer greatly, and
personally experience His mercies and comforts. It is for this reason the
Apostle reminds us that God is the Father of mercies (and not just mercy), and
the God of all comfort. He is merciful toward us in so many ways and comforts
us under so many different circumstances, and during varying degrees of
suffering. The other reason God allows us to suffer is so that we will learn to
comfort others who suffer as we do; there is nothing new under the sun, and we
all suffer similarly in this world, for we all have a common enemy (1 Pet 5:8-11).
Our failure to endure during times of suffering comes when we lose sight of the
fact that God is enough to get us through any of our troubling times. We get so
focused on the problem, that we take our eyes off of Jesus; when in fact He is
the answer to our times of trials. It is clear that we are not just called to
partake in His salvation, but also His suffering. It is in Christ that we experience
suffering, because we choose to follow Him; but we must also remember that it
is in Christ that we share in God’s comfort. This is why when we attempt to
comfort the unsaved in their times of suffering, the only thing that we can
really offer them is the salvation that Jesus wants to give them; for it is
only in Jesus that they can find the strength and relief (joy and peace) that
they are seeking in hard times. For us, the children of God, this is the reason
God calls us to unity and reminds us not to forsake the assembling with one
another (Heb 10:24-25), so that we can encourage and comfort one another with
the comfort we have received from our Heavenly Father, in our Savior Jesus
Christ, and our Comforter, the Holy Spirit. It is sad that our perspective in
suffering is often so shortsighted. Many of us have suffered tragedies that
have strengthened us and have now put us in a position to be used by God to
comfort others, and even lead others to Jesus by testifying of God’s goodness
during the trial. I remember years ago, when I was first diagnosed with
Multiple Sclerosis. I had been traveling, singing, and preaching, when I was
diagnosed. I had difficulty with memory, speech, keeping my balance, and always
being fatigued. Yet, throughout that time, I was able, in God’s strength, to
preach without an issue, sing without my voice being affected and remember
Scripture, as I preached the Word of God (from memory). I would be completely
exhausted, but praising God for His sustaining power, through the Holy Spirit.
Through much prayer and a drastic change in diet, and to the complete amazement
of the doctors, the lesions on my brain began to heal (to the point that they
tried to explain it away by saying it was probably a virus they had never
seen). Today, I have very little effects of what could have been a very
debilitating illness. I still remember feeling sad when I received the news of
my healing. Why, you ask? Because it was a time in my life when I felt closest
to my God, and I was afraid that I would lose some of the intimacy now that I
was healed. During the time of this trial, many people were encouraged who were
going through similar circumstances, and other Christians I knew were using my
testimony to lead others to Christ. In the end, God allowed my testimony to be
used for His glory in comforting others who were Christians, and bring
salvation to others who did not know Him. So, whatever it is that you are going
through today, do not waste it by complaining and feeling sorry for yourself.
Instead, allow God to use it to be a blessing to someone else who may desperately
need it today, tomorrow, or whenever He desires to use it. All for the glory of
God!
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