Faith in the Midst of Suffering

Psalms 6:6-7 I am weary with my groaning; All night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears. My eye wastes away because of grief; It grows old because of all my enemies.

One of the things that can discourage a new Christian is the fact that being a born again believer does not exempt us from suffering. We do the new believer, and ourselves, a disservice when we claim that life will be better, or problem free, when we accept Jesus as our Savior. If anything, becoming a follower of Jesus puts a bull's-eye on our chest, so that our new enemies have a place to shoot their fiery darts! However, the best part about this is that we no longer walk through suffering alone, and all the suffering that God allows in our life, as believers, is for our ultimate good. That makes life, as a persecuted believer, worth living. We may not see the good, or enjoy our walk with Jesus, while we are going through the fire; but in the end, it will mature us spiritually, and draw us closer to Him. The Psalmist does not reveal why he is suffering, but offers a plea of faith, trusting that God hears his cry, and sees his tears. This is a good reminder that it is not wrong to show our emotions during sad, and trying times. A display of emotions is not an indication of a weak faith. God created us in His image, which means that He created us to be creatures who not only think and reason, but also show emotion. Even though King David expressed deep emotion, he also expressed faith. He knew that his suffering was temporary, and that God would eventually take vengeance on his enemies. In verses 8 and 9, King David expresses his faith, in the midst of his suffering, by saying, "For the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping. The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer." Those are words of faith, penned with great confidence. Whatever we may be suffering now, or suffer in the future, we can know that God hears our cries, our supplications, and our prayers. Best of all, He will answer, and will always be with us, as we walk through life's trying times.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).