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(Romans 5:3–5) “We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.”
SERIES 7: WALKING WITH JESUS - “How do I now live because I belong to Christ?” 24. Walking through suffering (Christ never wastes pain in the life of His children).
Following Jesus does not mean we will be protected from suffering. There will be times when life hurts, when prayers seem unanswered and when we cannot understand why God has allowed something to happen.
When cancer hit me, I began to understand that any and all pain forces us all to ask difficult questions. Why me? Why now? Where is God in all of this?
The truth is that we may not always receive the answers we want. But we can know this: God is with us in the suffering.
Jesus Himself understood suffering. He experienced rejection, loneliness, betrayal, physical pain and ultimately the cross that was meant for us. He does not ask us to walk through suffering alone without understanding that He knows what it feels like.
Sometimes God changes our circumstances. Sometimes He gives us the strength to endure them. And sometimes, through suffering, He changes something within us. He can use difficult experiences to deepen our faith, develop our character and teach us to depend upon Him in ways we never would have learned otherwise.
That does not mean we should pretend that suffering does not hurt. We can grieve. We can cry, and we're supposed to tell God when we are struggling - because faith does not mean hiding our pain from Him.
But even when we cannot see what God is doing, we can trust that He has not abandoned us. The pain may be real, but it is not the end of the story.
So if/when suffering comes, don't run away from God. Instead run towards Him. Bring Him your questions, your fears and your tears. Let Him carry what you cannot carry yourself.
One day we will understand things that are impossible for us to understand today. Until then, we keep a firm grip on Christ.
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Let's pray, "Heavenly Father, I want to truly live Lord. Help me to live by the Words of Your Heart and Mouth." Amen!
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