Day 10 - The Blessing of Suffering

31 Days

towards

Abundant Life

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Day 10 - The Blessing of Suffering

 "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared  

with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

Romans 8:18

When you read the title for today's blog I bet some of you were saying to yourself "The blessing of Suffering? Yeah, right!  You don't know what I have been through!"  Your right!  I don't, but I do know that in my own life I can look backward and say it was a blessing!  Not that I ever want to go there again.  Absolutely not!  Nor would I wish it on another!  But Praise God!  I have come out on the other end, better not bitter, and Jesus is the one who get's all the credit.  I am not who I was!  I have been set free and transformed!  I am still a work in progress, but I have come a long way.

 ²⁹ For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, 

that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Romans 8:29

Yes, I believe suffering is a blessing and it is the way to abundant life in Christ!  Why? Suffering refines us!  It's a purifying fire.  It removes the ugly in us!  It conforms us to His image.  It brings us to the end of ourselves and our resources, and if we allow it, it can cause us to plummet the depths of Christs love.  In my own life it was the catalyst that I believe the Lord allowed to bring me to Himself.  Afterward it was what kept me flying to Jesus and His Word devouring every sweet morsel of it.  For me His Word was and is life sustaining Bread! 

"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.  ⁵ For as 

the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ."

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 

Suffering has also taught me that God is a good and loving Father who holds His children tenderly in His arms and weeps when they weep!  In moments when I was in great despair He would cause a friend to call in the right moment and give her the words to say and pray.  Other ways He comforted me were timely messages or music on the radio or a note in the mail etc...It it because of suffering that I have glimpsed the depth of His unfathomable love, His absolute faithfulness, and His trustworthy character in very real and tangible ways.  I love Him to the degree I do, because of all that Jesus has done for me a sinful and flawed woman!

"³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or 

persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written: “For 

Your sake we are killed all day long;We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 

³⁷ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  

³⁸ For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor 

powers, nor things present nor things to come, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any 

other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in 

Christ Jesus our Lord." 

Romans 8:35-39

When I speak of Christ, I am not just sharing some thoughts I read in a book from some theologian, but my very real experience with Him through suffering.  And I do not say these things because He answered my prayers in the ways I wanted Him to, because He didn't.  Oh, but let me clarify I do believe God did and still is answering my heart wrenching prayers.  Only it's through His wisdom and His timing not my limited understanding.  He does always answer prayers in one of these three ways: yes, wait, or I have something better!  How true!  I'm still waiting and trusting that God has something better for me though I have yet to fully understand or see it.  Sometimes we can't know why until we are in heaven.  That's when we have to trust the Character of God!  He is good, all the time!  We on the other hand are but dust and ashes!  We can't know that though unless we are reading His Word through and through!

^"26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should 

pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings 

which cannot be uttered. ²⁷ Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the 

Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God."

 Romans 8:26-27

Dear sweet sisters, please here me!  Suffering is what brought me to Christ, taught me the depths of His love, enabled me to experience His comfort, and refined my theology!  I would not be where I am today if I had not faced the trials that I have thus far faced!  If you are going through trials you can know that that same can be true for you!  I am praying for you!  That you will cry out to Jesus as I did, and tell Him all about it!  The pain, the anger, the fear, the helplessness...whatever it is.  Then after you have had a good cry get up in the strength of the Holy Spirit and simply do the next thing (make dinner, change a diaper, finish that report for work etc...)!  I promise you, if you do, you will be forever changed!!!