The Solidarity of Suffering

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September 19
"The Solidarity of Suffering" is the title in my Beth Moore workbook today.  It often feels like we are so alone in our suffering, but God promises that he never leaves us.
Yesterday's Beth Moore lesson had me write down that we are to "live continually aware of God's presence." Hmmm, continually?  That would mean in the good times and the sad.

"Enoch walked with God 300 years." Genesis 5:22  Something must have been going right.

So often, in the onset of suffering, we panic or zone out.  I'm famous for this.  It's like Novocain coats my body and mind and I'm numb.

Our daughter opened her Bible study to this exercise yesterday.
Objectives:
"Realize that there is no glory without suffering; there is no resurrection without crucifixion, and there is no life without death.
Grapple with what it means to embrace suffering, crucifixion, and death in your life.
Practice the skill of identifying an area of suffering, struggle, or hardship in your life and asking the questions:
"What is God up to in my life through this situation?"
"What does it look like to take the pain I am experiencing to Jesus?"
How does He want to bring forth resurrection life through this situation and call forth my glory to His glory?"

Quite honestly, I thought that was a little harsh for her to have to handle, but God knows her heart and the way to healing and she knows God at a depth that allows her to trust him.

The questions take us back to the old familiar…."It's all about Jesus and God getting the glory, not about us."  Wait, wait!  Don't tune out.  For when we can sincerely get to this place, the getting is really, really good.  Resurrection life occurs in the solidarity of our suffering.

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