Suffering
Typing the word suffer into Biblegateway, 225 scripture passages appeared related to this topic. Disciple after disciple, who walked in the very presence of Jesus, spoke on the reality that we will all suffer.
Thirty-four years ago I had just found out we were unexpectedly expecting our sixth child. I confided in a friend that I had the feeling something was going to go wrong with this pregnancy or the baby and God was going to call us to walk through a time of suffering that would require great faith. Without blinking an eye, this mother of two said, "I think having six children, 8 years old and under, is sufficient suffering and you are going to need to trust the Lord to get through every day!" She was right.
Passages on suffering have presented themselves to me daily for the past week. The sensation of needing to put on the armor of God and stand firm was upon me. Often our minds conjure up situations that never arise. In a quiet time with my husband we were discussing the continual pain (suffering) I've been in from a rotator cuff injury and my resistance to have surgery. Two weeks ago I had another major gallbladder attack. While these devil darts are distractions, they are nothing in comparison to how Christ suffered for us nor the anguish being encountered in many prayer requests.
The reality is Satan is a loser. He can toilet paper our lives, let the air out of our tires and throw fiery darts, but he can't burn us out of our eternal home! And God takes the suffering the enemy sends and turns it around for our good and His glory.
Check out all these powerful points by Paul who knew first hand what it means to suffer for Christ.
Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, Romans 5:2-4
Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ. Philippians 3:8
For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 2 Corinthians 1:5
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Romans 8:18
Father, we praise and thank You for Your sufficient grace to be able to rest and rejoice in our sufferings as a witness of Christ's power in us to others. May we be the light of Christ to our families, our neighbors and a weary world. In Jesus' Name. Amen
The Song "Not For A Moment" by Meredith Andrews
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkix3Tg8L5E
