Why God allows us to suffer

-
Jesus Christ, polychromed and gilded woodcarve...Jesus Christ, polychromed and gilded woodcarved relief by Martin Vinazer (* 1674 in St. Ulrich in Gröden; † 1744) signed MVF (MV Fecit) Deutsch: Gefasstes Holzrelief des Martin Vinatzer gezeichnet MVF (MV Fecit) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Christ SufferingChrist Suffering (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Take some time to meditate on the wisdom of God as He works out His perfect will through our suffering. No wonder James, the brother of our Lord, commanded us to “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials” (James 1:2)!


  • Suffering is used to increase our awareness of the sustaining power of God to whom we owe our sustenance (Ps 68:19).
  • God uses suffering to refine, perfect, strengthen, and keep us from falling (Ps 66:8-9; Heb 2:10).
  • Suffering allows the life of Christ to be manifested in our mortal flesh (2 Cor 4:7-11).
  • Suffering bankrupts us, making us dependent upon God (2 Cor 12:9).
  • Suffering teaches us humility (2 Cor 12:7).
  • Suffering imparts the mind of Christ (Phil 2:1-11).
  • Suffering teaches us that God is more concerned about character than comfort (Rom 5:3-4; Heb 12:10-11).
  • Suffering teaches us that the greatest good of the Christian life is not absence of pain, but Christlikeness (2 Cor 4:8-10; Rom 8:28-29).
  • Suffering can be a chastisement from God for sin and rebellion (Ps 107:17).
  • Obedience and self-control are from suffering (Heb 5:8; Ps 119:67; Rom 5:1-5; James 1:2-8; Phil 3:10).
  • Voluntary suffering is one way to demonstrate the love of God (2 Cor 8:1-2, 9).
  • Suffering is part of the struggle against sin (Heb 12:4-13).
  • Suffering is part of the struggle against evil men (Ps 27:12; 37:14-15).
  • Suffering is part of the struggle for the kingdom of God (2 Thess 1:5).
  • Suffering is part of the struggle for the gospel (2 Tim 2:8-9).
  • Suffering is part of the struggle against injustice (1 Pet 2:19).
  • Suffering is part of the struggle for the name of Christ (Acts 5:41; 1 Pet 4:14).
  • Suffering indicates how the righteous become sharers in Christ’s suffering (2 Cor 1:5; 1 Pet 4:12-13).
  • Endurance of suffering is given as a cause for reward (2 Cor 4:17; 2 Tim 2:12).
  • Suffering forces community and the administration of the gifts for the common good (Phil 4:12-15).
  • Suffering binds Christians together into a common or joint purpose (Rev 1:9).
  • Suffering produces discernment, knowledge, and teaches us God’s statutes (Ps 119:66-67, 71).
  • Through suffering God is able to obtain our broken and contrite spirit which He desires (Ps 51:16-17).
  • Suffering causes us to discipline our minds by making us focus our hope on the grace to be revealed at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Pet 1:6, 13).
  • God uses suffering to humble us so He can exalt us at the proper time (1 Pet 5:6-7).
  • Suffering teaches us to number our days so we can present to God a heart of wisdom (Ps 90:7-12).
  • Suffering is sometimes necessary to win the lost (2 Tim 2:8-10; 4:5-6).
  • Suffering strengthens and allows us to comfort others who are weak (2 Cor 1:3-11).
  • Suffering is small compared to the surpassing value of knowing Christ (Phil 3:8).
  • God desires truth in our innermost being and one way He does it is through suffering (Ps 51:6; 119:17).
  • The equity for suffering will be found in the next life (Ps 58:10-11).
  • Suffering is always coupled with a greater source of grace (2 Tim 1:7-8; 4:16-18).
  • Suffering teaches us to give thanks in times of sorrow (1 Thess 5:17; 2 Cor 1:11).
  • Suffering increases faith (Jer 29:11).
  • Suffering allows God to manifest His care (Ps 56:8).
  • Suffering stretches our hope (Job 13:14-15).

Out of His deep love for us God is more interested in making His children like Christ than He is in making us comfortable. The glory He receives from redeeming depraved sinners like us and remaking us into His image will be the song that fills the halls of heaven for all eternity (Rev 5:9-10). Since that will be the case in the future, let us pursue joy in the Lord here in the present.

Related articles


Enhanced by Zemanta

Popular posts from this blog

Speaking in tongues for today - Charles Stanley

-
Image
There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. … But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all. … And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. … Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way - 1 Corinthians 12:4, 7, 28, 30—31 The Lord Jesus Christ had come and gone. The church—newly birthed—was in a transition time. The new covenant was seen as a threat to the Jewish leaders; therefore, there was persecution for those who had chosen to follow Christ. The new religion, in its infant stages, had no Bible, few leaders, and absolutely no support from the government. Astounding that it survived, isn’t it?  How in the world did it survive with so little going for it? Power. Not just a force, but mighty, visible power. Th...
Read more

What is the glory (kabod) of God?

-
Image
2 CORINTHIANS 4:17 "This light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison." Scripture places a high value on God 's glory, and it is not hard to figure out why. Since the inherent glory of the Lord is something that He will not share with others (Isa. 42:8), we know that His glory is something that He prizes highly; indeed, He prizes it more highly than anything else. We should, therefore, set the glory of God as the goal and overarching emphasis of our lives. Whatever we lose for the sake of making the Lord's glory known will be worth it when we see the dazzling light and beauty of; the divine glory (28:5; Rev. 21:23). Glory has to do with light and beauty, but those aspects do not sum up what the Bible means when it speaks of the glory of God. Interestingly, the Hebrew word kabod , which is translated into English as "glory," has the root meaning of "weight" or "heaviness....
Read more

The Holy Spirit causes us to cry out: Abba, Father

-
Image
Pentecostés. Óleo sobre lienzo, 275 × 127 cm. Madrid, Museo del Prado. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) To bring out the same truth in another way, Paul says God sent Jesus (as a Man) to live under the Law in order “to redeem those under law, that we [Jews and Gentiles ] might receive the full rights [adoption] of sons” ( Galatians 4:5).  By “full rights” or “adoption” he means entering into the privileges and responsibilities of sonship. He uses it also of the sonship of Israel (Romans 9:4). Galatians 4:1, 2 indicate that the son and heir of a wealthy family in Paul’s day would be treated as a slave until he became of age.  Then he would receive the adoption, that is, all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities that belonged to an adult member of that family. Adoption was also used in the modern sense, so that Gentiles who were not sons of Abraham became true heirs, true sons of God , by faith.  Jesus died, not just to save us from the fires of hell, bu...
Read more