Finding hope in suffering
… we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together (Rom. 8:17). At no other time is the vanity of life more evident than during times of suffering. When we are hurting the unyielding weight of life presses most forcefully upon us seemingly mocking us at every turn. We find it easy to ignore the constant drone of life when we’re surrounded by loved ones, when we’re in great health, or when we kneel to receive the warm embrace of a child. But when we’re faced with loneliness, when we’re in pain , or when we long to feel the arms of our children encircle us, only then do we taste most deeply life’s bitterness. How do we find comfort in the shadow of God ’s dark providences? Some people try to find comfort in God while they deny that He is in control of their suffering. Others deny God’s existence altogether and resolve simply to face suffering with courage. Some find solace in denying the existence of pain. They believe pain is only a figment of their imagination. Too many...