Romans 5:3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
A lot of people are hurting now, as I read the e-mails that come in, I read of hope, desperation, joy, fear, faith, and uncertainty. I find it of no coincidence that as we focus on, and talk of things that have been lost, I happen to be traveling to a funeral tomorrow, to lay to rest a childhood friends father. It brings into very sharp focus the larger picture…..if you are reading this, you are alive, you have been given another day to be the champion of your world. Suffering will come, is it punishment? Is it a sign? Why is this happening? Do I deserve it? Loss can come as something as little as a loss of some money, up to loss of your entire estate. It can be the loss of a friendship, or as big as the loss of the life of a loved one. No matter the size of the sorrow, no matter the depths of the suffering, I believe that God loves us….and we will praise the God who gives….and the God who takes away. For me, I do not believe that God punishes us. He might allow things to enter our lives that cause us pain, but I do not believe it is a punishment. Why do I say that so confidentially? Because God said He would write His laws on our hearts, and He would remember our sins no more. God is not a liar. If God forgives us our sins when we seek that divine forgiveness, then it is forgiven, and there is nothing left to punish. So why the suffering? Much like Job, suffering enters our life so that we might show our faith to the world. We are given problems so that we might learn to deal with them, and continue on with our faith, all the while giving thanks to God for another day to show the world our faith. As Paul points out in this scripture, it gives us endurance. There is nothing tangible that can be taken from us in this world that cannot be regained. Loved ones pass on, but to the believer, death has no sting. Death is nothing more than another transition…..a continuation of this eternal life that God has blessed us with. So yes we suffer, but during our suffering is the exact time that we should rejoice. For we serve a loving God, we serve a forgiving God, and through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ, we are given an eternity to say thank you. What you lose today, you can regain tomorrow, the loved one that is lost, is but a temporary loss. Today, we are alive! What will we do with that gift? What will we do with that opportunity? You might find yourself in a dark time today, but the light of Christ will cast away all of the shadows and light the way for you to see. What if today is the day? What if today is the day that we do not make it home?……or to be more precise, what if today is the day that we do in fact go home? Have we lived a life rejoicing in the Lord each and every day? Or have we cussed Him for our trials? What if today is the day that we lose it all? Is our faith at a point to where we can see that the salvation through Christ is all that is needed on this earth? Or will we hang our heads and let depression overtake us? I say to each of you…..REJOICE! This suffering that you might be going through is nothing more than a perfect opportunity to praise the Lord. Let this time of struggle, and suffering, produce the endurance needed to run this race as one who intends to win the prize, not just cross the finish line. Suffering will enter all of our lives, what we do with it, where we turn, who we blame, or who we praise, is totally up to us. Rejoice in your suffering, give thanks to the Lord……you are alive…..LIVE it!
God Bless,
Brian Thetford
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www.thenewcovenantchurch.com
www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com
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