As the weeks went by I realized what He was showing me. People are often suffering. Whether it be watching your children in an unhealthy relationship or caring for elderly parents there is suffering involved. It could be knowing loved ones are not in relationship with the Lord or a court case not turning out the way you hoped. Maybe it's a job you missed out on that causes you to suffer or a broken heart. Suffering comes in many forms.
The Lord was showing me we suffer not just from personal pain or loved ones dying but in life in general. If we are alive we will suffer at some point. The Lord told us in His word it's a part of life.
1 Peter 5:8-10 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. Now you might be thinking to yourself, no kidding tell me something I don't already know!
We know people suffer so where are you going with this? Glad you asked.
What I realized is it's not if we will suffer but are we grounded in our relationship with God so when the suffering comes we can handle it. I have seen a lot of Christians who say they believe in God until tragedy hits and then they second guess God and feel distant from Him. Why? Because they don't have a strong understanding of who God is and how much He loves us. I am guilty of this very thing so please don't feel like I'm attacking you. As always these jewels are about my life and things I went through or are going through now.
For me it has been my situation with my mother. I have been suffering knowing she is in a place I can't get to on a daily basis to see and help her. I was having trouble waking up in the morning and allowing myself to be happy (and I love to be happy) because I felt guilty that I am going on with life and my mother is in a nursing home in the middle of no where without her kids. I would lay awake at night and toss and turn and it would be in my mind all day, a constant reminder that I wasn't “doing” something. I was even holding back from my prayer warriors that I needed them to pray for me because I felt guilty and ashamed of how things turned out with my family. I was suffering and didn't know what to do with it. Does this make sense?
God showed me that this was my current suffering. He then showed me that I wasn't trusting Him with it. I needed to go back to my relationship with Jesus and understand how much He loves me and my mother. I had to start with prayer and remember who I was praying to. I'm praying to GOD!
James 5:13 If anyone among you is suffering let him pray.
Then I had to remember that God would not turn His back on me regardless of the decisions me or anyone else in my family have made. I had to remember that not only could He handle this mess He would handle it and He would deliver me from my suffering as well.
Job 36:15 But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them in their affliction.
God will speak to us when we need Him to we just have to give Him the situation and wait on Him. The Bible tells us that God will work out all things to the good for those who love Him but that doesn't mean suffering isn't a part of that working out.
Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
A great example of this is my friend Carolyn's brother. He recently got hit in the head with a brick . We know that happened because we live in a sin filled world and the devil is out to hurt us. Remember what Peter told us “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” The devil meant harm to him but when he went to the hospital they realized his breathing was irregular and they were more extensive in their care for him. It turned out he had a much bigger problem then a few stitches to his head. They were able to begin treatment for a disease he didn't know he had which saved his life! God took a bad situation and worked it out for good.
In all suffering we have to trust God. We can't understand the mind of God but that doesn't mean His ways are not better than our ways. Ecclesiastes.11:5 As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.
Gems we need to learn how to live in our sufferings and not look at God like he's a mortal man because He's not. He is the Maker of all things, EVERYTHING! We need to have faith so when our world get's rocked it doesn't pull the rug out from under us. We need to be reminded, I needed to be reminded that God is Holy and Righteous and I have no right to question how HE decides to run my life or anyone else's. That my suffering is not a license to underestimate the God I serve. That I can't possibly help someone else whose suffering if I don't trust God with my own. We need to learn how to live with faith in our suffering to trust our creator and not question Him. I leave you with one of my favorite scriptures:
Isaiah 40 12Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance? 1Who can fathom the Spirit of the Lord, or instruct the Lord as his counselor? 14Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge, or showed him the path of understanding? 18With whom, then, will you compare God? To what image will you liken him? 21Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? 22He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. 25“To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One. 26Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. 28Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Amen
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