Pain Meds And The Lord

I've been doing something fairly unusual lately.  A friend told me that it looked like their doctor wasn't going to write any more prescriptions for their pain medications, and they're obviously scared and upset by that as any of us would be.  It's a fearful thing to think that we might have to deal with our pain without having even what relief the pain meds give us.  Due to the condition of my stomach and that I take a number of meds myself, I've been unable to fast for many years now.  It occurred to me though that I could do a kind of fast by refraining from taking my own pain meds as much as possible and using that time I was in pain as a reminder to pray for my friend.  So that's what I've been doing. The Lord has used this time to teach me a great deal, with the most shocking revelation coming today.  He suggested that our pain meds can become idols to us!  I was horrified by that, but I also immediately understood what He was saying.

Among other things, an idol is anything that becomes something you "must have"; something or someone that you feel you simply can't live without.  By that definition, I have to admit that my pain meds have become an idol to me. I remember once about a year ago when I thought my doctor was telling me that I'd have to come off of them.  I was shocked, scared, and began crying, asking why he would say such a thing, and what I was supposed to do about the pain without them.  I'm sure you all can relate to what I was feeling then, and to what my friend is going through now.  In my case, I had misunderstood what my doctor was saying and that wasn't at all what he meant.  I didn't think anything of it at the time, I thought of how I responded to this when the Lord told me that our pain meds could become idols.  My response was instant and my feeling was very definitely one of feeling that I couldn't live without those meds - or rather, that I didn't want to live without them.

Why is this idolatry?  Because we're putting our pain meds in the place God should be in our hearts, minds and spirits.  We've put our faith, and trust in our pain meds to help us deal with the pain.  Sure, we also pray and ask for God's help, but that doesn't change the fact that we've placed our trust in the pills and not in God alone.  God doesn't tell us to trust Him plus someone or something else, or to have faith in Him plus someone or something else, and yet that's exactly what we're doing, and that's what the Bible calls spiritual adultery.  

Is it wrong for us to take these pain meds?  Absolutely not!  That's not at all what I'm saying or what God is saying.  The Bible makes mention of doctors and medications in any number of places, and the only thing we're told is that we're not to place our trust and faith in the doctors and medications, but instead we're to place it in God alone. God gives us doctors and medications to use for our benefit, but He doesn't want them to take His place in our hearts or minds.  We're to remember that when those pain pills work, it's because God made them work; when the doctors help us, it's because God made it happen.  Nothing happens on this earth or in our lives that isn't completely under God's sovereignty.  God is in control of everything, 100% of the time.  He's even in control if or when our doctors say that we can't take those meds any longer.  As Jesus told Pilate, no one has any authority over us unless it is given them by the Father.  And we know that God makes all things work for our good, not part of the time, but all the time.  

So what are we to do about this?  How do we deal with the knowledge that our pain meds may have become an idol and if so, we're committing spiritual adultery?  All I can tell you is what I've done.  I was both shocked and devastated that this had happened, so I immediately repented and asked the Lord's forgiveness, knowing that He offers it freely to all who repent.  I thanked Him for not treating me as my sins deserve, and thanked Him for revealing this to me.  I admitted that I was incapable of changing my own heart other than to be honestly sorrowful that I'd allowed this to happen, and asked Him to change my heart for me; I asked Him to help me to keep my faith and trust only in Him.  Now, I'm trusting Him to do exactly that.

God amazes me constantly in how He teaches us.  First He showed me that I could fast by not taking my own pain meds as soon as I needed them, and pray for my friend when I was in pain.  Then, I would ultimately have to turn to Him and ask His help to deal with the pain since I was trying not to take my meds. Every single time, He did help me.  Many times he relieved the pain Himself, and in ways that shocked me.  In the last 15 years I've never been able to take less then two doses of my meds in the morning to get the pain down to bearable,  and I've tried many times to do without that second dose, to no avail.  But this time, I was able to because I turned to the Lord and He relieved the pain for me.  He always waited till I asked Him, but once I did, He'd relieve it.  There have been times when I knew that I had to take my meds because the pain was so great that I just couldn't stand it any longer.  I prayed anyway, honestly because I was going to take the meds and was planning on telling the Lord I was sorry but I couldn't hold out anymore.  But instead, the Lord relieved my pain!  I have never, ever, had my pain just "go away" when it's gotten that bad before, without taking my meds!  Never!  In fact, when it's that bad, I often have to take at least two doses and sometimes more!  So the Lord has taught me over the last week that if I put my faith in Him instead of the pills, that He will take care of me and help me.

Even knowing that though, the thought of not having the pills at all is still scary to me, but then it's been less then an hour since I asked the Lord to change my heart, so I suspect that this change is going to take time and will also require some work on my part.  My plan is to continue to always ask the Lord before I take any pain meds, and continue to do my best not to think about taking them until I feel that I absolutely must do so. Then I'll ask the Lord to either relieve the pain or let me know that I need to take my meds.  By doing it that way, it should help me to consciously remember that it's the Lord who's in control and that I'm leaving it up to Him as to whether or not He wants to relieve my pain Himself or through the medication, or of course, if He wants me to simply deal with the pain a bit longer.  

I'm sharing this now because I felt that this was certainly a snare of Satan's that we all needed to be aware of. I think that because of the way the war on drugs is heading by media, government and insurance companies, and how they've now included prescription pain meds in their war, that it's quite possible that our doctors will be forced to take us off our pain meds or at least reduce the amount we use.  It's actually already begun happening to some people, so it won't surprise me if it eventually happens to all of us.  I sincerely hope it doesn't go that far, but it could, so it's better to be prepared in case it does. 

This may encourage you: When we just can't take any more   

Proverbs 29:25 —Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. * 

Psalm 100:5 —For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. * 

Revelation 3:7 —“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. *  

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. *

Romans 8:31–32 —What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? *

Links to some Articles that may help people living with Physical or Emotional Pain

I wanted to post some links to other articles that might help some of us.  Living with pain doesn't mean we don't also have to deal with all the same things that people who don't live with pain have to deal with.  We just have to deal with the pain on top of them.  So here's some links to some other articles that may be of help to someone:

God warns us of the pitfalls of Living with Pain

How God can use our pain 

God's lesson for us 

Accepting our pain 

God closed the door 

Help for Those Who Suffer

Help for Those Who Suffer Part 2

The Value of Suffering

When Pain is Prolonged

These next articles are a series I did about suffering back in 2008:


Suffering Part 1

Suffering Part 2:

Suffering Part 3: 

Suffering Part 4: 

 Suffering Part 5

Suffering Part 6

 Suffering Part 7

More articles:

How could God be so cruel???
 
For those that suffer pain and depression:

25 Reasons Why Christians Suffer 

These next articles are another later series I did about suffering:

The Power of Suffering

Lessons learned from suffering

 Lessons learned from suffering Part 2

 Examples of Faith in the Fire

Knowing Joy amid Suffering 
  
KNOWING THE PARADOXES OF SUFFERING

How Paul Handled Suffering

How Jesus handled suffering 

Preparing for Suffering  

Some others that might be helpful:

He shall choose our inheritance for us
 
Anger

When we just can't take any more
 
Does it feel like you've been cursed??? 

Everything is going wrong!!!! 

My reflection on Psalm 23 
 
Psalms When We're In Pain

He shall choose our inheritance for us

“He shall choose our inheritance for us.”
— Psalm 47:4

Believer, if your inheritance be a lowly one you should be satisfied with your earthly portion; for you may rest assured that it is the fittest for you. Unerring wisdom ordained your lot, and selected for you the safest and best condition. A ship of large tonnage is to be brought up the river; now, in one part of the stream there is a sandbank; should some one ask, “Why does the captain steer through the deep part of the channel and deviate so much from a straight line?” His answer would be, “Because I should not get my vessel into harbour at all if I did not keep to the deep channel.” So, it may be, you would run aground and suffer shipwreck, if your divine Captain did not steer you into the depths of affliction where waves of trouble follow each other in quick succession. Some plants die if they have too much sunshine. It may be that you are planted where you get but little, you are put there by the loving Husbandman, because only in that situation will you bring forth fruit unto perfection. Remember this, had any other condition been better for you than the one in which you are, divine love would have put you there. You are placed by God in the most suitable circumstances, and if you had the choosing of your lot, you would soon cry, “Lord, choose my inheritance for me, for by my self-will I am pierced through with many sorrows.” Be content with such things as you have, since the Lord has ordered all things for your good. Take up your own daily cross; it is the burden best suited for your shoulder, and will prove most effective to make you perfect in every good word and work to the glory of God. Down busy self, and proud impatience, it is not for you to choose, but for the Lord of Love!

“Trials must and will befall—
But with humble faith to see
Love inscribed upon them all;
This is happiness to me.”

Spurgeon, C. H. (2006). Morning and evening : Daily readings


The supreme climb

Take now thy son . . . Genesis 22:2.

God’s command is—Take now, not presently. It is extraordinary how we debate! We know a thing is right, but we try to find excuses for not doing it at once. To climb to the height God shows can never be done presently, it must be done now. The sacrifice is gone through in will before it is performed actually.

“And Abraham rose up early in the morning, . . . and went unto the place of which God had told him” (v. 3). The wonderful simplicity of Abraham! When God spoke, he did not confer with flesh and blood. Beware when you want to confer with flesh and blood, i.e., your own sympathies, your own insight, anything that is not based on your personal relationship to God. These are the things that compete with and hinder obedience to God.

Abraham did not choose the sacrifice. Always guard against self-chosen service for God; self-sacrifice may be a disease. If God has made your cup sweet, drink it with grace; if He has made it bitter, drink it in communion with Him. If the providential order of God for you is a hard time of difficulty, go through with it, but never choose the scene of your martyrdom. God chose the crucible for Abraham, and Abraham made no demur; he went steadily through. If you are not living in touch with Him, it is easy to pass a crude verdict on God. You must go through the crucible before you have any right to pronounce a verdict, because in the crucible you learn to know God better. God is working for His highest ends until His purpose and man’s purpose become one.

Chambers, O. (1993, c1935). My utmost for his highest : Selections for the year

Matthew 6:10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

When Pain is Prolonged

 I had forgotten all about this sermon I found and wanted to share it here since it's on Job:

When Pain is Prolonged
Selections from Job
Job 2:11-3:4

One of the most difficult times in my life was the five years my family endured as a result of an un-diagnosed illness my mother had. For five years my mother was sick and no doctor could figure out what was really wrong. In that time she endured several surgeries including having her gall bladder removed, a hysterectomy and many other exploratory surgeries. And each time the doctor would come out and tell my dad, “Sir, we found nothing. But still my mom continued to weaken and worsen.

Looking back, the hardest part of the ordeal was not the initial shock that something was deeply wrong and that my mothers life was at stake. It was seeing my mom battle lingering, prolonged pain. Every day she was in just complete agony with no end or solution in sight. She couldn't eat and she was losing weight. There were days when I thought, it might be more comforting for her if she were dead. There were days when my mother probably wanted to die too! Watching someone you love go through prolonged pain is hard. I. JOBS PROLONGED AGONY
Last week we began looking at the life of man in the Old Testament named Job. Job began the day as a millionaire but in a series of unfortunate circumstances he would lose all his wealth.

If that wasn't enough, a tornado hit the house where his ten children were and they all died.

Then the Bible tells us that Jobs health broke. Chuck Swindoll gives a summary of Jobs physical pain. He suffered:

Inflamed ulcerous sores (Job 2:7)
Persistent itching (Job 2:8)
Facial disfiguration (Job 2:12)
Loss of appetite ([Job 3:24)
Fears and depression (Job 3:25)
Sores that burst open, scab over, crack and ooze with pus (Job 7:5)
Worms that form in the sores themselves (Job 7:5)
Difficulty in breathing (Job 9:18)
A darkening of the eyelid (Job 16:16)
Loss of weight (Job 19:20)
Continual pain (Job 30:27)
High fever with chills and diarrhea (Job 30:30)

On top of that Job says, ““my breath is offensive to my wife (Job 19:17).

Job was so disfigured and disgusting that nearly everyone including his servants rejected him. He was so poor and despised that eventually he had to go live in the city garbage dump.

Warren Wiersbe describes what living there was like. In this place the city garbage was deposited and burned and the citys rejects lived, begging money from whomever passed by. Dogs fought over something to eat and citys dung was brought and burned. Job, who was once the greatest of all men in the East was now living in abject poverty and shame.

Jobs suffering was tremendous. But worse than that, there seemed to be no end in sight to his pain and things weren't getting better. You know, the most severe test of life is not the immediate crises but the prolonged pain that follows. That is why it is important that we learn to hold on to our faith when we are in what Jill Briscoe calls, Gods waiting room. Where we are waiting for answers or some relief but it just doesn't come.

I think we can learn three valuable lessons from Job about how to maintain our faith when we go through prolonged pain. James 5:11 says, You have heard of Jobs perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. There are three lessons that Job teaches us about enduring through prolonged pain. II. OUR FRIENDS MAY NOT UNDERSTAND
One thing Job teaches us is that when we go through prolonged pain OUR FRIENDS MAY NOT UNDERSTAND. Job chapter 2 tells us that three of Jobs closest friends came to visit him.

Job 2:11 When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him.

Good friends care enough to come without being asked to come. No one sent a message to these guys, they just came. Friends don't need an invitation; spontaneously they come.

Job 2:12 When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads.

Good friends aren't turned off by distasteful sights. Friends don't turn away because the one they love has been reduced to the shell of his former self. These men literally raised their voices and sobbed as they sat down on the ground with Job and said nothing for seven days.

Len Sweet in his book Postmodern Pilgrims recounts a letter a physician wrote to him:

Today I visited an eight-year-old girl dying of cancer. Her body was disfigured by her disease and its treatment. She was in almost constant pain. As I entered her room, I was overcome immediately by her suffering so unjust, unfair, unreasonable. Even more overpowering was the presence of her grandmother lying in bed beside her with her huge body embracing this precious, inhuman suffering.

I stood in awe, for I knew I was on holy ground. the suffering of innocent children is horrifying beyond words. I will never forget the great, gentle arms and body of this grandmother. She never spoke while I was there. She was holding and participating in suffering that she could not relieve, and somehow her silent presence was relieving it. No words could express the magnitude of her love.

Jobs friends came and stayed for a week, just providing companionship and sharing in his agony. Their presence probably gave Job the freedom to express his emotions.

Job 3:1-4 After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. He said: “May the day of my birth perish, and the night it was said, ‘A boy is born!’ That day—may it turn to darkness; may God above not care about it; may no light shine upon it.

Job was discovering the reality of prolonged pain. He wishes he'd never been born. If you read all of chapter 3 you'll see that it is dedicated to Jobs mournful wail. Chuck Swindoll calls it Job, in raw reality. Reality is sinking in. Sometimes there are experiences that even the hurting cant seem to find hope.

After listening to Jobs sniveling for seven days, his friends had had enough. They decided to speak up and straighten him out. So one of the three amigos: Eliphaz speaks to Job:

Job 4:2-8 “If someone ventures a word with you, will you be impatient? But who can keep from speaking? Think how you have instructed many, how you have strengthened feeble hands. Your words have supported those who stumbled; you have strengthened faltering knees. But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged; it strikes you, and you are dismayed. Should not your piety be your confidence and your blameless ways your hope? “Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Where were the upright ever destroyed? As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it.


Do you detect a little condemnation in Eliphaz's words? If he came to sympathize and comfort, this is a bizarre way to do it. What Job needed is grace and acceptance, not judgment. He's basically saying to Job, It's my observation that people who suffer on this level have got sin in their life. Job, God must be disciplining you. When someone is suffering, theological insights don't help too much. Eliphaz should've kept his mouth shut. I mean no words, no matter how profound or how true can heal a wound as deep as Jobs.

Joe Bayly lost three children in a series of tragedies. In his book, The Last Thing We Talk About, he relates that one friend visited him in the funeral home and talked and talked about God's grace and how God would get him through it. He knew all those things were true, but he couldn't wait for his friend to leave. Another friend came and just sat with him quietly, not saying much, not trying to explain. He was just there if needed him. Bayly said, I hated to see him go.

Don't you hate it when you are suffering and people get all preachy or philosophical on you and say things like, You're still young; you'll have other children. Or God works all things out for your good. You just want to smack them.

The truth is that you can't expect more out of people than they're able to deliver. Most of the time your friends want to help but they just don't know how or they say things that actually hurt more than they help. Galatians 6:2 says, Carry each others burdens, but a few verses later it says to carry your own load.

There is a sense in which other people can help. There is another sense in which you have to bear that burden alone with nothing other than the help of God. It's one thing for your friends to minister to you, but they get tired. You can wear them out. Don't expect more of them than they are capable of delivering. R.E.M. sings, Everybody hurts, take comfort in your friends. There is a limit to that.

Job got a limited amount of comfort from his friends and that was all. III. GOD APPEARS TO BE DISTANT
Another thing Job teaches us is that when we go through prolonged pain GOD OFTEN APPEARS TO BE DISTANT. Job was faithful to God through his trial but he does question whether God had disappeared. Or whether God even cared. Listen to his questions about Gods whereabouts:

Job 13:24, Why have you turned your back and count me your enemy?

Job 19:7 “Though I cry, ‘I’ve been wronged!’ I get no response; though I call for help, there is no justice.

Job 23:3-4 If only I knew where to find him; if only I could go to his dwelling! I would state my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments.

Job 23:8-10 “But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him. When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him. But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.

Job 30:20 “I cry out to you, O God, but you do not answer; I stand up, but you merely look at me.

One of the most difficult tests of faith is to wait for God when answers don't come. Dr. John Claypool was a pastor at the Crescent Hill Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky. His little daughter contracted leukemia. When she was weakening and wasting away in intense pain she asked, Daddy, when will this leukemia go away? He said, I don't know, darling, but we're doing everything in our power to find an answer to cure it. There was a long silence and then she asked, Have you asked God when the leukemia will go away? Her Father hedged a bit and said, You know, darling, we have prayed again and again for God to help us. Then she asked, What did God say? And he had no answer.

Claypool asked, What do say to a little girl at a time when the heavens seem utterly silent?
Have you ever had one of those times in your life where you felt as if God didn't care? It's frustrating. A Jewish holocaust victim who had suffered greatly at the hands of the Nazis prayed, God if this is the way you treat your friends, its no wonder you don't have very many.

The Psalmist prayed in the Bible, Psalm 44:23-24 Awake, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever. Why do you hide your face and forget our misery and oppression?
A. HOW TO DEAL WITH HIS SILENCE...
Verla Gillmor from Christianity Today supplies some really good advice to help us handle these times in our lives when God seems distant.

1. She says first remember that GOD'S SILENCE IS NOT THE SAME AS GOD'S ABSENCE. The fact that God seems distant probably has nothing to do with God and nothing to do with your sins, but everything to do with your feelings. This is when you have to trust the promises of scripture that God is always present even when it feels totally the opposite.

Bob Russell talks about a Native American rite of passage when their boys turned 12. They would blindfold them and lead them deep into the woods and sit them by a tree. If the boy would sit there alone all night without removing the blindfold, he was considered a man. But he would have to just sit there, aware that there were predators and enemies lurking nearby. That would be hard to do with all the rustling of the leaves and the threatening noises of the woods at night.

But in the morning when he removed his blindfold he would be surprised to see his father, just a few feet away, poised with his weapon to protect him. He'd been there, quietly waiting, protecting all night, and the boy wasn't aware of it.

Deuteronomy 31:8 says The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Ray Edmonds said, Don't doubt in the dark what God has told you in the light. 2. Secondly, Vilmor says GOD'S SILENCE DEEPENS OUR FAITH. Harold Wilke was born with no arms and one time when he was a preschooler he was struggling to get his shirt over his head and shoulders. He said, I was grunting and sweating and my mother just stood there and watched. A relative turned to his mother and said, Ida, why don't you help the child? His mother responded through gritted teeth, I am helping him.

Sometimes God stands by in silence and does nothing because it actually helps us grow. Job dug in and said, Even though God slay me, yet will I trust Him. (Job 13:15). Job said, I don't know what God is doing here, but I am going to trust that this is making me a better person.

IV. WATCH OUT FOR BITTERNESS
One last thing Job teaches about going through prolonged pain is TO WATCH OUT FOR BITTERNESS AND DEPRESSION. Job battled bitterness towards life and God. He battled depression. He said, As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice, the Almighty, who has made me taste the bitterness of soul. (Job 27:2).

When Job's pain was prolonged, he battled bitterness toward God, resentment toward his friends, despair toward life, even thoughts of suicide. When you're really down, Satan will plant thoughts of self-destruction in your mind and try to convince you that you'd would be better off if you end it all.

But if you are bitter with God, let him know about it. Trust me, God can take whatever you've got to say to him. A preacher who had a son killed in an auto accident says that when he learned what had happened, he got into his car and drove off screaming in anger at God. He even cursed God. Then he pulled over to the side of the road, buried his head in the steering wheel and sobbed and pleaded with God for forgiveness. He said, God didn't strike me dead, although I deserved it. God didn't put a curse on me although He could have. When the explosion was over God was still there, loving him, comforting him, forgiving him.

C.S. Lewis once said, We must lay before God what is in us, not what is not in us. If you are upset with God, don't fake it. IT IS NOT ILLEGAL TO EXPRESS YOUR HONEST EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS TO GOD.

King David did this in Psalm 13. How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death. (Psalm 13:1-3).

In times of prolonged pain, I think it helps us to remember that GOD HAS PROMISED A REWARD TO THOSE WHO ENDURE SUFFERING.

Hebrews 10:32 reads, Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

God has never promised that the pain will end in this life. Your pain could exist till day you depart this world. But God has promised us eternal life and a guaranteed end to this misery. So would you gain an eternal perspective. What Chuck Swindoll calls a vertical perspective on life. This is what Job did. He said, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth (Job 19:25).

For those who have suffered a great deal yet remained faithful, there is a promise that one Jesus Christ will return to this earth and wipe away every tear.

Dr. John Claypool's daughter asked, What did God say? And God was silent. She died of leukemia on Easter Sunday morning. The next Sunday that he preached Dr. Claypool quoted Isaiah. 40:31, But 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.

In essence he said, Sometimes we mount up with wings as an eagle and fly. We're on top of the world. Sometimes we run and don't grow weary. God sustains us daily. Sometimes it's all we can do and not faint. I'd like to say that since my daughter is in heaven, I'm mounting up with eagles and flying. But the truth is I'm struggling to walk and not faint. But I still believe that one day God will make all things right.

John Claypool believed what Job believed. That no matter what the outcome, God was in control and his promises are true.

http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon.asp?SermonID=80723&page=3

Suffering Part 7

Suffering Part 7

 

Ok, I just remembered something about the first few chapters that I forgot to include and want to do that real quick. Remember when Job's wife told him to curse God and die? What she was actually telling him to do was to take matters into his own hands and stop trusting the Lord to work things out for his benefit. I know for me that is usually my biggest temptation...to take things into my own hands. Especially in regards to when I'm suffering.

For example: You're looking for a good doctor or a new church home and you keep meeting with failure. Nothing that you've tried is quite what you're looking for. So you take things into your own hands and either settle for one that's really not what you wanted and you know it's not what the Lord wants, or perhaps you decide that since you haven't found one after all this time, that you'll just give up and not try anymore. Both reactions are taking things into our own hands, rather then trusting the Lord to work it out. I'm afraid that I'm very familiar with this sin because it's one that I seem to habitually fall into.

I'd like to quote something from the book here about this too because he says it so well:

Quote:

Faith is living without scheming. It is obeying God in spite of feelings, circumstances, or consequences, knowing that He is working out His perfect plan in His way and in His time. The two things Job would not give up were his faith in God and his integrity, and that's what his wife wanted him to do. Even if God did permit evil to come into his life, Job would not rebel against God by taking matters into his own hands. Be patient. An Old Testament study.

  

What does Col 1:24 mean?

 

Colossians 1:24 Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.

 

 

Quote:

Colossians 1:24 . This reconciliation by Christ of Jews and Gentiles to God in one body is a mystery revealed only in Christ. Paul rejoiced that he was able to suffer for them what was still lacking in regard to Christs afflictions. By this he did not mean that Christs suffering on the cross was insufficient (cf. Rom. 3:21-26; Heb. 10:10-14). He was speaking not of salvation but of service. Christs suffering alone procures salvation (1 Peter 1:11; 5:1; Heb. 2:9). But it is a believers privilege to suffer for Christ (2 Tim. 3:11; 1 Peter 3:13-14; 5:9; Heb. 10:32). The word affliction (thlipsis) never used in the New Testament of Christs death means distress, pressure,or trouble (which Paul had plenty of; 2 Cor. 11:23-29). Ordinarily it refers to trials in life, not the pains of death. Christ does indeed continue to suffer when Christians suffer for Him. He asked Saul (later called Paul) on the Damascus Road, Why do you persecute Me? (Acts 9:4) Since the church is Christs body, He is affected when it is affected. For the sake of Christs body Paul willingly suffered (Phil. 1:29). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures

I thought this one was interesting too:

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fill up that which is behind”literally, the deficiencies”all that are lacking of the afflictions of Christ (compare Note, see on 2 Co 1:5). Christ is afflicted in all His peoples afflictions (Is 63:9). The Church is His body in which He is, dwells, lives, and therefore also suffers [Vitringa]. Christ was destined to endure certain afflictions in this figurative body, as well as in His literal; these were that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ, which Paul filled up. His own meritorious sufferings in expiation for sin were once for all completely filled up on the Cross. But His Church (His second Self) has her whole measure of afflictions fixed. The more Paul, a member, endured, the less remain for the rest of the Church to endure; the communion of saints thus giving them an interest in his sufferings. It is in reference to the Church's afflictions, which are Christs afflictions, that Paul here saith, I fill up the deficiencies, or what remain behind of the afflictions of Christ. She is afflicted to promote her growth in holiness, and her completeness in Christ. Not one suffering is lost (Ps 56:8). All her members have thus a mutual interest in one anothers sufferings (1Co 12:26). But Romes inference hence, is utterly false that the Church has a stock treasury of the merits and satisfactions of Christ and His apostles, out of which she may dispense indulgences; the context has no reference to sufferings in expiation of sin and productive of merit. Believers should regard their sufferings less in relation to themselves as individuals, and more as parts of a grand whole, carrying out Gods perfect plan. A commentary, critical and explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments

I think this one however helps the most to understand what is being said:

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Suffering for the Gentiles (Col. 1:24-27)

Pauls enemies made much of the fact that the great apostle was a prisoner of Rome. The false teachers in Colossae probably ridiculed Paul and used this as a weapon to fight the truth of the Gospel. But Paul turned this weapon around and used it to defeat his enemies and to build a closer relationship with the church in Colossae.

Pauls rejoicing (v. 24). Instead of being ashamed of my suffering, I am rejoicing in it! How could anyone rejoice in suffering? To begin with, Paul was suffering because of Jesus Christ. It was the fellowship of His sufferings (Phil. 3:10). Like the early Apostles, Paul rejoiced that he was counted worthy to suffer shame for His name (Acts 5:41). A Christian should never suffer as a thief or as an evildoer; but it is an honor to suffer as a Christian (1 Peter 4:15-16). There is a special blessing and reward reserved for the faithful believer who suffers for the sake of Christ (Matt. 5:10-12).

Paul had a second cause for rejoicing in his suffering: he was suffering because of the Gentiles. Paul was the chosen apostle to the Gentiles (Eph. 3:1-13). In fact, he was a prisoner in Rome because of his love for the Gentiles. He was arrested in Jerusalem on false charges, and the Jews listened to his defense until he used the word Gentiles (see Acts 22:21ff). It was that word that infuriated them and drove them to ask for his execution. (The full account is given in Acts 21-28, and an exciting account it is.)

So the Gentile believers in Colossae had every reason to love Paul and be thankful for his special ministry to them. But there was a third cause for Pauls rejoicing: he was suffering for the sake of Christs body, the church. There was a time when Paul had persecuted the church and caused it to suffer. But now Paul devoted his life to the care of the church. Paul did not ask, as do some believers. What will I get out of it? Instead he asked, How much will God let me put into it? The fact that Paul was a prisoner did not stop him from ministering to the church.

It is important to note, however, that these sufferings had nothing to do with the sacrificial sufferings of Christ on the cross. Only the sinless Lamb of God could die for the sins of the world (John 1:29). Paul was filling up in his turn the leftover parts of Christs sufferings (Col. 1:24, literal translation). The word afflictions refers to the pressures of life, the persecutions Paul endured. This word is never used in the New Testament for the sacrificial sufferings of Jesus Christ.

The sacrificial sufferings of Christ are over, but His body, the church, experiences suffering because of its stand for the faith. The Head of the church in heaven feels the sufferings that His people endure. (Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? Acts 9:4) Paul was taking his turn in sharing these afflictions, and others would follow in his train. But Paul did not complain. “For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds by Christ(2 Cor. 1:5).
The Bible exposition commentary.

 

For example, I'm disabled and live with pain. Just yesterday my kids came over for a get together/cook out and my youngest daughter brought along her mother in law. Her mother in law also lives with pain. We got to talking and I was able to encourage her a little. Later that night my daughter called me and told me that her mother in law told her that she was so glad she had gone to my house, because now she knows she's not alone anymore and that there are others that are dealing with the same things. She was so relieved she was close to tears. She was more then "a little encouraged". I couldn't have done that if I hadn't understood from a first hand experience where she was coming from, and also if I didn't have Jesus to guide me. Now though, she also understands and it won't be long before the Lord will be able to use her to encourage and strengthen someone else.

Now for the clincher, at least it is for me. I was injured in January of 2000 which is when I started this journey of living with pain. But I'd like to take you back 2 weeks before that, on New Years Eve of 1999. At church for New Years eve we have a tradition of joining together in prayer for guidance for the coming year and then we go up to the alter one at a time and pull a scripture card out of a large bowl. Whatever verse is on it, becomes our scripture for the year.

I remember being a little dismayed when I got mine, because to be honest, it just plain frightened me. I had a gut feeling that I really wasn't gonna like whatever it was that was going to happen. In fact, I felt that so strongly that I told one of the elders and we prayed about it and the Lord filled me with His peace, although He did not say I was wrong. OK, now on the card there's a verse on one side and a little prayer like devotional on the other. Obviously I still have it. Here's what mine said:

"The Lord is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation." Exodus 15:2

"Lord, order my steps today. Make me strong, not for the sake of possessing strength, but to make me sufficient for the crisis moments in my life and in the lives of others who reach out to me".

See what I mean?  17 days after receiving this card my life changed forever. Thanks to Lord I was prepared spiritually for the change as much as anyone can be. It still hurt and I still struggled and fought, but I did have that little edge He'd given me. Once I finally accepted my new "life" He was then able to start preparing me for my new mission.

One thing about out God that's for sure. He never wastes anything and there's always a reason for everything He does and everything He allows to happen. We can also count on the fact that everything really will work out to our good just as His Word says. What throws people off though is that often our ideas of what should happen are not the same as what God has in mind.

Galatians 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.

1 Corinthians 12:26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

Suffering Part 6

Suffering Part 6

 

As I said, I've been studying Job lately and it's been fascinating! Here's a few things from Job that I'd like to share with you:

Job 1:1 In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.

When this verse says that Job was blameless, it does not mean that he was without sin. We know that everyone is a sinner. What it means is that he had integrity and that he did his best to live a good life because he loved God. In other words he wasn't a hypocrite.

He feared God and shunned evil which is exactly what the Lord wants us to do. By "fear" it doesn't mean the kind where you are cringing because you are afraid, but instead is talking about having a deep respect and loving reverence for God.

Note what else we are told later about the fear of the Lord:

Job 28:28 And he said to man, ˜The fear of the Lord”that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.

The fact that the Lord Himself says that Job was blameless and upright shows that Jobs friends were totally wrong in accusing him of being a willful sinner. Also take note that it was Satan that accused Job, not God. In fact if you read Satan's accusation, he was actually accusing God too.

Job 1:9-11 Does Job fear God for nothing? Satan replied. Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.

Basically Satan was saying, "You have to pay people to worship you" to God. So although Job didn't know it, this whole thing was about a battle in heaven about God's integrity and to decide if God was indeed worthy of worship.

Another important fact we discover from this is that Satan can NOT touch us without the Lord's permission! That alone shows who is really in control all the time.

When I was thinking about what Satan was inferring to God about the only way He could get us to worship Him was by giving us wealth and stuff, it reminded me of the word of faith garbage. (WOF or word of faith is the abbreviation for the belief that if you want something all you have to do is "claim it" and God will give it to you. They teach that you can find promises in God's word that say that he promises you that he will make you financially wealthy, perfectly healthy and give you a car or whatever else you "claim". It's also sometimes referred to as the "name it and claim it" group. This goes completely against what God's Word actually says though. If anyone doesn't understand this or know about the teachers who teach it today, or want more info, please feel free to ask. I suggest though that you ask in the Today's Teachers and Prophets Forum, and also browse through some of the threads in that forum for more info) This shows us exactly where that doctrine comes from: Satan! God doesn't promise us wealth, or anything else in this life other then eternal life with Him.

Next after Satan has done his dirty first dirty deed, we see how Job reacts to the loss of his children and wealth:

Job 1:20-22 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: Naked I came from my mothers womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised. In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

This is just amazing! Job was crushed and broken hearted and yet His immediate reaction after showing his grief, was to worship God! In his worship he shows that he understands that God is in control, that it was because of God's goodness that he had those good things, and that it was within God's rights to take them away. He shows that he understands that God always has a good reason for the things He does, even when we don't know what it is.

When I read Job's reaction I felt that this was also a hint for us as to how we should react to our own suffering. I'm not saying that we shouldn't grieve, we should. Just as Job did also, but we should also worship God and praise Him even in the midst of our suffering.

This will do a couple of things for us. First it takes our eyes off our problem or off our physical or emotional pain, and puts them on the One who can help us, God. Second, it reminds us that God is with us right now and makes Him more real to us in the moment. Third, by putting our attention on Him, it allows Him to fill us with His peace and comfort us.

I know that for me, when I start truly worshiping and praising God, I feel much better emotionally and mentally and that also affects how I feel physically. You just can't lift your heart and hands in worship and not be affected that way!

The next thing that really stood out for me was in chapter 2, where his wife tells him to curse God and die. I really feel for her because she must have been every bit as crushed as Job over the loss of her children and wealth and now Job's illness. The loss of the wealth was probably nothing to her compared to the loss of her children. I think in fact that her reaction is closer to what my own probably would have been. That's probably what I would have felt like doing.

Job however, tells her she's being foolish and that it's within God's right to do what has been done. Finally though in chapter 3, we see that his illness gets to him and he begins feeling sorry for himself. He isn't contemplating suicide here as some suggest but rather he's crying out as so many of have, "Why me? Why was I ever born??" I can certainly relate to that heart cry and I think most people can. This is what finally causes Job's so called friends to start speaking.

But first I want to share with you what Job's illness actually entailed because I think a lot of us can relate to some of what he suffered:

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The two Hebrew words translated painful sores were used of the plagues of festering boils in Egypt (Ex. 9:8-11; Deut. 28:27) and of Hezekiahs illness (2 Kings 20:7, boil). Some scholars say the disease may have been smallpox; others say it was elephantiasis. It was apparently some skin condition withscabs or scales , such as pemphigus foliaceus (cf. Rupert Hallam, emphigus Foliaceus, in The British Encyclopaedia of Medical Practice. 2nd ed. 12 vols. London: Butterworth, 1950-52, 9:490-2). This disease, as attested by physicians today, matches the symptoms of Jobs afflictions inflamed, ulcerous sores (Job 2:7), itching (v. 8), degenerative changes in facial skin (vv. Job 2:7, 12), loss of appetite (Job 3:24), depression (Job 3:24-25), loss of strength (Job 6:11),worms in the boils (7:5), running sores (Job 7:5), difficulty in breathing (Job 9:18), darkness under the eyes (Job 16:16), foul breath (Job 19:17), loss of weight (Job 19:20; Job 33:21), continual pain (Job 30:17), restlessness (Job 30:27), blackened skin (Job 30:30),peeling skin (Job 30:30), and fever (Job 30:30). Job 2:12-13. Job was so disfigured by the disease that they . . . hardly recognized him

So we can see from this that Job was in terrible physical suffering. Yet he still worshiped the Lord even though he grieved and asked "why". It's the "why" that his friends tried to answer. Each one of them decided that the only possible reason Job could be suffering so was because God must know of some hidden sin in his life and was punishing him for it. Again, just like what the word of faith garbage teaches. Thankfully we can know for sure this isn't true because God himself vindicates Job and tells his friends that they're wrong.

One other thing stood out to me in chapter 3 that I wanted to share with you:

Job 3:25-26 What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me. I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil.

This seems to indicate that Job had had an intuition or feeling that something bad was going to happen. I know I've had that feeling before too and have been right, just as Job obviously was in this instance. I think God gives us these feelings sometimes to motivate us to seek Him and pray about it, so that when it happens, we already have hold of our life preserver-Him- and don't have to struggle to find Him.

Suffering Part 5

Suffering Part 5

 

I've been reading Job to see what this book has to say about suffering. Even in the very first chapter something jumped out at me. Right after God allows Satan to cause the deaths of Job's 10 children Job shows us the godly way of dealing with suffering. Those who have lost a child know that this is the worst thing that can happen to a parent. There is no greater suffering then that of a parent who's child has died. So how does Job react when all of his children die in an accident?

Job 1:20-22 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

Yes, he grieved, as any parent would, but even in the very midst of his horrible grief, he worshiped the Lord! Instead of getting angry at God and yelling at Him and saying "why me" or "why my children", he accepts that the Lord is in control and that all will work out in the end for his good. He confirms that the Lord is good and in control of all.

That's got to be the hardest thing in the world to do. To offer up the sacrifice of praise. Because when we're suffering, it IS a sacrifice., as praise is probably the last thing that we feel like doing. To affirm even in the midst of disaster or suffering that God is good all the time, and that He is in control and knows best, and to worship Him shows a very mature faith.

Next Satan is given permission to cause Job to have a disease that made painful boils erupt all over his skin. Still Job didn't sin, even when goaded to by his own wife:

Job 2:10 He replied, You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble? In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

I have always felt that the Lord included this book in His Word to teach us how to deal with suffering in a Godly way. So far, in the first two chapters we've seen that God wants us to remember that He is good all the time, even when He's allowing us to suffer through something, and we don't understand why. Job had no idea that the reason he was going through all this was because of Satan. All he could know was that for some reason, God was allowing it. He chose to trust God and affirm God's goodness and to worship God even though he was in emotional, mental, and physical pain.

Heb 13:15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise”the fruit of lips that confess his name

Note the word, "continually" in the above verse. That means even when we're suffering, just as Job did. I'm always curious as to the "why" of things, so I asked myself why God would want us to do this. Is it because He has a big ego and needs to be praised all the time? No, I honestly don't believe that for a minute. What I discovered was at least one of the reasons He wants us to do that is because it actually helps us! Have you ever been really upset about something and decided to stop the merry-go-round that your mind was on, and to start praising God instead? I have. Do you know what happens to you when you do that? You start feeling better! Praising and worshiping the Lord, makes us feel better emotionally, spiritually, mentally and physically! The Lord of course knows this and I believe that's one reason He wants us to do this.

Of course I also wondered why it makes us feel so much better when we start praising and worshiping God. I have come to the conclusion that it is because when we worship Him we are actually making a connection to Him which causes our spirit and soul to be refreshed and recharged. When we are worshiping Him, our eyes are no longer on what is causing us to suffer, but are now on Jesus. As long as we maintain that connection with Him, He can renew our minds, restore our souls and refresh our spirits. In essence, He recharges our batteries.

Remember the story of Peter walking on water? He was doing great until when? Until he took his eyes off Jesus and started looking at the water. (the water represents any crisis, or suffering you're going through) So that story too is trying to teach us to keep our eyes on the One that can carry us through this rather then on the suffering we're going through.

Also, when we take our eyes off what is causing us to suffer and put them on the Lord, we are allowing Him to be our strength, rather then trying to go it alone, just as this verse says:

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christs power may rest on me. That is why, for Christs sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Does that make sense to you? I know that learning this really helped me a lot. Of course the Lord still has to remind me to put my eyes back on Him and take them off the pain, but little by little I'm getting better at it.

Suffering Part 4:

Suffering Part 4:

 

Let's continue to look at the reasons that God allows us to suffer. I'm actually surprised by some of these, as I wasn't aware of them. Oh, I knew the stories and all, but I had never related it to suffering the way the Lord has been showing me lately.

He just showed me yet another reason is to help prepare us for a new ministry. This is really amazing to me because this is exactly what He did for me back when I got hurt at work originally! I just never thought of it in this way!

I'm going to post the entire passage of what I've been looking at, since the entire thing relates to what we're studying. This passage deals with the way Jesus suffered for us, and also shows how we are to suffer and why. So we can also look at how Jesus approached suffering and how He handled it when He was here.

John 12:23-29 Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. “Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.

Jesus obviously knew what was going to happen to Him. I don't think any normal human being could have lived with that knowledge day in and day out. I think the stress of it would either kill him or cause him to go insane. But here, Jesus uses His own coming suffering to teach us to look on it with a different perspective. He shows us the spiritual perspective, whereas before we could only see the physical one.

The physical perspective is one that we're all familiar with. In Jesus case it was His torture and crucifixion. For us it might be pain, illness, injury, a death, or any number of things that can cause us to suffer.

In the passage above, when Jesus says:
I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. He is telling us that what is happening is that we are actually dying. He shows us that this must happen in order for us to truly follow Him.

I think that this would be much easier for me to explain if I just tell you what happened to me.

As anyone who lives with pain knows, we don't just suffer physically from the pain, but also emotionally and mentally. We feel useless and like we no longer have a purpose in life. At the time I was first experiencing this, all but one of my 5 children had grown up and moved out to be on their own. My 5th child wasn't very far behind them. I knew I only had a few more years before she too would be gone. This just added to my pain because now I was also dealing with the empty nest syndrome on top of everything else.

I poured my heart out to the Lord and told Him all of what I was feeling. I told Him that I felt like I was going through all the stages of grief that people go through when someone dies, except no one had died. What He pointed out to me next just totally blew me away. He said it was normal for me to be experiencing the grief from the death of a loved one, because someone had died. I had! Let me tell you, that got my attention!!
It got my attention because I realized how true it was! My old self had died. I could no longer define myself by what I did, as I was no longer working. I soon wouldn't be a "mother" any more either as my children would no longer need me to care for them. I couldn't define myself by any of the active roles in church because I was unable to do those any longer either. So I was no longer Cindy, the Sunday School Teacher, or Cindy, Michelle and Jenn's mom, or Cindy from Friendship Manor. I was just "Cindy" and I didn't know who that was anymore. All those other aspects of me had died. It was a really scary time for me.

Little by little however, the Lord taught me who I truly was. Who I was in Christ. As He taught me that, I realized that all those other aspects of my life that I had always defined myself by, had really gotten in my way of seeing who I really was. The Lord had to bring me to a place where all these things literally were done away with, before I could see what was really important and that was Him, and my new life in Him.

Now I began to learn what happens when we truly die to self and live for Him. I began to learn to put Him first and to always ask Him what we were doing that day instead of just deciding myself. It became His life rather then my life. It wasn't an easy transition, but the Lord is a very good and very patient teacher. He never gives us more then we can handle at any one time. So this transition didn't happen overnight, even after the revelation of what was happening. I still needed that time to grieve for the death of my old life too.

Nor do I mean to imply that I now have this new life down pat. I don't. The Lord is still teaching me, and I know He will continue to teach me this the rest of my life. Each day is new and has new challenges, as well as old ones. (I think He throws those in just to make sure we don't forget the lessons we've already learned lol)

But back to the "new ministry" part. After I began to learn who I was in Him and that this new life was His life, not mine, He gave me a new job. My own ministry. One I could have never dreamed up on my own. He called it Fresh-Hope and that's how this message board was born.

One ministry that God gives everyone who has suffered is the ministry of comforting others who have suffered something similar. 2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4. who comforts us in all our tribulation,that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

That's part of what Fresh Hope is all about. It's about each of us who have gone through something, giving comfort and encouragement to others who are now going through the same thing we did. Therefore, Fresh Hope isn't just "my" ministry. In fact it's really not "mine" at all. It's God's. It's God who has drawn you each here to share in His ministry, that all of us might receive the comfort, encouragement, hope and advice that we need, when we need it.

So God allows suffering sometimes to ready us for a new ministry. It might be a ministry here at Fresh Hope, or it could be elsewhere, or even both. It could be that your suffering had to happen to clear away some of the "baggage" you had so that you could better take on the new ministry He has for you. Suffering definitely causes us to dig deep into ourselves and ask some hard questions. That's how God is able to burn away alot of the dross we've picked up during our lives and get us back on track to where we're supposed to be.

I hope this has helped someone, I know it's helped me!

Suffering Part 3:

Suffering Part 3:

 

There is something that Christians experience when suffering that non believers don't have. Even in the midst of suffering, we still have Jesus. I'm not talking about us having a "head knowledge of Jesus", but rather a "heart knowledge". We know He is with us; we know He is walking through our suffering right along beside us; crying with us, holding us, and strengthening us so that we can keep on keeping on. No, we can't see Him with our physical eyes, but we know He's there. He often sends little things to remind us--perhaps another person will say something to encourage us, or call us unexpectedly, or a flower that is special to us will bloom in our path, or someone will give us one, or a letter will arrive that brings encouragement; or the sermon at church that week might seem as though it was written just for us; all these things and more are ways that Jesus lets us know He's with us and that He's not going anywhere.

For us, that's even more important then the suffering. In my case right now, my "suffering" is in the forum of physical pain. If I was given a choice to live the next 40 years with no pain at all if I would give up Jesus, I couldn't do it. Even if it meant that I'd have double the physical pain if I didn't do it. Jesus is just that important to me and I know He is to you as well.

I was going to say that while having Jesus with us doesn't actually lessen our suffering, I can't imagine going through it without Him. Thinking about that however, I'm beginning to believe that I was wrong. I now think that having Jesus with us actually DOES lessen our suffering. Think about it for a minute...really try and imagine going through whatever is causing your suffering without Jesus. I don't know about you, but for me that little exercise is enough to almost make me feel physically ill! To not have Him with me would cause me an enormous amount of more suffering! So with that in mind I can say that having Him does lessen our suffering somewhat. See what I mean?

Psalm 73:25-26 Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Romans 8:18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Remember the parable of the prodigal son? It's in Luke 15:11-32 if you'd like to read it to refresh your memory. In that parable, it talks about what happens to the son when he takes off with his inheritance and spends it unwisely. Afterward, he's miserable, hungry, dirty, and exhausted from working so hard to get so little. I think it would be pretty accurate to say that he was suffering, don't you? So what did he gain from his suffering? What did his suffering cause him to do?

First, it caused him to look inward and start examining himself and his past actions that had brought him to this point. This wasn't just a cursory quick examination either, because this time when he looked at himself, he saw himself as he truly was, and it wasn't a very pretty picture.

This inspection of himself was brought on by his suffering and it produced the fruit of godly sorrow and repentance. He was no longer claiming he was a victim of circumstances, or it was someone else's fault or whatever. No more excuses. He was now taking responsibility for his actions and confessing his sins--to himself, to God and to his father.
Luke 15:18-19 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’

Now on the flip side of that, is that by learning more about ourselves and our true nature, we also get to learn even more about God and just how much He really does love us and help us. I know for me that at times when something like this has happened and I realize just what some aspect of me is like, that things about God that were just words to me before become personally meaningful to me. I think that's what Job meant when he said:

Job 42:5 My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.

An example of learning more about God through our suffering is also shown in the story of the prodigal son. The father of the boy in the story can represent God who is our Father. See what his reaction to his son's return is?

Luke 15:22-24 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

What a wonderful example of just how much God loves us and of how He forgives us! Instead of sitting the boy down and having a little talk with him and telling him just how rotten he was, how much he hurt him, how the boy will now have to earn his trust back, etc. he cleans him up and throws a welcome home party!

Can you see what I mean about the words becoming meaningful through that? Before something happened to this boy, he may have been told before that his father would forgive him his sins, and he may have believed that. But it wasn't personal yet. Once this happened though, it became personal! Instead of a lecture, he got a ring! Instead of having a list of his sins thrown in his face, he got a party!

So this story shows us that one of the reasons that God allows suffering is because that it can teach us both more about ourselves and also more about Him.

I've never really looked at that parable this way before. The Lord just showed it to me today and I wanted to share it with you guys. I can't wait to see what He has in store for us tomorrow!