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!