Glory in suffering

Oasis

When you are not delivered from suffering, it is because God has better plansfor you.

Once a boy was sent for a camp. When he had spent all his money, he sent a telegram to his father requesting for more. When he did not receive a reply, his friends teased him saying that his father does not love him. The boy replied, "I know I am loved and I don't know why my father did not reply". When he returned home, his father explained that he was tempted to send money. But at the same time he thought that his son should understand its value. It was out of love, his father decided not to respond to his son's request.

Sometimes we are unable to explain about our suffering, but our loving God has better plan for our suffering and that plays a vital part in the development of our soul. If a hand or leg is broken or twisted due to an accident, the physician has to pull and twist to set it right and one has to suffer the pain and trust the doctor. When we trust the earthly doctor, how much we trust God, the great physician, who reset our broken lives.

In scripture you will find those who experienced suffering and difficult circumstances developed a far closer relationship with God and a much greater trust in Him. They also gain a deeper compassion for those in need and an increasing awareness that just as Christ was made perfect through suffering. On similar situation, sorrow and suffering have opposite effect on two different people. For some it will make bitter while it make others better and the only difference is our attitude - In Calvary in the midst of pain Jesus saved a dying thief.

One of the reasons why God has not revealed to us the mystery of suffering may be to keep us humble. We may investigate the nature of disease, its causes, incidence, symptoms and cure, but no laboratory will discover its meaning and purpose. In the eyes of God, our broad horizons are narrow and our vast knowledge is so small. The cross does not solve the problem of suffering, but it helps us to put it into the right perspective. Even in suffering God loved us, he made defeats to victories and that is the power of Cross. Hence let us glory in our suffering, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint  us, because God's love has been passed into our hearts through the Holy spirit that has been given to us.