1 PETER 5:10 – “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”
THEME OF THE DAY: THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS THE SUFFERING LIFE. Robert Leighton (1611 – 1684) was a Scottish scholar and a well-known pastor. He was noted for his Christian piety, humility, gentleness, and devotion. He once wrote, “God had but one Son without sin, and never one without suffering.”
Pay attention to the latter part of his statement. He is telling us the biblical truth that no true child of God will be exempt from suffering. And it isn’t suffering of punishment. It is suffering that is positive and an affirmation of adoption into God’s family. The Apostle Paul tells us this truth in his letters to the Romans and Philippians – “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him” (Romans 8:16-17) and “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake” (Philippians 1:29). Never look at suffering from God as punitive and out of anger. It is parental and in love. It is corrective pain not condemning pain.
When God places us in the hot furnace of affliction to burn away the dross of our ugly selfishness to produce the beauty of Christ’s selflessness, it hurts – “For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:10-11). In our suffering, it often feels like it will last forever; that it is eternal, but it is not. Read today’s scripture again to remind us of the brevity of our suffering. The pain is temporary. The tears we shed will be wiped away. Let not only today’s scripture encourage us of this truth when in the fire, but also the following poem from an unknown author . . .
When sore afflictions crush the soul,
And riven is each earthly tie,
The heart must cling to God alone:
He wipes the tears from every eye.
Through wakeful nights, when racked with pain,
On bed of languishing you lie,
Remember still your God is near
To wipe the tear from every eye.
A few short years, and all is o’er;
Your sorrows, pains, will soon pass by;
Then lean in faith on God’s dear Son,
He’ll wipe the tear from every eye.
Oh, never be your soul cast down,
Nor let your heart desponding sigh,
Assured that God, whose name is Love,
Will wipe the tear from every eye!
PRAYER: Father, help me to see the path of suffering Your Son walked is the path of suffering I will walk.
REFLECTION: Suffering may feel eternal, but it is only for a little while and its fruit in our lives is eternal.