PSALM 119:71 – It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.
THEME OF THE DAY. THE POTTER’S CHOICE TOOL. It goes beyond just the reality of life in a sin-cursed world. It isn’t just something everyone experiences in life. It is the chief tool, yes, the chief tool, our God uses to do the greatest spiritual work in His people – personal suffering. It was so with His Son the Lord Jesus – Although He was a son, He learned obedience through what He suffered (Hebrews 5:8), and it will be so in every one of His children.
To be honest, we don’t do well with suffering. Part of our remaining sin is rebellion against anything or anyone that would remove our comfort. And when suffering comes, we are tempted to complain, try to change the circumstance or situation causing the suffering, or worse, try to control whomever or whatever is bringing suffering into our lives. What all these tell us is . . . we really aren’t quick to recognize that God’s primary way of making us like His Son is suffering, and in the slowness to understand this Biblical truth, we fight submission to Him. Yet, fight for submission we must. We must grasp the good in suffering, not focus on the immediate pain in our suffering. We must be like the Psalmist in today’s scripture and the godly woman in the following story.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon was one of the most influential and well-used tools of the Lord in church history. His many sermons are in print today and his example of a life given over to the service of King Jesus amazing. He also had a great helpmate in his wife, Susannah. She served the Lord admirably and is a noteworthy model. Another thing about both Charles and Susannah is they suffered greatly; emotionally with depression and physically with many afflictions. And both responded to suffering well, like the Psalmist in today’s scripture. Settle into the story and get the lesson from Susannah.
Susannah Spurgeon, a lady who suffered much, tells this story. “At the close of a dark and gloomy day, I lay resting on my couch as the deeper night drew on; and though all was bright within my cozy room, some of the external darkness seemed to have entered into my soul and obscured its spiritual vision. In sorrow of heart I asked, “Why does my Lord deal thus with His child? Why does He permit lingering weakness to hinder the sweet service I long to render to His poor servants?” For a while silence reigned in the little room, broken only by the crackling of an oak log burning in the fireplace. Suddenly, I heard a sweet, soft sound, a little clear musical note like the tender trill of a robin beneath my window. “What can it be? Surely no bird is singing out there at this time of the year and night.” My friend exclaimed, “It comes from the log on the fire!” The fire was letting loose the imprisoned music from the old oak’s inmost heart! Perchance he had garnered up this song in the days when all was well with him, when birds twittered merrily on his branches, and the soft sunlight flecked his tender leaves with gold. Ah, thought I, when the fire of affliction draws songs of praise from us, then indeed we are purified, and our God is glorified. As I mused, the fire burned and my soul found sweet comfort in the parable so strangely set forth before me. Singing in the fire! Yes, God helping us, if that is the only way to get harmony out of these hard apathetic hearts, let the furnace be heated seven times hotter than before.”
May the Lord find us “singing in the fires” of our suffering unto the glory and honor of His name!
PRAYER: “Father, help me to see that suffering is Your choice means of making us like Your Son, the Lord Jesus”
QUOTE: “We should be asking God more for conformity to the image of the Lord Jesus in our suffering than comfort in our suffering.”