God’s Grace in our Suffering
Have you ever noticed that sometimes the answer to a question can create more questions and less answers? I feel like that is where we are starting today. Don’t be discouraged though, because God’s grace is all over today’s topic. We will see how God’s grace is in our suffering. And how by His grace He brings beautiful redemption.
Last week we started a two-part post about suffering, titled “Is Suffering a Punishment from God” Where we looked at the truth of how God corrects His children. Not in harsh ways as some are prone to think. Rather in loving ways as the perfect Father He is. We also talked about how we can ask God if our specific/current trial is a form of His correction or not. So that leaves us here, if our suffering is not a correction or test from God what is it and why do we have to suffer.
While there is Biblical support that trails and suffering can be a form of testing or correction from God there is nothing to lead us to believe that this is always the case.
Why is there Suffering
The Earth started the dying process the moment sin entered
into it. In Gen 3:17 we read “cursed is the ground because of you;” Think about
that for a moment…. If the ground is cursed how does that affect everything
else? The food that grows from it, the air we breathe that comes from the
plants, the animals that eat the food that grows from it, I think you get the
idea.
With the dying process comes disease and decay. Unfortunately,
pain and suffering come with the disease and decay. Look at what I found in
Isaiah,
“The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt;”
Isaiah 24:5-6 (ESV)
Plus, suffering is a natural result of the sin issue. Many are
suffering due to the actions of others. Sin is a part of the world that we live
in (at least for now) and it doesn’t work like karma where only those who do
bad things are affected by it. Remember karma is not a biblical principle. We
all have a problem with sin, yet by God’s grace the price has been paid, and
not by our suffering.
When Suffering is Not a Punishment
This mindset that some of us still have; that if you are
facing any true trial or suffering then you are in some way responsible. As if
our suffering is simply our sin showing for the whole world to see. It’s simply
not biblical. Many will suffer to no fault of their own.
A couple of years ago I learned that biblical scholars believe
that the book of Job was the first written book of the Bible. I found this very
interesting and the first question I had was regarding Jesus’ disciples,
particularly, their question to Jesus in John 9
“And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?”
John 9:2
Notice that they didn’t ask, “is this man blind due to sin?
They assumed this as a fact and wondered only who had sinned.
This was the same thinking of Job’s, so called, friends.
They repeatedly told Job to confess his hidden sin. They never doubted that sin
was the cause for his great loss and physical suffering. Yet, throughout all
these accusations, Job doesn’t waiver in his innocence. And how did God answer
Job’s friends,
“the Lord said to Eliphaz the temanite: My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.”
Job 42:7
The response the disciples received to their question was,
“Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.”
John 9:3
Christianity – Not the Easy Path
Those of the world have this idea that the savior they need
will save them from the problems in this life. What they fail to see, is that
without Jesus as their Savior the problems of this world will be nothing when compared
to the problems they will face for all eternity.
I have often heard from newer Christians, something to the
effect of, “nothing in my life has gotten better.” Sadly, this can cause many
to fall away from faith.
Jesus was honest with us, He said that we would face trials
and tribulations
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33
Here this word for tribulation according to Strong’s
Concordance means: pressure (literally or figuratively): – afflicted (-tion)
anguish burdened persecution tribulation trouble.
I don’t know about you, but to me this carries a meaning of
some severe suffering, much more than the stresses, annoyances, and loss that
is a usual part of this life.
The Roll of Faith in Suffering
Last week we talked about the false thinking that you just
need to have enough faith, and you would be healed. I just want to touch on the
roll of faith in our suffering, even though it doesn’t mean you can wish yourself
well with enough. I do think it is important to distinguish the difference of
having faith that God can heal you, and enough faith to be healed. Having “enough”
faith the be healed only works if healing is God’s will. However, we should
always have faith that God can heal, if you don’t believe that God is capable
of healing you probably want to have a talk with God about your faith.
Knowing He can heal and expecting healing are two different
things. I know that God can heal me any second. That doesn’t mean He will and certainly
He doesn’t have to. Because God is not a genie in a bottle, just waiting to
grant my wishes. The Christian life is a life of surrender. I am surrendered to
live according to God’s will, not my wishes. I am to live to glorify and honor
Him, not to please and comfort myself. If sickness, pain and suffering in my
life bring Him glory, then so be it. I wish I could say, I will happily serve
Him in this way, although I know all too often, I am not too happy about it. It
can be very difficult on a hard day. So, I pray for the grace I need each day.
God’s Grace in Suffering
Are you familiar the thorn in Paul’s side? If not here is a
brief run down. Paul had some form of suffering, the scripture is unclear, and
I have heard many things of what it “could” be. Anyway, Paul goes to the Lord three
times and begs to have this thorn removed from him. Yet, God said no. Why would
God say no? There are two reasons here. 1. God wanted to show that it is our
weakness that can be our strength, if we only rely on the Lord. God said “my
power is made perfect in weakness” and 2. Suffering helps to keep us reliant on
Jesus, so we don’t become conceited. Or think we can do anything in our own
strength. We always need God.
“a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities, for when I am weak then I am strong.”
2 Cor 12:7-10
Sufficient Grace in our Weaknesses
If we turn to God in our weakness, His grace is sufficient. His
grace is sufficient to provide for our needs in our every suffering, every trial,
everything.
This verse holds special meaning to me as it is where I got the name for my blog. This is my life verse and I could go on and on and on, but I won’t. I do have a post on “Why My Weakness is His Strength” if you are interested in more.
How Does God’s Grace in Suffering Work
It works when we come to the end of ourselves and only have
God to lean into, not just leaning on. I have found that it takes a deliberate leaning
into God for everything. Getting through the next hour or the next 10 minutes.
I find this place often when I chose to praise God in the worst of it all. This
can be so much harder than it sounds. Yet, it is amazing when it happens. The
joy of the Lord does become strength, and then two hours have past, and you
keep going.
A beautiful part of suffering is that, regardless of the reason, by God’s amazing grace He carries us through and uses it for His glory. Which reminds me of Shadrach, Meshach and Abendigo who walked into the fiery furnace with the Angel of the Lord and walked out without a burn, they didn’t even smell like smoke. You can read that story in Daniel 3
From this place I have drawn closer
to the Lord than I could ever imagine without the suffering. I have learned so
much about who He is, His love, and grace. This is not just a knowing as in
being informed; it is an experiential knowledge. Which is as different as
knowing about riding a bike, how it works, from having actually ridden a bike kind
of knowing how to ride.
God’s Grace in Our Suffering is Exciting
I am pretty sure you can see how excited
I get about this; His grace really is that great. And there is more, the beauty
of redemption. Seeing first hand how God uses everything for His glory and works
it out for good for those who love Him. (Rom 8:28)
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28
I am a breast cancer survivor, almost
4 years cancer free. Cancer was the hardest thing I ever went through. In a lot
of ways, it was harder emotionally even than physically. I cried why so many
times and had my own little pity parties. In the end, that is what finally
brought my husband to the Lord, which in turn brought my daughter. Talk about God’s
amazing grace, His glory and working it out for good. If only I had seen what
He was doing in the beginning, I would have been praising Him all the way
through. Now, I try to praise because I may not know what, but I do know it
will be praiseworthy.
Scripture to Encourage in Times of Suffering
“We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.”
2 Corinthians 8:1-2 (ESV)
Do you see, how their affliction and extreme poverty made
them generous, that doesn’t make any worldly sense, it has to be God’s grace.
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
James 1:2-4 (ESV)
“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”
James 1:12
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”
Rom 12:12 (ESV)
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This is POWERFUL. I remember Job’s friends but I forgot the disciples themselves asked Jesus who the blind man sinned against. This is a beautiful reminder that God never wants us to suffer, it is the result of sin and having free will. Everything for His glory!
Yes, it’s all for His glory! Thanks for visiting with me today Jessie.🙂
Yes, Yes, Yes! His grace is made sufficient in our weakness. In my most recent suffering, I relied on this verse greatly. Day after day I saw God’s grace show up in the midst of my weakness. Thank you so much for sharing.
Thank you Angela, it becomes so much more real once we have walked through and needed His strength for everything. Thank you so much for stopping by today. 😊
This is a tough topic to write about and to live.
We may never understand fully the reasons for suffering, and yet we know plenty about God and his good intentions toward us. May we find grace to lean into that even in times of complete confusion and sorrow!
Amen! Thanks for the blessing of visiting with me today Michele 😊
Job is always a big discussion isn’t he? It was my understanding he lived in Joseph’s time, but I have heard people say it was before. I do know that sometimes it is sin, and sometimes choices, others purely spiritual attack. We grow in grace through it all and He will heal and help us overcame because He did. His sweat became as blood in the garden of Gethsemane and he broke curses, for those who believe, the enemy doesn’t want you to know that. Most of the time I hear how God allows it, the devil doesn’t work for Him anymore, it does have to do with free will. And if fear caused his hedge to drop is one possibility. but I think he does go after righteous people. So thankful the greater one is in us.
Looking at when they believe the books of the Bible were written, Job was the 1st. Yes, in part 1 I discussed God’s discipline and testing, I didn’t go into spiritual Warfare though, that’s a good point for another post. Grateful for your visit today 💐
Suffering is one of the things I have a lot of questions about. Thank you for sharing the story of Jesus and the blind man. I think that parable says a lot. The best book I have read on the topic is “Holy the Firm” by Annie Dillard. It is a slim book, but has a lot to say on the topic of suffering.
Thanks, I’ll have to look at that book! And thank you for stopping by today 🙂
God never promised us a life free from suffering in THIS world! I suffer from chronic pain from spinal issues and I never say ‘why God?’ because, for one, I know He has a purpose in it. And two….some of the things we suffer with are due to our own actions. Not that He is punishing us but we make choices in life that can lead to that suffering. For instance, a smoker who gets lung cancer and then their children curse God for letting their mother get sick. She made choices! We have free will! It breaks God’s heart as well as ours! I made a choice years ago to own a horse. I suffered an injury because I made a choice to ride it in a not-so-smart way! That injury worsened throughout the years because I failed to get it looked at…another choice. BUT…God will always be there with us and give us the peace, grace and comfort we need as we go through trials and pain.
Very true Diane, I didn’t cover our own consequence here. Part one was to dispel suffering as a punishment and didn’t want to muddy the waters. Thanks so much for sharing your experience. Appreciate your visit today 💜
Suffering is not what we think of when we are saved. I remember thinking of love and hope… but suffering comes and it is so helpful to remember God’s grace in our suffering. God’s grace is enough – though it is still hard. Encouragement like this helps so much!
Thank you Tiffany! Suffering is hard, and we all will have some, but by God’s grace we will not only get through it, we will grow in it. So grateful for your visit today 😊 Blessings
What a great post, Debra. I enjoyed learning the meaning behind your blog name & I rejoiced at hearing of the salvation of your husband & daughter through your cancer. My mother was saved through my sister’s cancer & many were blessed through my illness and amputations. I am so thankful to God for giving us the blessings and strength as we endure our trials. I would love to avoid those trials, but I’m thankful for His love and guidance through them.
Amen! So grateful for the truth in Rom 8:28 , He works ALL things for good. Thanks for visiting with me today Wendy 🙂
Debra, what a great post! Before you even got to it I was like, “Job!” I guess that’s one of the people we often think of when we think of suffering, especially when people tend to think of suffering as a kind of punishment from God. BUT JOB! 🙂 Great lessons there!
Pinned.
Thanks for linking up at InstaEncouragements!
Thank you Patsy! Always appreciate you stopping by, as well as your link up party. 🙂
Suffering truly is an important part of the Christ-follower’s life, Debra. I am grateful for the way God has used suffering in my life to strengthen my faith in Him. I don’t like it when I’m going through it, but I sure like the results! Great post, my friend!
Thanks Beth! There is something about suffering that draws us closer and closer to God, His grace! Thanks for visiting today and blessing me with your comment.💜
Thank you Debra for this insightful post.
I hope I can add a little insight into your great encouraging words about suffering and grace. Our family was a middle class suburban family when God called us to a life of faith. Not that we knew that at the time. He lured us into it. If I had known what He was planning I would have fled. He did leave clues though; He always does.
Anyways our journey led us to a completely different part of Canada where we lost all our money and became homeless. All this happened because we stubbornly clung to faith. The misery, hunger and suffering was great. We had to face many people, like Job, that thought we were nuts or suffering because of sin but we weren’t, we were following God in faith. They wouldn’t believe us.
During our 40 months of wandering something incredible happened. We learned how to live by faith, trusting in Him for our daily bread. Literally. Many times we did not eat and had to watch others around us eat. Now that is hard. As God led us though we began to see His grace come to us at pivotal times. He is always faithful and was with us at every step. His grace was sometimes encouragement, sometimes food, sometimes shelter. Whatever the situation it was always enough. He did not care for our comfort, He cared for our needs. When we slept in a snowbank, when Wanda was almost strangled, when the druggies at the place where we staying tried to kill us, etc. etc. His watch over us made sure we were never harmed. Through it all His grace got us through.
This has been our experience Debra. We are not scholars or theologians, just a family that loves God and He took us through a testing of our faith. We understand suffering now and how it works to train people in faith. His purpose is to raise us up into spiritual maturity and intimacy with Jesus. The wilderness is hard to endure but the lessons cannot be bought with any other price. To follow in His footsteps cost us everything. I don’t know if this helps with your understanding of suffering or not. All I can say is that suffering that is redemptive, as in Christ is formed in us through it, is always a good thing.
Blessings,
Homer Les
http://www.uncompromisingfaith.ca
Homer,WOW what a powerful testimony you have! And I’m sure you can minister to many that I couldn’t because of your experiences. Yes, God is our great Redeemer, and redeemed is better! Thank you so much for sharing a little of your God story with me. So grateful for the insight and touched by the outcome. God’s grace never ceases to amaze. Thanks for visiting and sharing!
You are so welcome Debra. We want to encourage you and all others who talk about this great message of faith Jesus has given His people. We have a beautiful and wonderful Savior and I love all those who stand up and write His words of love to His children. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!
Amen. I have found these truths to be so rock-solid through these years of chronic illness also. This especially: “I have found that it takes a deliberate leaning into God for everything. Getting through the next hour or the next 10 minutes. I find this place often when I chose to praise God in the worst of it all. ” Those times with just the Lord and nothing else have become so precious to me. Thank you for this beautiful encouragement. Blessings to you.
Bettie, tanks for coming back for the 2nd half. Yes, it may take some discomfort to get in that place with God, but it’s always worth it. So grateful to have you stop back by. Blessing 💜