Consider Him Who First Endured

"For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, 
so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

Hebrews 12:3

When the world is hostile toward us, we can take heart in knowing that Christ endured the worst hostility that can be experienced for our sake. From the beginning to the end of His three year ministry He was scorned and rejected by those He came to save. Satan blasted Him with everything he had, trying to destroy Him. Still the Lord endured in order to set us free. He won the victory so that we would never have to live in defeat. We have a Savior who understands our trials and says to us, "In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)  "The dignity of the Saviour has invested suffering, and especially brave endurance, with great honor and glory. There is a halo round about our griefs since Jesus Christ endured them first." (Spurgeon)

When We Are Excessively Burdened

"For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, 

but in God who raises the dead; "

2 Corinthians 3:18

Paul writes of the trials he and his partners in the gospel endured in Asia. Things were so bad that they were "burdened excessively, beyond [their] strength." Imagine being so downtrodden that you would even despair of life. In other words, you wished you could just die. Perhaps you are at that place right now. Things are so bad that you would rather go home to the Lord than stay here. But consider what Paul goes on to write to the Corinthians, that the despair they felt brought them to a place where they would have to trust in God and not trust in themselves. For only God can raise us out of the depths of despair -- take us out of a death sentence and restore our spiritual and emotional life. But even more, if we do suffer to the point of death, we are assured that death has no hold on us. We will rise again by the power of God. It is He who raises the dead. "Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:10)

Blessed are Those Who Endure

"We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful."

James 5:11

Charles Spurgeon began a sermon on this passage with the words, “We are far too apt to entertain hard thoughts of God."

When health trials and/or financial hardship come our way, it is hard to accept that we are blessed. We look at the wicked and see them living in good health and wealth and we wonder if God has abandoned us. Does He really care? James wrote to the persecuted Christians of his day to encourage them to stand firm in their faith and believe the best about God. That He is "full of compassion and is merciful." He pointed to the "endurance of Job", using him as an example of one who did not turn his back on God, though he lost everything but his life. Job believed in God's sovereignty and submitted to His will. He wasn't perfect and he did challenge God for an audience, for which later he repented, but after a time of suffering, Job's health and wealth were restored and He was given ten more children. 

Steven Cole touches on five lessons from this verse:

1. God’s blessing is on those who endure, not on those who bail out.

2. Endurance does not imply perfection, but it does require submission.

3. The submission required for endurance is bound up with a firm belief in God’s sovereignty over all things.

4. God’s sovereignty over all things implies that He has a purpose that He is accomplishing.

5. No matter how difficult our trials, we must never doubt God’s goodness or love in His sovereign purpose.

"Read the biographies of the faithful saints in church history. If you’re currently suffering, look to the prophets and look to Job as examples of patient endurance. Trust in the compassionate and merciful Lord." (Pastor Steven Cole)

Even if our health and wealth are not restored as Job's was, God's promise that we will live with Him for eternity is irrevocable. And that is our ultimate reward.

What God Has Promised

And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them,“Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 

Mark 4:37-40

I suppose we can't blame the disciples for being afraid and believing the Lord didn't care about their dire situation. After all, they were in a "fierce gale" and it appeared they might drown. But they had forgotten what Jesus had said before they set sail: "Let us go over to the other side" (v. 35). The Lord intended to remain with them and together they would cross to the other shore. They were in the same boat as Jesus. His will was to calm the storm and that's what He did. But what about the times the Lord doesn't stop the storm? Sometimes it rages on. Suffering continues, loved ones are taken from us, financial ruin happens. Does that mean God doesn't care and that He has abandoned us? No. Jesus said, "In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) God has promised "never to leave us nor forsake us" (Deuteronomy 31:6). "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28). 


God Hath Not Promised
By Annie Johnson Flint

God hath not promised skies always blue
Flower strewn pathways, all our lives through;
God hath not promised sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.


But God hath promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labour, light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing kindness, undying love.


God hath not promised we shall not know
Toil and temptations, trouble and woe;
He hath not told us we shall not bear
Many a burden, many a care.


But God hath promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labour, light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing kindness, undying love.


God hath not promised smooth roads and wide,
Swift, easy travel, needing no guide;
Never a mountain, rocky and steep,
Never a river turbid and deep.


But God hath promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labour, light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing kindness, undying love.


Crippled and twisted most of her life with arthritis, Annie Johnson Flint knew a lot about suffering. Her disease helped her understand and encourage others who also were suffering.

Joyful Discipline

"All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness."

Hebrews 12:11

Affliction comes in many forms and for many reasons. Poor health may result from poor choices we have made in regard to caring for our bodies. On the other hand, an illness may come through no fault of our own -- from genetics, virus or other mysterious reason. As much as we don't like to admit it, sometimes God allows an ailment to bring us to a point of complete dependence upon Him. When we have nothing else to lean on, we learn how important our relationship with Him is to our well being. There is no one who can minister to us as God can. When we are suffering, it is not a joyful time. We only want the pain to be over. And who can blame us for not enjoying pain? However, when we submit to the Lord, we gain something that the unbelieving world can never understand. We share in Christ's suffering, becoming more like Him. (Philippians 3:10)

The Lord is My Lamp

“For You are my lamp, O LORD; 

And the LORD illumines my darkness."

2 Samuel 22:29

There is a kind of darkness of the soul that is very personal. It may come through death or a broken relationship. Through ill health, financial ruin or some other tragedy. In this pitch black darkness we have never felt more alone. If we were to name it, we would call it "my darkness." But praise the Lord that He is able to penetrate "my darkness" with His glorious light. He who agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane, in the shadow of Calvary, understands our pain as no one else can. "And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground" (Luke 22:44). Christ knows. He understands. He experienced the "my darkness" of death, but overcame it with the glorious light of His resurrection. Living in this truth we don't need to cower in the dark. Instead, we can say: The Lord is my lamp. The Lord illumines my darkness.

Taking the Good with the Bad

"In the day of prosperity be happy, 
But in the day of adversity consider— 
God has made the one as well as the other
so that man will not discover anything that will be after him."

Ecclesiastes 7:14

We can't predict how our lives will play out. There will be good days and there will be bad days, and God has made them all. But if God is good -- and His word says that He is -- then why does He permit bad things to happen? While we can't know or understand the entirety of God's purpose, it is clear from the Bible that suffering is not random and that God will use it to build our character. "And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:3-5)  Most of the important lessons in life are learned at the feet of grief. Talk to a Christian who has embraced it and allowed God to teach them through the pain, and you will find a child of God who has a stronger faith, a deeper understanding of grace and more compassion for others. 

"Those who don't let sorrow do its work, who deny it, trivialize it, or try to explain it away, remain shallow and indifferent. They never understand themselves or others very well. In fact, I think that before God can use us very much, we must first learn to mourn." —David H. Roper

Peace Comes With Practice

"The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you."

Philippians 4:9

Driving through our neighborhood this afternoon, I spied two elk resting in the grass. As I pulled my car over to the side of the road and took this photo, I marveled at how calm the beautiful animals were. They knew I lurked only a few yards from them, yet they showed no fear. They were at peace with their surroundings. The Book of Philippians is filled with instructions for finding peace in the midst of our suffering: pray about everything, rejoice in the Lord always, give thanks, dwell on the things that are excellent, be completely humble and dependent upon Christ. Paul wrote these things to the believers in Philippi so that they might experience the fulness of the God of peace. His words are relevant for us today, as well. But just as Paul admonished the Philippians to practice these things, so must we practice what God's word teaches. Peace comes with practice.

God's Love vs Our Suffering

So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick."
But when Jesus heard this, He said, "This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it." Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
John 11:4

The fact that Jesus loves us does not mean He will shield us from sickness or even death. Jesus loved Martha, Mary and Lazarus, yet he allowed Lazarus to become ill and die. His purpose in doing so was to glorify the Father through Lazarus' resurrection. The love of God and the pain He allows in our lives are not in conflict. The very God who loves His Son, allowed Him to suffer an excruciating crucifixion for our sins, and then raised Him from the grave for His glory. We must remember this as we face suffering in our own lives so that we do not lose heart.  

Always Blessed

"The LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning;"  Job 42:12a

So often when we speak of Job, it is in the context of his troubles and not his blessings. True, Job was severely tested. He lost everything. His estate, his children, his health. Only his life, his peevish wife and a few judgmental friends remained. But, after a certain period of trial, God restored Job's health, his estate, and his family. In fact, Job's blessings at the end of his life far exceeded his blessings at the beginning. He lived another 140 years and saw his son's sons to the fourth generation. The outcome of Job's suffering shows us that God is able to restore what we have lost and bless us with more than we had to begin with, if He chooses to do so. If, on the other hand, He doesn't take away the object of our suffering, as in the Apostle Paul's case, then we are still abundantly blessed. For we have the blessing of Christ's sufficient grace (2 Corinthians 12:8-9a) to sustain us.

Grace In Suffering

"And He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me."

2 Corinthians 12:9

God does not always answer our prayers the way we would like. Like Paul, we may ask the Lord to remove the pain we are enduring, and He may decline. It is His sovereign right to do so. For the Lord knows best what we need. Perhaps our greatest need is spiritual growth. And to that end we may need to be in a place where we can only survive by leaning on His grace. It is always sufficient. The fact that we rise the next morning to face another day shows this is so. We don't know what Paul asked the Lord to remove, but we do know that the Apostle boasted in his weaknesses to the glory of Christ. 

The God of All Comfort

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ". 

2 Corinthians 1:3-5

The same God who allows suffering to enter our lives, is the "Father of mercies and God of all comfort". There is no depth of comfort such as that which we receive from God Himself. He is able to deliver healing to our very souls. Then, when we have experienced God's soul-healing comfort, we know better how to encourage others. In God's economy, we learn from Him and then use what He has taught us to help others.  The Christian who has come through a great trial, is best equipped to minister to others who are hurting.