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I have been very blessed in my life to have been spared the suffering many others have experienced. But I have had times of suffering. And as a nurse, I witnessed intense suffering.
I questioned God. I searched the Bible for some clue to the point of suffering.
I discovered suffering from the beginning to the end of the Bible. And some of it appeared to be God ordained or approved. That really really concerned me.
I asked God on more than one occasion why He allowed suffering. He did not give me a simple answer. Instead He reminded me of the fruits of suffering.
Interestingly He did not call it suffering. He called it changing and growing.
He said I should begin by understanding Who He is.
He said,
“Look for Me, not as The Perpetrator of suffering, but as
The One present in suffering,
The One speaking through suffering,
The One teaching through suffering,
The One strengthening through suffering, and
The One Who will always overcome and defeat suffering.”
He reminded me of all who taught me and witnessed to me even as they endured suffering.
He reminded me that even as I suffer, He has given me new opportunities to tell others of His Love, Mercy and Grace.
He reminded me how I have discovered His Wondrous Power in times of weakness. I remembered all He did that I might never have noticed if I had thought I did it in my own strength.
He reminded me of how I had become stronger in faith and trust during the times I was tempted to give up. He reminded me of the value of resistance training.
He reminded me of all the ways He had been my labor coach as He brought new life through pain.
He reminded me that what I know is limited. In fact, our growth and change is part of His much larger plan for all around us.
We, in fact, are partners with Him, in showing Him to the world in all our circumstances. We are a part of how He brings comfort and even joy in the midst of suffering.
Paul summed it up beautifully. I like The Living Bible translation.
What a wonderful God we have—He is The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the source of every mercy, and The One Who so wonderfully comforts and strengthens us in our hardships and trials.
And why does he do this?
So that when others are troubled, needing our sympathy and encouragement, we can pass on to them this same help and comfort God has given us.
2 Corinthians 1:4
And so I write in gratitude to Him Who allows me to tell you how much He loves us. Whatever you are going through, He is with you and will never leave you. Trust Him. He has a Plan.
