August 2 Thought for Today – “Suffering” “Since we are His children, we will share His treasures – for everything God gave His Son, Christ, is ours, too. But if we are to share His glory, we also must share His suffering.” Romans 8:17 Suffering is all around us. In fact, unless you live in a world rarely experienced by most, it is right in your own home or family. Suffering is universal, and Paul says it helps us to identify with the humiliation and suffering of Jesus. In Romans 8, Paul specifically wrote about the suffering we bear in our bodies. He reminds us that when Adam fell, his sin brought pain, suffering and death on all mankind. It also caused everything on earth to be subjected to God’s curse (Genesis 3:17-19, Romans 8:20-22). While there is much suffering of anguish over sin, personal distress, the state of our fallen world and other concerns, we most directly feel pain and suffering in our bodies. For some it comes from sudden trauma in an horrific accident, for others there are genetic diseases over which they have no control, and for those who live long enough, there is the suffering of aging. (Ecclesiastes 12 gives a metaphorical picture of the aging process, which poetically describes loss of hearing and eyesight, loss of teeth, gray hair, walking with a cane, fearfulness, etc.) Paul says that even though we have the Holy Spirit to comfort us “with a foretaste of future glory, we also groan to be released from pain and suffering. We, too, wait anxiously for the day when God will give us our full rights as His children, including the new bodies He has promised” (Romans 8:23). It is not easy to deal with physical suffering. Our hearts go out to all who are dealing with Cystic Fibrosis, Parkinson’s, advanced diabetes, loss of limbs, Alzheimer’s, and other debilitating health issues. Though we personally might long to help every person both here and abroad who is suffering from hunger, deprivation or disease, we cannot. The need is just too great for as Jesus said, “the poor are always with you.” The same can be said for suffering. As one who deals with constant pain, I know firsthand it is not easy to deal with suffering. Yet, there are measures we can take. First is the Bible. Of all the great passages with promise, I take great encouragement from Hebrews 12:1-6. We gain strength by “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls, for you have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.” Second is prayer – yours and that of fellow believers. James 5:13-15 tells us: “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.” Finally, there is our attitude. My motto is: “Life is good, God is good.” When we see our bodies degenerating, sometimes it’s hard not to wonder how rapidly we may go downhill and what the future holds. That’s when we very much need to give serious consideration to Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount: But seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:33-34 Selah! copsonthestreet
Posted on: Fri, 02 Aug 2013 10:31:46 +0000
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