Suffering for The Lord

Why does God allow believers to suffer?  Let me start out with saying this, I don’t think there is a believer alive that wants to suffer.  But I know that there are many that have and are willing to suffer, and many that are going through terrible suffering every day.  Some are being persecuted and have also suffered in other ways, like diseases and other forms of sickness.  I also think that many believers, think that God is angry with them and they feel rejected, thinking the Lord doesn’t care about them.  I have been there, and I know that I am not alone. 

Just possibly you don’t know what true love is, because of situations and circumstances that have happened to you through your lifetime.  Maybe you had a bad experience when you were young, and you never really felt loved or accepted.  Maybe you were bullied and made fun of as a kid and all through school and you bought into the lies you were told; there are many reasons, when suffering, why people respond the way that they do when it comes to the thought of love.  

Let me try to encourage you and help and bless you.  When you run into persecution, pain, trials of every kind, don’t blame God, He warned us of all these things in his Word.  Think of this, when you want to blame God for something you are going through; He said, in this world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world!!  If we trust in Him, He will help us with the trials and the things that we experience so we can overcome also and be victorious in what we are facing, praise the good Lord!!

Then there is this that we should consider, Paul said if you live a godly life you will be persecuted.  Persecution isn’t any fun, but it definitely is likely to take place as we ruffle feathers, so to speak.  Then consider this, what it says in Hebrews 12:5 “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of Adonai or lose heart when you are corrected by Him,”  and then read prayerfully all the way through the end of the chapter.  God doesn’t chastise us for nothing, but there is always a good reason, and if we turn away from the sin or plain rebelliousness, or pride or anything that isn’t pleasing to God and ask Him to forgive, sincerely repenting, outside of the unpardonable sin, I believe He will forgive.  God is in the pruning business, to help us bear more fruit, and while He is pruning it may hurt but the hurt will turn to joy when you see the fruit produced by it.  If you are proud God cares so much that He won’t leave you that way, He knows how to humble us, and you can take my word on that.  God always resists the proud and draws close to the humble, so humble yourself before the Lord and He may lift you up at the appropriate time.

Please read 1 Peter 4:17-19, “For the time has come for judgment to begin with the house of God. If judgment begins with us first, what will be the end for those who disobey the Good News of God? Now, ‘if it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what shall become of the ungodly and the sinner?’ So then, those who suffer according to God’s will—let them trust their souls to a faithful Creator while continuing to do good.”  

Now please read 1 Peter 5:7-11, “Cast all your worries on Him, for He cares for you. Stay alert! Watch out! Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, searching for someone to devour. Stand up against him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being laid upon your brothers and sisters throughout the world. After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace—who has called you into His eternal glory in Messiah—will Himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. All power to Him forever! Amen.”

God loves all His people and His purpose is to prosper us and not to harm us but to give us a hope and a future.  Just like the Israelites, we can also lift up our eyes to the heavens from where our hope comes from, for our help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.  Our God neither slumbers nor sleeps and He will watch over us, His chosen people from this day forward.  So, if you are allowed to suffer, think of it as a time of learning and a time of growing and a time of maturing and a time for thanking and praising the Lord for what He is doing in your life!!  So, don’t give up and throw in the towel, continue to trust Him and hang in there and keep on keeping on.

There is more that I could say on this subject, maybe another time, may the good Lord bless you and keep you from falling and may he bless you and yours with His perfect peace, love and joy and health and happiness!! Have a super day!!