What is the Point of Suffering? Extracting the precious from the worthless

I like Job. This man was righteous and good. Job was a superstar in the God-loving world, and he was one of God's favorites. 

Then, adversity came, as it does to us all, and he didn't feel like a favorite at all. Job got a whopping big dose of trouble, and it was far more trouble than most of us will ever see.

In the span of a few hours, Job lost his wealth and his family in one fell swoop. 

I can't imagine surviving that kind of adversity. I'm not sure I'd want to survive it.

Job had much loss to grieve, but, at the very beginning of his journey, he submitted his will to God's and worshipped Him. (We looked at this yesterday. The link is below, in case you missed it.)

Before he had a chance to recover from his personal losses, another disaster struck in the form of tormenting illness and chronic pain. To make matters worse, his wife was no help at all. "Curse God and die" is not the godly recommendation of a loving wife. 

Do you get the picture? 

Job lost almost everything he cared about. He was left with a disease-ridden body and a bitter wife.

This much stress has a marked physiologic effect and frequently causes depression. Was Job depressed? Probably. In his despair, however, he asked a very good question. It's one we would do well to consider.

What is the point of suffering?

That's not how he said it, of course, but I believe it was the question behind his question. "Why is life given to him who suffers?" (Job 3:20 nasb)  Jeremiah asked the same question, as have many over the years.

God's response to Jeremiah was an interesting one:

Extract the precious from the worthless... (Jer. 15:19)

Not every situation seems favorable, but there is something precious in every situation. Jeremiah said people looked at the adversity he faced and waited for his fall. They expected to overcome him when that fall finally came. That won't happen, Jeremiah predicted.

But the Lord is with me like a dread champion... (Jer.20:11)

Jeremiah was in the midst of a terrible situation, but he was not alone in his trial. God was with him and God was his champion. In a way, those who sought to overcome Jeremiah would have to go through God (his champion) to do it.

Jesus spoke about this very subject. "In this world, you will have tribulation, but take courage, for I have overcome the world," (John 16:33 nasb)

James, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote about the trials of life. 

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance, and let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 

James 1:2-4 nasb

At last, we come to the "precious from the worthless". Much of our sin and our ungodliness are burned away in the fires of our trials. 

Suffering is never wasted, because it works in us to make us stronger and more mature. 

Suffering removes the chaff and leaves the good behind. In the midst of it all, God Himself walks through our suffering with us. 

I know this from experience. In my own trials, I have experienced both the presence and the cleansing of God. My suffering was not wasted. Unbelievably, I can look back now and say, "It was worth it." I don't want another refining fire, but what I gained through it was worth the heat, the sorrow, and the pain.

Suffering leaves us closer to our Lord and more like Him. 

No one loves having a trial, but being more like Jesus and knowing Him better is an outcome that makes our suffering worthwhile.

Have you faced a terrible time of testing? Are you there now? Take courage. You are not alone. God goes through it with you and, on the other side, you will emerge closer to Him and more like Him.

One fact make Jeremiah's journey easier, and it will ours, as well, so let's post this truth on the walls of our heart:

Our God is with us like a dread champion.

He is with us and He will see us through.

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My Amazon Author page is now live. Be sure to check it out and follow me.

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In case you missed one of this week's posts, here are the links: The Changing of Our Culture: Physician Assisted Suicide, The Opportunity in Trials,  The Monarch Migration Badge,  The Sermon Without Words,  A Matter of Perspective, Living in Goshen: God's Best, and Embracing Our Personal Gethsemane.

#suffering #darknightofthesoul #surrender #Christian #Job #ChronologicalBible

Maggie The Wonder Dog and the Hurt Eye

Maggie the Wonder Dog, in case you don't know, is my six year old Shih Tzu and older sibling to Mamie the Apprentice Wonder Puppy. She is sassy and funny and smart. She can do the usual dog tricks, but she can also herd cattle, dance like a ballerina, and sneak like a spy. She is a terrific dog.

On Thursday, the Wonder Dogs and I went for a long ramble in the woods. They crawled through blackberry brambles, jumped through tall grass, and raced through pastures with abandon. They both had great fun, and finished off the jaunt with a swim in the lake, which required baths for both dogs.

They were exhausted after the fun. Somewhere in the midst of the rambling, Maggie injured her eye, but it didn't slow her down. She kept playing.

Late Friday afternoon, I noticed there was some drainage from Maggie's left eye. Over the weekend, it worsened and, by Sunday I could see slough and a scrape, even without an otoscope. 

We were at the vet's office early yesterday. The staining confirmed what we could see with the naked eye. Maggie has a large corneal abrasion. 

In case you don't know, the cornea is the clear outer covering of the eye. When a scratch of the cornea occurs, it causes severe pain, especially with bright light, and blurred vision. If severe enough, it can cause scarring of the cornea and permanent vision loss. Maggie's is severe. 

Maggie's only symptom has been eye drainage. She hasn't rubbed at her eye or refused to go outside into the light or stopped playing. She hasn't been grumpy. Maggie has been the same old Maggie. No matter what.

Has her eye injury been painful? Certainly. Has the light hurt her eye? No doubt.

Maggie has persevered through her pain and suffering without changing her behavior or attitude at all. She's simply trusted me to take care of her problem.

I should do as well with my own struggles. Scriptures tells us God will never leave us nor forsake us. (Deut. 31:7) He cares for us. (1 Peter 5:7) He knows our suffering. (Isaiah 53:3-12) He provides exactly what we need. (Phil. 4:19) We can trust Him. (Prov. 3:5)

When we encounter painful circumstances, suffering of any kind, He knows. He cares. He will make a way through. Even better, He will walk through it with us. We are not alone in our suffering.

No matter how difficult the circumstance or how uncertain the situation, we can depend on our Lord to help us through. There's no need (albeit a big temptation) to grumble and complain. 

Eric Stites wrote a hymn in 1876, Trusting Jesus. The words sum up our response to difficulty better than I ever could.

Simply trusting every day,

Trusting through a stormy way;

Even when my faith is small,

Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Singing if my way is clear,

Praying if the path be drear;

If in danger for Him call;

Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Oh, that we might live with the faith that simply trusts Him, no matter how stormy our way. No grumbling. No complaining. Today, if our way is clear, let us sing. If our path is drear, let us pray. If in danger, let us call on Jesus. No matter what, let's trust Him. Wholeheartedly, trust with abandon. 

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In case you missed any of the past week's posts, here are the links: The Blessing Disguised as Coincidence, The Blessing of Protection, Becoming a Writer: Cover Reveal, I Shook His Hand Once, Knowing the Goal, and Remembering My Way.

The most read post of the past week: The Blessing Disguised as a Coincidence.

Here's the link to The Clay Papers, available as an e-book for personal use or to send as a gift for only 99 cents. 

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#trustingJesus #faith #disciple #MaggietheWonderDog #suffering

The Baptism of Suffering

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"I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!”

Luke 12:49-50 NASB

We have started a new series based on the last few verses in Luke 12. Jesus is speaking prophetically of things that were to come, not all in the distant future.

Yesterday, we learned about the fire of persecution. Previously, we've studied lessons from the life of Tyndale.

Today, we look at the coming baptism of Jesus. The word translated as "baptism" is baptista and literally means "immersion, submersion". It has come to indicate the Christian baptism by water but it also means an immersion in calamities and trials to which one is adverse. 


When Jesus spoke these words, He had already been baptized by John. He was not speaking of a water baptism. Instead, He was speaking of His coming crucifixion and death. Jesus knew what was coming, and He was distressed as He waited for it.

Jesus knew He would be betrayed, denied, arrested, beaten, have nails hammered into His hands and feet to secure Him to a wooden cross, left to die, be confined to a tomb for three days while He conquered death and sin, and rise again. Other than the rising again, there was nothing but horrible suffering in what was to come. 

I celebrate the cross but, I have to admit, I sometimes treat it as if it was just a "one stop along the way, no big deal, quick pain and it's over" event. 

It's clear from this verse that Jesus saw it quite differently. The death of Jesus and the events that preceded it were a long ordeal of agonizing torture. He knew what was to come, and He dreaded it. 

Taking on the sins of the world is not to be taken lightly. No mortal man could do it. Only Jesus, and He hated having it to do.

It was a baptism of suffering and He did it because it had to be done. Jesus embraced the suffering, the shame, the pain and did it with love and grace. He preached the importance of loving our enemies and He demonstrated that truth with His death. 

He loved us, despite what lay ahead.

This sacrifice of Jesus should change us. It should make us shout with joy and run into the streets shouting, "He did it! He did it for me!" 

It wasn't a casual sacrifice, like throwing a quarter into a beggar's cup. It was everything. 

Jesus gave all He had, and He did it for us all.

There are times when we, too, endure a kind of baptism of suffering. It can't compare with that of Jesus, but we can respond to our suffering with the grace of Jesus, and we should. We must. It is not my intention to trivialize our suffering. I've had some suffering of my own, and it was horrible and painful and I thought it would never end. But it did end, and it left me changed. I think it left me more like Christ than I was before. 

Suffering is very real, but we must allow God to take that suffering and use it to change us, make us more like Christ. As we face the suffering and pain of our lives again today, let us do it as Jesus did. He looked toward the joy on the other side of the suffering, kept His face turned toward heaven, and pressed on. So should we.

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Hebrews 12:1-2 NASB

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Our Father, forgive my whining and self-pity. Help me to embrace the circumstances You have allowed into my life and use them to glorify You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

#suffering #perseverance #Ipresson #JesusChrist #disciple #myeyesareonthejoy

The Refining Fire of Persecution

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"I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!”

Luke 12:49-50 NASB

These verses are a prophetic word from Jesus to His disciples. This section began with the question from Peter. "Lord, are you addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?" (Lk 12:41) His question was immediately preceded by Jesus' discussion of staying on the alert for the second coming of the Son of Man. 

"I have come to cast fire upon the earth." Some commentators believe that this casting of fire relates to the fire of the Holy Spirit, sent at Pentecost, and that may very well be correct. Because this is sandwiched between the verses referencing the coming of the Son of Man and those that follow, speaking of persecution and divisions, I interpret these two verses differently, and concur with Matthew Henry on this. I believe these two verses speak of persecution as well.

What Jesus did, in coming to earth, was to start a process that began with His arrival, proceeded through His death, burial, and resurrection, and continues until His triumphant return. Metaphorically, He "cast fire" upon the earth, for His teachings threatened the religious establishment and brought wrath upon His followers. A consuming fire of persecution followed.

Jesus had tough times ahead and, like most of us, He dreaded them. "How distressed I am until it is accomplished." Despite knowing he would be brutally executed, He taught a lifestyle of love, including love for our enemies. We, too, need to remember His teachings regarding praying for our enemies.

Persecution was coming, he warned, and it would be a fire that blazed and consumed. Jesus was right. Christians would be eaten by lions, sawn in two, stoned, imprisoned, scourged, made destitute, afflicted, ill-treated, and more. (Hebrews 11:36-38)  Jesus knew these things were coming, yet He saw them as temporary, just as the agony of crucifixion was temporary. 

These tortures would not be just a temporary suffering. They would serve as a refining fire. When believers stood in the midst of the coliseum, chained, as a lion roared toward them and opened its mouth wide, white teeth glistening, moving in for the kill, he (or she) would know the truth of their faith. No one would be eaten alive for a convenient faith. It was only for a real, vibrant, living faith that one might die.

Persecution separated the wheat from the chaff, the believers from the crowd. 

Following Jesus was no longer a trendy fad. It was truth worth dying for, and thousands of believers gave their lives for that truth. Instead of burning out the disciples of Christ, it caused them to flee ahead of the fire, and literally took the gospel around the world. 

We have begun to see the same refining fire of persecution blazing throughout the earth once again. The beheadings of believers in the Middle East are only the beginning. Persecution has, in some ways, begun in this country, as well. We can expect the fire to burn hotter, to blaze brighter. 

We will not all escape the flames, but the cause of Christ will not be burned out. 

The accelerating persecution will have an important effect on the church. Those who are "country club Christians" will fall away. If our involvement in church activities is merely a social event, we will not stand in the face of trial. That trial, however, will clarify (for us and for the world) the truth of our relationship to Christ.

Am I a committed follower or a convenience follower?

This is a question we may soon have the opportunity to answer, but, if we hope to stand in the midst of trial, we must make our decision now. 

Will we follow Him regardless of the cost or not?

There is nothing sweeter than the joy of serving a living Lord who comes to us in our trials and comforts us in our suffering, even when that trial is a trial by fire, to the death.

Jesus will return, but many hard and terrifying things will happen before that glorious day. They are part of the process and will serve as a refining fire. We will not all suffer great affliction, but many of us will. 

Not one moment of suffering will be overlooked by our Lord. Not one drop of blood will be wasted.

"And when He broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained... and there was given to each of them a white robe... (Rev. 6: 9-11 NASB)

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You can read more about the refining fire of persecution and lessons from the life of William Tyndale here.

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Our Father, forgive our wavering faith and make us strong, sure, ready to stand, no matter the cost. We pray for our enemies and those who would harm us for our faith. May our sacrifice draw them to You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

#persecution #readytodie #martyr #JesusChrist #disciple

Confessing Jesus before men: I am the resurrection and the life

And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God; but he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. (Luke 12:8-9 NASB) 

"Confess before men" is a phrase that, in Greek, means to say the same the same things about Jesus that He says about Himself. In this series, we have reviewed the I AM's, including I AM the Bread of Life, I AM the Light of the World, I AM the Door, I AM the Good Shepherd (pasture), and I AM the Good Shepherd.

Our topic for today is "I AM the Resurrection and the Life". 

I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in Me will live even if he dies..." (John 11:25 NASB)

The context of Jesus' statement is critical for understanding. As John 11 begins, Jesus and His disciples received word that Lazarus, Jesus' dear friend, is critically ill. "This sickness is not to end in death," Jesus told them. The most important word in that sentence is end. The sickness might result in death, but it would not end in death. It was a critical distinction, but one the disciples may have missed. 

Jesus waited two days before leaving for Bethany. The disciples knew there was a plot to kill Jesus and begged Him not to go, but Jesus was adamant. "I'm going." By the time they arrived, Lazarus was already dead. Jesus had missed his chance to say goodbye, or so it seemed.

Martha charged out to greet Him, bristling with indignation. "If you had been here, my brother would not have died." Jesus assured Martha, "Your brother will rise again." Martha responded, (Leanna Paraphrase) "I know all about that, Jesus. He'll rise again in the resurrection on the last day. I want my brother now." Mary and the crowds felt the same. 

"He opened the eyes of the blind. Couldn't Jesus have prevented Lazarus' death?"

Imagine the interaction for a moment. In my mind's eye, I can see Jesus smile and give Martha a hug. "Martha, my friend," He might have said, "I AM the resurrection and the life, he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" She nodded, "Yes, Lord. I believe you are the Christ."

Jesus could have prevented her suffering, but He did not.

If He had, Martha and the people present that day would have missed a miracle and an understanding of the most critical piece of Jesus' message. They would have been ill-prepared for the very near future. Because of Lazarus' death and the resurrection Jesus would bring, they would be ready to face Jesus' death. None of that preparation could come without the suffering of losing Lazarus.

Their pain had a point.

Jesus was heartbroken for what His friends were enduring. "Let's go to the grave," He told them. When he stood in front of the tomb, He instructed the people to "remove the stone". No one wanted to open the grave. Lazarus had been there for four days. It wouldn't be a pretty sight or smell. 

Jesus insisted and overruled the crowd. It was a good thing He did. With three words, Jesus changed the understanding of everyone present that day. "LAZARUS COME FORTH," He called. Lazarus, still wrapped in grave clothes, came forth.

What we often forget in times of heartbreak and tragedy is that the pain and suffering are never wasted. Like with Lazarus' death, the devastating loss can be used to prepare us for something that is to come. 

Without the lessons gained in sorrow, we may be ill-prepared for the next step in our journey. 

No matter what we face, the outcome is not the end, because Jesus is the resurrection and the life. When we belong to Him, the promise of our eternal destiny changes what seems like the end of hope, the end of joy, the end of life into the end of suffering and the beginning of life. When our life on earth ends, our body may be nothing more than a rotting hunk of flesh. Our soul, however, is no longer bound to this earth. We go to live with Jesus in heaven, and it is worth the journey.

Are you walking through a time of trial? Take hope. Jesus has overcome the world. He has overcome suffering, pain, death and loss. 

He may not end your pain and suffering, but He will never waste it. 

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Our Father, give us hearts of endurance to persevere through hard times and the faith the lean on you in the good times and the bad. Use our suffering to make us more like Jesus and to glorify you. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Hurtful words (Luke 6:22,23)

Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets. (Luke 6:22, 23 NASB)

"Sticks and stones may break my bones,

But words can never harm me."

That childhood refrain was my first thought when I read these verses, but it is not exactly what Jesus was saying. Being hated, ostracized, insulted, and scorned do not seem much like blessings. If the hatred, ostracizing, insults, and scorning are with cause, they are not. When they come because of your love for Jesus, though, they are blessings, indeed. 

In fact, Jesus said that, when you are mistreated because of Him, it's cause for celebration. "Leap for joy!" The misdeeds are not what we are to celebrate, but the reward our suffering will bring. That reward, Jesus promised, would be delivered in heaven and it would be great. The Greek word here is "polys", meaning large or many. Whatever we will receive in exchange for our mistreatment because of our love for Jesus will be more than worth it. 

Jesus was reminding us that this earth is not our home. We have a final destination, where we will live with Him forever. Whatever we suffer here, whatever we endure, is only temporary. One day, our troubles will end. One day all our trials will be over, but our lives will go on in eternity. 

That promise of reward in heaven should be cause for hope as well as rejoicing. When we focus all our attention on the difficulties of this world, it's hard to remember that this is not our end. When we keep our eyes on heaven, it's much easier to move through hard times without despair. 

Suffering is not a new experience for God's people, and we should not be surprised by it, nor should we panic or be dismayed in the face of it. "...Words can never harm me" is not exactly true. Words can damage reputations and hurt our feelings. In the light of eternity, however, spiteful, hate filled words can be the source of great blessing. When we exchange the hurtful words of this world for the great rewards in the next, we are blessed indeed. 

Have you been scorned for your faith? Have your loved ones ridiculed you because of your love for Jesus? Do not despair. He knows your pain and will reward in due time. 

Pray for endurance in hard times and for our loved ones to see truth rather than the lies of the world. Pray that we will keep our eyes on eternity rather than on the trials of the here and now. 

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Here's the link for last night's post:  http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/03/bahamian-blogging-8-legend-pizza.html