He was despised and forsaken
of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with
grief;
And like one from whom men
hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem
Him.
4 Surely our griefs He
Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him
stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But He was pierced through for our
transgressions,
He was crushed for our
iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon
Him,
And by His scourging we are
healed. Isaiah 53
Suffering is a part of life;
it is something that all of us encounter, and it is inescapable. Oftentimes, the
trials and circumstances of life come unannounced, and leave us with no warning
or preparation. For truly, how can one prepare for an illness or a disease that
might leave someone paralyzed or disabled in some way? And yet, as many know,
these times in our lives, cause us much grief and sorrow. But we have someone
who has traveled down these same roads before, and He is with us and even “in
us” throughout these times.
We all have and know about
the promises of God, and without them we would have no hope in his life. None of
us want to go through trials or to face hardships, but God always seems to have
a reason for these things. We all know about the saying, 'You reap what you
sow,' but bad things also happen to people who follow after
God.
I hear stories about people
who trust in God with all their hearts, and they are obedient to him in so many
ways. And yet these very same people have spouses or sons and daughters, who
have overwhelming diseases and catastrophes in their lives. I hear the stories
of how they have prayed for healing, have had hands laid upon them, and have
been anointed with oil. They believed, they prayed earnestly for recovery and
yet, the person is still afflicted. You say, perhaps their faith wasn’t strong
enough. Perhaps there was some sin that prevented the healing from happening.
Perhaps God in his infinite wisdom has let the malady stay there…Perhaps the
thorn in the flesh has a reason for its
existence.
And yet we are told in
scripture that if we suffer with Him, then surely, we will be raised up with
Him. And this doesn’t necessarily mean “just” awaiting our salvation and eternal
home with Him. But as the waves of the ocean continue to bring the tides of
hardships and trials our way towards the shoreline, we can be assured that in
time, these same waves will subside. In due time we will reap, if we do not lose
heart. And in due time, those periods of deep trials and suffering will come to
an end, and then as they are lifted, our hearts are also lifted, as we see His
hand changing the circumstances around us, and giving us His peace and rest.
12 If we suffer, we shall
also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 2 Tim.
2:12
Are we to believe that this
life that we now live in Christ is always to be paved with ease and to be free
of pain? Are we to believe that we can simply just “speak those away in the name
of Jesus?” Those who speak of such things, have an unbalanced view of the Bible,
and actually, of the Christian life. Indeed, we do and should, speak those
things that are not as though they were, for our faith resides in what we do not
see. But again, if we are to be a true disciple and follower of Christ, then we
must identify with Him, and the identifying is not “just” about living a life
free of pain and trouble.
I have said these things to
you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But
take heart; I have overcome the world.” John
16:33
Are we not to learn our
lesson from the ancient patriarch Job who lost everything, but even in his
deepest suffering, still was able to praise God? We know that in the end his
former possessions had been taken away from him, and in the end he received them
back doubly. His flesh was healed, but his suffering was intense, and was
something that perhaps only few of us, will ever
encounter.
We all know about the
suffering of Christ and all of the floggings and pain he endured, particularly
as he faced the death on the cross for us. We are also told that as we are heirs
with God that we will also share in his
sufferings.
Now if we are children, then
we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his
sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. Romans
8:17
The purposes of suffering are
so that we might be molded into his image and become more like Him through the
things that we suffer. But even in the midst of these trials, there is always
the hope that not only will they yield the fruit of his righteousness, but that
they will come to an end, and that there would be periods of time when we might
rest from these trials and tribulations. Whereas before, the car breaks down,
our relationships are strained, and there’s a leak in the roof. This time, a
family member may be in the hospital, school has just started, and a son or
daughter has decided that they aren’t willing to go to school anymore. These are
normal problems that most of us face. However, there are other types of trials
and persecutions that can last for even years. These are the types of things
that Job faced. These are the types of things that many of the prophets of old
faced, and now, we do as well.
Suffering must run its
course. It is inescapable just like how the mighty river cuts through the cliffs
and finds a new channel in its course. It is relentless. It doesn’t give up
easily, but somehow, if we just hang on, it will subside and the tides will roll
back, and we’ll be able to view the landscape before us with a new
vision.
Stephen Hanson
www.stephenhansonprophet.com
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