A Second Look at Suffering

"Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and that endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy
Spirit who has been given to us" (Romans 5:2-5; ESV).

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us" (Romans 8:18; ESV).

"For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ, we share abundantly in comfort too" (2 Corinthians 1:5).

What do these passages have in common? They encourage us to look beyond our immediate experience of suffering toward eternal things.

In Romans 5, to rejoice both in hope of the glory of God and in our sufferings, not for our sufferings, but the outcome--endurance, character, and hope.

In Romans 8, "that the sufferings of this present time cannot be compared with the future glory which will be revealed to us."

In 2 Corinthians, to see the abundance of comfort we share if we share first in Christ's sufferings.

We need to stay focused on the promises of Scripture, knowing that as God has kept His Word to this day, He will continue to in the days ahead.

God All Present

Some weeks ago, I did a post titled "Time." This is a follow-up to that.

God speaks in Jeremiah 23:23-24: "Am I a God who is near," declares the Lord, "and not a God far off? Can a man hide himself in hiding places so that I do not see him?" declares the LORD. "Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?" declares the Lord.

How often do we think of God as One who is out there somewhere, not exactly absent but not fully present either? This especially comes to mind when there are tragedies such as recently occurred in Orlando, Florida--and those in Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and Africa.

God asks, "Can a man hide himself in hiding places so I do not see him?" We think this is possible because men can hide from other men. But no one can hide from God.

God is present everywhere.

God is active, even when we do not perceive His actions because they are not as ours.

God is unchanging; no one else can make that claim.

For those who know Him, we can say with the psalmist, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; though the waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah" (Psalm 46:1-3; NAS).