Why?

Suffering............not a popular word.
To my mind, there doesn't seem to be anything fair about this word.
It comes when we deserve it.
It comes when we don't deserve it.
Suffering.
World seems to be full of it. At every turn, at every place you look, you see the evidence of suffering.
Disease....
Poverty.....
Sickness......
abuse.......
Sexual immorality of kinds..
the list goes on and on.....
This was not God's creation.
God never intended for suffering to be a part of the human condition.
Satan introduced this little bit of hell into our world through sin that came into the garden of Eden.
Over the years, suffering was multiplied and refined until today in our society we see it on an unprecedented level.
I mean, let's get real honest. When I graduated high school back in 1969, drug and alcohol treatment centers were non-existent. But because of the increase of people who moved toward this form of self-inflicted suffering, treatment centers are a necessary thing. I've seen my fair share of suffering because of drugs and alcohol.

When suffering rears its ugly head, people have a tendency to blame God.
He gets kudo's when we win the lottery....
And He gets fingered with all the blame when our house burns down.
You know and I know that suffering is simply a part of life. Not to downplay the impact of how it affects us, but we truly do learn what we believe when we go through times of suffering.
Either our faith comes out when suffering comes and we lean on Jesus,
or our sinful nature comes out and we rail and complain and blame God.

In II Corinthians 12:9, we read where God spoke to the apostle Paul during a time of suffering and pain.....Each time He (God) said, "My grace is all you need. My Power works best in your weakness." The Grace of God is all I need. Sounds to easy and sounds to magical or mystical but this came from God's lips. What is grace? Here you go...
Grace is the empowering presence of God in my life that enables me to be who God created me to be and to do what God has called me to do. Grace enables me to move through all suffering and trials that come my way. Grace helps me to stand when the winds of this world blow hard against me. When fairness is far removed from my situation and I feel as though the very creation has turned on me..............Grace helps me to stand.

I Peter 1:9
Your reward for trusting Him (God) will be the salvation of your soul.

I Peter 1:14
.........Don't slip back into your old ways of doing evil.

Suffering either drives you closer to God....
Or it drives you farther away into spiritual darkness.
I choose to move closer to God.

There is coming a time when suffering will end, and fairness will rule the land.
Those who have lived their lives in the pursuit of evil, will pay.
Those who have lived their lives in the pursuit of God, will receive.
Suffering will be done away with. No more death, no more pain, no more tears.
I know it sounds like a fairy tale....
But this is the truth of God.
So whatever you may be suffering from or suffering with today....
Draw near to God and let Him strengthen you.

God on you.....
mb.
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I'll be speaking this Sunday night at Celebrate Recovery North Glencoe.
Pray for me that God will provide the needed word for that evening.
Thanks.
mb