Hello everyone, today I’d like to discuss the topics of Adversity and Suffering.
When we go through adversity and suffering in our lives, it can be easy to forget that God loves us and cares about our pain and suffering. The Bible speaks about many people who suffered through all kinds of adversities, and here is just a sampling of some of them:
1. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers (Genesis 37:18-36)
2. Job, a man who loved and respected God, lost everything he had. His ten children were killed, all in one day. His animals and servants were also killed. His wife turned against him, and then he was stricken with sickness (Job 1-2:10)
3. David spent many years of his life running and hiding from King Saul because King Saul wanted to kill David because he knew that God had planned for David to be the next king (1 Samuel 19:11-18; 23:13-17)
David mourned for the death of his child (2 Samuel 12:13-19)
4. Paul was put in prison (Acts 16:22-23)
5. And most importantly, God sent His Son JESUS to come down to earth in the form of a man, knowing that He would be spit on, beaten, mocked, and put to death by being nailed to a cross (Matthew 27:27-50)
Why? Because God loves us that much (even though we sinned against Him repeatedly), He sent His Son, JESUS, to sacrifice His life on the cross to satisfy the penalty that humanity owed God for their sins (John 3:16-17). That’s true LOVE, and that’s why I know God loves you and me.
I have gone through many times of adversity in my own life, with the deaths of close family members, sickness, etc. I know how it feels to have my heart broken. So, I sympathize with your suffering, and my heart goes out to all of you who may be going through some turmoil in your life right now.
Sometimes, when we experience challenging situations, it can be easy to forget to Focus on God instead of our problems. However, Christians MUST (1) Focus On God, (2) Trust God, and (3) Have FAITH in God and His power in every situation. The Bible says in Hebrews 11:6 NLT, “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” Christians MUST also (4) Seek God’s Word, the Bible, and (5) PRAY. Please note that we should rely on the POWER of the HOLY SPIRIT to enable and equip us to carry out these five strategies at all times, and especially in the midst of adversity and suffering.
While going through those trials in my life, I learned that the best way to endure them was to look to God instead of my situation and what it looked like to me.
The Bible says in Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” This means trusting God completely and not depending upon your understanding in any situation because He is the all-knowing (Omniscient) and Almighty God. God knows all about our adversities even before they happen to us. He knows the beginning, middle, and end results of our suffering, and He can help us through it all.
I remembered reading in the Bible about the people I mentioned previously and how they suffered, but eventually, God restored their faith in Him. So, I prayed to God and pleaded for His help, and He comforted me with His Word, the Bible. I was particularly comforted by the Psalms. Psalm 34 is one of my favorite Psalms, as is Psalm 23. I’d like to encourage you to read them, and I pray that you will also be comforted.
Here are some other Bible verses that I found to be encouraging, and they are found in 2 Corinthians 4:8- 9 NLT: “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.”
This means that no matter how bad life’s problems get, when Jesus is the Savior and Lord of our lives, we can be encouraged and comforted by the fact that Jesus is our loving Savior and that He is one hundred percent capable of handling all of our problems. I pray that you are encouraged as you believe the truth of these words from the Bible. If you have not already, I encourage you to pray to God (prayer is simply talking to God) and believe and ask Him for peace, comfort, wisdom, direction, and guidance for your life.
Is There Any Value In Our Adversity And Suffering?
Now that you have learned (and for some, been reminded) about the 5 Best Biblical Strategies to Approach Adversity and Suffering through (1) Focusing on God, (2) Trusting God, (3) Having Faith in God, (4) Seeking God’s Word, the Bible, and (5) Prayer, let us discuss whether there is any value in our adversity and suffering.
The simple answer is yes. Now I know that when we face a crisis or some turmoil in our lives, right there in the midst of it all, it never feels good; instead, it feels like nothing but pain and agony.
While God allows adversity and suffering in our lives and certainly sympathizes with us in all that we are going through, He also visualizes the deeper meaning of these storms. The VALUE here is that God often uses these harrowing experiences to accomplish the following things in our lives:
- To Strengthen Our Faith In Him:
When we lean on the Lord to comfort us and guide us through these hurtful situations in our lives, with our primary focus on Him and His power working through our tribulations, we are encouraged and more confident in God’s power working in our lives. This, with the help of the Holy Spirit, helps us trust God more and, as a result, strengthens our faith in Him, confidently knowing that just as he saw us through this trial, He will certainly see us through the next.
- Keeps Us From Becoming Self-Righteous:
Other times, God may allow our suffering to keep us from becoming self-righteous. Let’s take a look at Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 NLT. Here, Paul speaks about the “thorn in his flesh” that tormented him, and he asks God three times to remove it, yet God chooses not to.
Instead, God answers him with the following statement (and this statement applies to us today) “…, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT).
We can and should take a lesson from Paul when he states in 2 Corinthians 12:10 NLT, “That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong”.
Yes, we can also experience God’s grace (undeserved favor) and power in our lives when we are weakest amid our adversities as we surrender and allow God’s power to strengthen us as He accomplishes His goals.
When we acknowledge and accept that it is God’s power working and helping us through our adversities and sufferings, we are kept from becoming self-righteous.
- Gives Us Compassion For Others:
When we have experienced similar or any type of adversity or suffering in our own lives, we are more likely to have compassion for others going through their life storms. We can relate to their pain, and as a result, we comfort and encourage them as we point them to Jesus.
For all of you who may be going through various struggles with adversity and suffering, here is my prayer for you:
Dear God,
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to pray for all those struggling with various adversities and sufferings. Lord, you know precisely what they are in need of. As you know, Lord, these are very challenging times that many are going through for various reasons, but I know there is no situation or circumstance that is too difficult for you to handle. You are the only true and living God; all power is in your hands. God, please give them daily strength to face their days. Please, God, help them focus on You and not on the circumstances causing their suffering. Help them to trust You, have complete faith in You, seek the Holy Bible, and pray. Please, Lord, encourage, comfort, provide peace, give wisdom, direction, and guidance, and help them be assured of Your love. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
So long for now, and as always, remember to SEEK JESUS 4 LIFE !!!
