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Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Suffering

Suffering is a time when the world seems to stop, or maybe not the world, but our world for that matter. Suffering causes internal focuses which can then lead to internal prayers. Suffering can take our eyes off of God when he so desperately may be allowing this in order to refocus our attention back on Him. How easy it is to push aside the feelings and ignore them rather than reaching to the core of what Christ is sometimes trying to speak to us about.

I was reading Philippians today and came across Paul's words when he was going through the same thing. May we never lose faith. May we never lose hope, for that is what we are living for and hope does not disappoint us (Romans 5:5).

"Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel." (Philippians 1:12)

"Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and God's provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance." (v. 19)

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love God and who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28)

Take heart to the direction God is leading you, even if he is leading you into suffering, for there is hope, that hope doesn't disappoint us. And His plan reigns far greater than what we know is possible or even imaginable.