Rejoice In Our Sufferings

Rom 5:3-5
3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.
5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
(NIV)

perseverance:\ 5281 hupomone: enduring, patience, patient continuance (waiting) to persist in a state, enterprise, or undertaking in spite if counter influences, opposition, or discouragement; cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy:

Have you ever seen anyone really rejoice because they are suffering? Suffering comes in many forms and faces. It can come upon you suddenly or slowly. Suffering can bring a person down to the point that they never fully recover. Suffering can also make a person better and stronger then they have ever been in their life. The first question everyone asks when a time of tribulation comes upon them is: “Why is this happening to me? What did I do to deserve this?” Some times we can feel guilty as though we brought this upon ourselves because we sinned and now God is punishing us. Other times we can feel mad at God and ask him, “Why did you let this happen?” Either way the best thing to do first is go to God and pray. Pouring your heart out to him about everything you are going through, asking him for strength and putting the situation in his hands is the best thing we can do.

In times of suffering is when most people have their greatest experiences with God. The sooner we let go of the situation and put our trust in God a hundred percent, the better. Usually things happen because Satan has taken notice of our faith in Jesus and has picked us out as a threat. He wants to destroy us and make us give up your faith in God. Look at Job. Why did Satan afflict him so intensely? Satan attacked Job because Job was a very righteous man not because he was living in sin. When we face a time of suffering we can start to rejoice in our spirit because we know God is faithful and he is there with us and we do not face any trial alone. The world replies, “I need a drink. I need a pill.” They put their trust in the physical and fall miserably. The disciple of Jesus falls to his knees, exalts his hands to the heavens, and worships God, “ I praise your holy name Father. I need you now. Help me through this time of suffering for I cannot bear it alone. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.” Just as I rush out to my children when I hear them scream and pick them up and hold them tightly in my arms to comfort them, Jesus comes to our side and fills our being with his spirit. It is miraculous! You are filled with strength that you never had before and all the pain is melting away turning into inexpressible joy. Hope has come and you are a new person. You are stronger then before and your character is enriched with a new experience.

Although no one would ever volunteer for suffering, it is necessary for growth. Future trials and temptations await every one of us. Satan plans 24hours a day like a roaring lion seeking how to devour you (1 Peter 5:8). The next time that suffering comes your way, go to God quickly. Remember blessings come with suffering! You are about to be strengthened and transformed into a new person. Like scars on a honored soldier so your character in Christ will be. The greater the battle the greater the victory!

Seek The Lord

Isaiah 55:6-9

6 Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.

9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
(from New International Version)


seek : darash (daw-rash'); a primitive root; properly, to tread or frequent; usually to follow (for pursuit or search); by implication, to seek or ask; specifically to worship: KJV - ask, at all, care for, diligently, inquire, make inquisition, question, require, search, seek [for, out], surely.
(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright (c) 1994, Biblesoft and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

I was hunting with a friend of mine one weekend out in South Texas. I was riding around on a four wheeler seeking a wounded deer. I stopped for a water break and noticed that my rifle was gone! The strap had been torn by some Mesquite thorns and fell off my four wheeler. Now I am tearing through cactus and Mesquite thorns getting ripped to ribbons trying to find what I am seeking. I spent fourteen hours looking for this deer and about an hour looking for my rifle. As I was persevering through the brush, sweating, bleeding, and fighting off hunger pains, the Lord spoke to me, “This is how you should seek me.”

Honestly “how hard do we seek after the Lord?” In a self centered comfort driven society going to ‘Church’ is considered seeking God. Going to Church is just a fraction of seeking after God. To seek God is to diligently persevere to make all your thoughts God’s thoughts, all your desires God’s desires. It is to hunger and crave righteousness as an addict craves his next fix. Seeking God is a never ending desire that comes from deep within our soul that desires to surrender our fleshly worldly desires and do what is right in the eyes of God. The Bible teaches us what is the right way to live, the right way to love, and how to forgive. To seek God is also to love what God loves and hate what God hates (Hate evil, love good; Amos 5:15).

Just as our body daily craves food so does our soul crave the words of God. Part of seeking God is to pray to God and read the bible. The real challenge is living the will of God and putting into practice what we know is the right thing to do no matter what other people will say or think about us. What is important is what does God think about us? How does God feel about our relationship? Read the definition of ‘seek’ and ask yourself does this describe my heart towards my relationship with God? There is only one way to seek God and that is with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul, and all your strength.