When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. – Isaiah 43:2-3 This week, a memorial service was held for my great-nephew Owen. The son of my brother-in-law’s eldest daughter, Owen was only 13 years old when he took his own life. Perhaps you have suffered the sort of deep sorrow that the family is experiencing right now. Death brings suffering. This sort of suffering can bring fear: of the unknown and that the pain will intensify. A couple months ago, a strange spot appeared on my arm. The biopsy report is due back today. Perhaps you have suffered waiting and wondering about a potential problem in your life. It’s easy to be fearful under stress. This sort of suffering can bring fear. Moses died before the twelve tribes of Israel had entered the Promised Land. God commanded Joshua to lead the people across the Jordan River into enemy territory. Joshua was under a lot of stress. Perhaps you have suffered the weight of great responsibility. This sort of suffering can bring fear. God consoled this great leader, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). Fear is a legitimate reaction to a broken world and to a sovereign being, unless you know that God is good and God is in control. However, as attorney Ken Sande points out, “The fact that God is good does not mean that He will insulate us from all suffering. Rather, it means that He will be with us in our suffering and accomplish good through it.” In Sande’s book The Peacemaker, he offers 10 benefits that God grants to us through our suffering as He glorifies Himself, benefits others, and helps us grow. Specifically, God uses suffering: 1. To bring glory to Himself by displaying His goodness, power, and faithfulness. [This benefit can be hard to see in the midst of suffering, but often becomes apparent as we come out of the suffering.] 2. In order that we may glorify Him by our patience under suffering. 3. In order that He may display the riches of His grace and call forth new praises from us as He constantly upholds and delivers us. 4. To teach us how to minister to others when they are suffering. 5. So we can set an example that will encourage others to depend on God and remain faithful to His commands. 6. To teach us to rely more on Him. 7. To show us our need for repentance. 8. To require that we practice the character qualities that will make us like our Lord (who suffered). 9. So we can rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope (Romans 5:3-4). 10. To trust that every time that He gives us a challenge, He also gives us guidance, strength, and abilities needed to deal with it. Sande wraps up this part of his book by observing, “We need to turn our attention to the promises and instructions that God has revealed to us through Scripture. The Bible tells us that God is both sovereign and good, so we can be sure that whatever He has brought into our lives can be used to glorify Him, to benefit others, and to help us grow.” Whether you have suffered great loss, great worry, or great responsibility, I’d like to encourage you with one additional benefit of suffering. Our Lord Jesus Christ suffered and bled and died for sinners. He wept when His friend Lazarus died. He died the cursed death of the cross, bearing our burden for us. When you suffer, you come to know a bit more about who Jesus is: the Suffering Servant. He suffered, so when you suffer, you are closer to Him. This is a great benefit. As you suffer, rejoice that He knows you and is with you.
