All in Suffering

It is Natural to Suffer, but only for a little While

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Suffering

We are not going to escape suffering in this world. As we go through life we will face sickness, death, all forms of persecution, and various trials by the bushel full, one thing is certain however, and this is that our God has promised we will not face any of this alone, because He is with us. In this place we will weep, cry out in pain, and mourn, but in every valley the Lord will be with us to comfort us. Now we are meant to both laugh and cry, to be young and old, and to walk from day to night, and back, but one day, when we reach our final destination, all of this will be behind us; our small joys will become eternal, and all of our tears will be dried forever.

God’s Will, and the Joy in Obedient Suffering

Richard Forbes
Christian, Daily Devotional , Suffering

Are we sorrowful today, and is the joy we once felt diminished, as our happiness is draining from us? Have we been brought low and find ourselves on our knees before God crying out for the relief that only He can provide? If this is true, and we are on our knees before Him, then we should view the trials which have brought us such pain to be joy, and our posture before Him an indication that our faith has been successfully tested.

Can our Faith withstand the Suffering we face?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Adversity , Suffering, Faith

How is our faith affected when we face physical suffering, and how about the times when we are tormented spiritually by people who don’t want us to speak the gospel to those who need to hear it? All of the apostle’s faced rejection and trials as they carried the good news of Jesus Christ around the world, but even though they faced great physical and spiritual abuse, they continued on... even to horrific death and martyrdom. Can we hold to our faith in the face of such persecution?

Suffering in Earthly Christian Life

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Expectation, Suffering

Did we come to know Jesus by looking for an easy way through life, and into eternity? Were we seeking an escape from persecution, and to be continuously protected from harm? If that was the case our search was in vain, and we need only look at His life to understand that. Jesus warns us to be vigilant, and to know that there are those who will want to do us harm, but in the end our souls will find their reward despite the trouble that is in the world, and we will rejoice in our earthly calamity simply for having known Jesus.

Understanding the Suffering of Jesus

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Suffering

Are you suffering today? Were you afflicted at birth, or have you become ill, or tortured during your lifetime? Do you face the torment of men, through beatings, or other worldly punishments; then as a Christian, rejoice in them, because we are meant to count these things as good. Our pain should only increase us in faith, and bring us closer to Jesus by sharing not only in the suffering of Christ, but in the promise of His glory.

Finding Joy, and Perfection, in our Affliction

Richard Forbes
Christian, Daily Devotion, Suffering, God’s Love

Do we think of ourselves as a worthy treasure to be presented to God? Are we inclined to consider that we are like gold, silver, or fine jewels that He is eager to have refined, cut, or molded, and placed in His treasure chest, to be displayed with pride? Well, God does value us, and he does refine us, but not as we might think, He doesn’t purify us simply by education, works, or charm school, but in the furnace of our affliction. The spiritual worthiness that He sees in us is like a faint line of gold in a predominately dark stone... and we must be crushed into submission before it can be released, and purified.

Perseverance, Endurance, and Rejoicing in our Cross

Richard Forbes
Christian, Daily Devotion, Perseverance, Suffering, Faithfulness

If a man seeks Jesus Christ as a means of escaping the hardship and suffering of the world then he will be sorely disappointed when at last he meets Him, because no man ever suffered as Christ did. Are we ready to continue on in faith and to seek righteousness even though we know that tribulation awaits us? Can we face life’s suffering and rejoice in it, or will we complain, mourn, and eventually, lay down our cross as we yield to our own personal comfort? A Christian’s love for Jesus exceeds his desire for selfish pleasure, and his love and desire for eternity with God endures the lessons, and responsibilities, of the cross. 

The Will of God, and the Mystery of our Suffering

Richard Forbes
Christian, Daily Devotion, Suffering, God’s Faithfulness

We all suffer in our lives. When we become believers in the one true God, and Jesus Christ, life’s suffering does not end, but the manner in which we suffer does. As Christians we are no longer meant to suffer in sin, but we will suffer because of it, and even in the process of doing God’s will. When we are going about our life as believers, doing the will of God, we will meet hardships and suffer calamity along the way, but we have a faithful God in whom we can place our trust, and turn to for help. He will not let our souls slip into sinfulness, but will strengthen us against it. Are you facing hardship? Well, lean on Him, and stay the course of righteousness. Do His will.

No Virus nor Plague, can Separate us from God

Richard Forbes
Christian, Daily Devotion, Trusting God, Suffering

As Christians, how are we living right now in this time of fear and global sickness? Where are we placing our faith, and our hope? Moreover, in whom are we steadfastly trusting? When we suddenly find ourselves locked out of our church buildings, unable to take communion with the other saints, and facing great difficulty, are we looking towards the Lord and asking “Do you know us? Have you forsaken us?” In times of great hardship, and uncertainty Satan finds The hunting easy, but don’t fall victim, because our God is still ever present, and knows who we are... we are His!

Strength in our Sorrow, Flourishing Faith in the midst of our Suffering

Richard Forbes
Christian, Daily Devotion, Faith, Suffering, Salvation

Have you ever been so put upon, so set upon, or felt so downtrodden in life that you feared God Himself had abandoned you? What did you do in that time of great fear, sorrow, or suffering? What was the state of your faith at that moment? Were you on the verge of turning away from the Lord, or did you seek Him more fervently? Was your faith waining, or was it surging as you leaned upon it?

Our Suffering, and God’s Will for us on Calvary

Richard Forbes
Christian, Daily Devotion, Suffering, Faithfulness

Do you find yourself coming to God, and Jesus Christ only when you are suffering? Did you accept Jesus, and God in the midst of a crisis? Perhaps your faith is more pronounced when you are hurting? Sometimes it takes calamity to bring us to our knees, and to strengthen our faith through fervent prayer. Do you wait for those times before praying earnestly? Do you feel abandoned by God or more alive in Him when you suffer? Troubles come to sinners, and righteous alike... are you prepared?

Are the Righteous meant to Suffer?

Richard Forbes
Suffering, Daily Devotion, Christian, Righteousness

Do you suffer in your life simply because you deserve to? Is every bad thing that befalls you the result of some sin, or wrongdoing in your life? Certainly we have enough sin and disobedience in our lives to make an argument for this, but there are many times when we face hardship in the midst of our goodness, righteousness, and obedience. How should we view this seemingly unjust sorrow? Do we question God?

God’s Goodness and Love in the Midst of Our Suffering and Death

Richard Forbes
Death, Christian, Eternity, Daily Devotion, Suffering, Joy

When we suffer it is natural to want that pain to be gone. Some, in the midst of their travail, will ask the Lord to remove that burden from them, and even question His motive, or goodness. They say “Why would a God of mercy and love do such a thing to us? Why would Jesus tell us to take up our cross?”, and their experience with suffering and death shakes their faith. Yet we are meant to suffer alongside Jesus, and the cross we bear leaves a crimson stain across our backs... His. This is our mark of faith, and promise of eternal glory. 

Easter - the Suffering of Jesus, and the Sweet Spring Syrup of our Faith.

Richard Forbes
Faith, Suffering, Syrup, Sweetness, Christian, Passion of Christ, Daily Devotion

Some hold a crucifix, or gaze upon a painting of our Lord hanging in agony or death upon the cross, and shield themselves from the intensity of His suffering, and thus of the true extent of the price that was paid... they miss the sweet peace we should accept from His dying hand. Heaven forbid that we, like them, should look dismissively upon our salvation, or take it ever so lightly into our lives. Have you taken your gift of redemption, and turned your face from the wound of that moment, and the life it took to secure it; do you drink the watery sap from His side without weeping in a combination of sorrow and gratitude at the spectacle? Do you miss what should come to be the syrup of your faith?

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