Doctrine: Suffering

At the beginning of the year, Hollie Roberts reminded us that our circumstances were central to our call, not a reason to run from it.

For many of you- the call to serve in BSF means continuing to serve God as you walk through some painful life circumstances.

Maybe you started out the year like Elijah last week....feeling good…maybe a little firey- ready to jump in with everything you had and give God your all.

But today…maybe you are finding yourself not feeling quite so firey…maybe today, you are weary, you are tired…maybe today you are suffering.

Our scripture this week begins with our passionate, and bold friend Elijah asking God to take His life.

Elijah was clearly suffering…deeply…those are words of a person in a deep and dark place...

As I look around this room- I know so many of you have walked through deep and painful suffering…and some of you- are walking through it right now...

And like Elijah, you know what it feels like to be in a deep and dark place.

All Suffering has its root in sin. When sin entered the world in the garden- so did suffering.

And while suffering is a consequence of sin, not all suffering is a direct result of personal sin.

In fact, Jesus Himself suffered greatly to ultimately free believers from the power of the pain of suffering.

Suffering does not have to have power over us because we know that Jesus paid the ultimate price for sin- he has victory over sin which means that he already has the victory over suffering.

As believers, we suffer with hope- knowing that we can trust God has a plan and purpose to use our suffering as He faithfully carries forth His plans to redeem and restore a world full of sin- a world full of suffering..

If I do not believe that suffering is rooted in sin....I will be quick to blame God.,…this results in bitterness and anger towards Him rather than submission and obedience out of my love for Him.

When I believe that God is in control of suffering, then I can trust that my suffering will never be wasted. That God is using my suffering as a part of his plan to redeem and restore... I suffer with hope.

Notice that Elijah goes to God in His suffering…he travels to Mount Horeb to seek God. God didn’t tell him to go there, he went there on his own…

in the midst of his suffering he seeks God…and God, in his grace, reveals himself to Elijah in the most unexpected way.

a still…small…voice...

Sometimes in our suffering we are looking for the big powerful moment where God swoops down and rescues us- we want our circumstances to change and all to be well…and while sometimes He works in that way…many times, he simply meets us, in the still…small…moments...

day by day..giving us what we need for that day..

How do you respond to God when you experience suffering?

Trust God with your pain. Ask Him for moment-by-moment strength and direction.

Suffering reminds us that this world is not our home. We long for eternity with Christ where there will be no more pain and no more tears…but for today…we lean into God in our weakest and hardest moments..and just like he was with Elijah, he is with you...

EXTRA LECTURE THOUGHTS:

Where have you ignored God’s gracious provisions to you graciously provided for you in your life?

Do you look at your financial or carear situation and instead of seeing it as a gift from God you instead pat yourself on the back, congratulating yourself on how hard you worked to accomplish all that in your own strength?

Maybe you look at your family- you have children who are following Jesus and instead of seeing that as God’s grace to you- you instead congratulate yourself on what a good parent you must have been...

Everything in our lives is because of God’s grace to us. Remember- God knows exactly what we need and he is working out his good purposes in and through us.

If we think we are somehow outside of that and accomplishing things on our own then we get the glory and God does not…by definition grace is getting something we do not deserve. If we do not deserve it then we are not and cannot earn it.