Untitled Sermon (126)

Extraordinary Strength for Empty Seasons: Finding Growth in Suffering

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The Reality of Fiery Trials (1 Peter 4:12)

Click to editDear brothers and sisters in Christ, Let us turn our hearts and minds to 1 Peter 4:12-13: 'Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.' Peter begins with a startling statement - 'do not be surprised at the fiery trial.' The word 'fiery' here refers to the process of refining precious metals. Just as gold is purified by fire, our faith is refined through trials. Yet how often do we find ourselves shocked when suffering comes? We ask, 'Why is this happening to me?' 'What did I do to deserve this?' Peter reminds us that suffering isn't strange or unusual for the believer - it's expected. These empty seasons - times when we feel abandoned, when prayers seem to echo back unanswered, when growth appears stagnant - are not accidents. They are, in fact, appointments with divine purpose. Today, we'll explore how these empty seasons prepare us for extraordinary growth.Click to edit

Biblical Examples: Empty Seasons That Produced Growth

Click to editThroughout Scripture, we see God's pattern of using empty seasons to prepare His people for greater purpose. Consider Joseph - sold into slavery by his own brothers, falsely accused, and forgotten in prison. For 13 years, Joseph endured what must have felt like an endless empty season. Yet Genesis 50:20 reveals the purpose: 'You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.' Those years of emptiness prepared Joseph to save nations. Or look at David - anointed as king, then forced to spend years running for his life in caves and wilderness. Psalm 63 was written in this period: 'O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.' That empty season produced in David a dependency on God that shaped his kingship. Moses spent 40 years in the wilderness before God called him from the burning bush. Paul had his three years in Arabia after his conversion. John the Baptist grew up in the wilderness. Jesus Himself spent 40 days fasting in the desert before beginning His ministry. In each case, the empty season wasn't punishment - it was preparation. The wilderness wasn't wasted time - it was a workshop where God shaped His servants.Click to edit

Modern Testimonies: Finding Strength in Today's Trials

Click to editBut these examples aren't just ancient history. I'm reminded of Sarah in our congregation, who lost her job during the pandemic. For eighteen months, she applied for positions without success. Her savings dwindled, and doubt crept in. 'Pastor,' she told me, 'I feel like I'm praying into a void.' Yet during that season, Sarah began volunteering at our food pantry. Today, she leads our community outreach program - a position that never existed before her 'empty season' revealed both a community need and her giftedness to meet it. I think also of my own journey. Ten years ago, I faced a health crisis that left me bedridden for months. I questioned God's plan and my calling. Yet in that forced stillness, I discovered a depth of Scripture I had rushed past in my busy ministry life. The sermons that emerged from that season of suffering continue to be the ones many of you reference as most impactful. Or consider Corrie ten Boom, who survived Nazi concentration camps and went on to share Christ's message of forgiveness worldwide. She famously said, 'There is no pit so deep that God's love is not deeper still.' Her empty season of suffering became the foundation for a ministry that has touched millions. These modern examples echo Peter's message: trials aren't strange interruptions to God's plan - they are often the very means by which God accomplishes His purposes in and through us.Click to edit

God's Purpose in Empty Seasons

Click to editSo what is God doing in these empty seasons? Why does He allow - even appoint - these times of suffering? First, empty seasons reveal what's already within us. C.S. Lewis wrote, 'God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.' Suffering strips away pretense. When comfort is removed, we discover what we truly believe. Second, empty seasons create space for new growth. Consider a garden - pruning appears destructive, cutting away seemingly healthy branches. Yet the gardener knows this temporary loss leads to greater fruitfulness. John 15:2 reminds us that God 'prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.' Third, empty seasons develop spiritual muscles that ease cannot build. Romans 5:3-4 tells us that 'suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.' Just as physical resistance builds physical strength, spiritual resistance builds spiritual strength. Finally, empty seasons prepare us for ministry to others. In 2 Corinthians 1:4, Paul writes that God 'comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.' Our suffering equips us to minister to others in ways that theoretical knowledge never could.Click to edit

Cultivating Extraordinary Strength Through Suffering

Click to editSo how do we cultivate extraordinary strength during these empty seasons? Let me suggest four practical steps: 1. Embrace the reality of suffering. Peter says, 'Don't be surprised.' When we expect trials as normal, we're less likely to be derailed by them. This isn't pessimism; it's biblical realism that prepares us to respond in faith rather than shock. 2. Look for God's presence, not just His purpose. Sometimes we're so focused on asking 'Why is this happening?' that we miss asking 'How is God with me in this?' Psalm 23:4 reminds us, 'Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.' Before seeking answers, seek His presence. 3. Practice gratitude deliberately. In Philippians 4:11-12, Paul writes, 'I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content... I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.' This wasn't automatic - Paul says he learned it. Begin each day naming three specific blessings, even in your suffering. 4. Connect with community. Hebrews 10:24-25 instructs us to 'consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together.' Isolation amplifies suffering. Even when you don't feel like it, stay connected to your church family. Allow others to support you now, knowing you'll support them in their seasons of trial.Click to edit

Rejoicing in Sharing Christ's Sufferings (1 Peter 4:13)

Click to editPeter concludes with a remarkable command: 'But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.' Notice he doesn't say 'rejoice because of your sufferings' but 'rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings.' Our suffering connects us to Christ in a unique way. The empty seasons become sacred ground where we experience fellowship with Jesus that prosperity alone could never provide. And this rejoicing isn't just positive thinking. It's forward-looking faith that sees beyond the present trial to the coming glory. The empty season isn't the end of the story. Remember, the cross - history's darkest moment - was followed by resurrection morning. The empty tomb followed the empty season. And so it will be for us. As we close, I invite you to reframe your perspective on whatever empty season you might be facing. That health challenge, that relationship struggle, that financial hardship, that spiritual dryness - it isn't meaningless. It's preparation. It isn't punishment. It's pruning for greater fruitfulness. In the hands of our loving Father, no suffering is wasted. No empty season is truly empty - for in it, God is at work, cultivating in you extraordinary strength for extraordinary purpose. Let us pray...Click to edit