Welcome back! Thanks for joining us on the final journey into suffering. This has such a negative connotation, but it is such a deep study. I want you to have a better grasp of this term and what we are supposed to do. Let us jump in.
In 2Timothy 2:1-3, it says: 1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
While we face these hardships, we must be strong in the grace of Jesus. We are to hold on to His promises because He will never fail us and will never let go. Stay faithful, like a mustard seed, to teach others through suffering. To go through these trials, shows that we are good and faithful soldiers in the Army of Christ.
Heading 3: What is Happening?
As we see in all of this, suffering does not feel or look good, and it can destroy us if we are not careful. But we need to remember it is God preparing us. Preparing for what is to come so we can manage harder situations better. It can also be an example to others, and it can be a testing of our faith.
In this preparation, I am reminded of Psalm 23 – 1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.
This Psalm tells me to be at peace. David starts out stating that God is our Shepherd, we do not need to want for anything, and He makes us lay down in green pastures and leads us beside still waters. Imagine, a green field, with a peaceful river or brook nearby. The sweet, quiet sound of birds chirping, a gentle breeze and sound of water moving. God says, you are weary from your suffering, just relax here and rest in my presence, I will take care of everything for you.
Ini this pasture, He restores your soul, gives you peace. You take His hand, and He leads you down the right path, the path of righteousness. This is where, in your prayer and reading time, stay in his presence, He will guide you where you need to go.
We are going to walk in the valley of the shadow of death. It does not necessarily mean we are dying, per se, it just means we are going through a dark or rough patch in our lives right now. But do not fear, because God is walking it with us. God uses His powers to protect us from anything harmful and/or demonic from coming our way, which is also comforting, because we really do not have to do anything but rest in Him.
Notice further in this Psalm. I see this as God mocking the enemy because David says … ‘You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.’ I see this as God saying, ‘if you want to hurt, discredit, and keep my children from making it to Heaven, see what I will do. I will prepare a table, full of good things for my children, because you cannot take it from them no matter what. It continues stating that God will anoint our heads with oil and our cup will run over.
What does anointing our heads mean? This was a task assigned by the priests or prophets and it is a sign that when we are anointed, we belong to God, and we are committed to Him. So, I imagine a banquet table with a beautiful spread of delicious foods and desserts, while God is anointing us in the presence of the enemies and then overflowing our cups (which represent our lives) with His blessings, in order to show them that we are not meant to be messed with, because no matter what they say, God has us in the palm of His hands and He won’t let go of us and He will provide everything we need.
This Psalm ends, praising God for His goodness and mercy, which follows us throughout our lives, and we will be in God’s House forever. In this preparation, God sees our suffering, He makes us rest, wait on Him to provide what we need, and he takes care of our enemies. When He does this, He pours out His blessings, overflowing blessings, so that we can be a witness and help others in a comparable situation.
Heading 4: What are We Supposed to do During this Suffering?
Psalm 71:18-24 – 18 Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come. 19 Also Your righteousness, O God, is very high, You who have done great things; O God, who is like You? 20 You, who have shown me great and severe troubles, Shall revive me again, And bring me up again from the depths of the earth. 21 You shall increase my greatness, And comfort me on every side.
22 Also with the lute I will praise You—And Your faithfulness, O my God! To You I will sing with the harp, O Holy One of Israel. 23 My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You, And my soul, which You have redeemed. 24 My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness all the day long; For they are confounded, For they are brought to shame Who seek my hurt.
When we are in the middle of suffering, we are not to lose ourselves in the pain. Cry out to God, for He will not forsake you. To understand a bit better, forsake means to renounce or turn away from entirely (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forsake). Starting in verse seventeen, David is saying that while he is old, he is asking God not to turn away from him, because he wants to declare God’s strength and power to everyone, including the next generation. He wants to lift up and brag on the things God can do. He continues to praise God, speaking of His righteousness and how High He is, that there is no one and nothing greater than God.
God has shown David great and severe troubles (sufferings), but that God can revive him again from the depths of the earth (pit). God can increase greatness in us and comfort us on every side of the situation. Sing praises with words and instruments to God, in His faithfulness and righteousness, because He has redeemed us. Brag on God’s righteousness, because the enemies are confused and brought to shame who seek to hurt God’s children.
This is all a reassurance that in our suffering, we are to praise and worship God, for His goodness and righteousness. The more we sing praises to Him, the more the enemy will suffer. God is our comforter, and He will not turn away from us.
Heading 5: What Happens After?
Psalm 5:12 – 12 For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield. God will bless the righteous. He will give favor and surround His soldier with a shield.
This is one of many scriptures that shows God’s protection with a shield. Another famous scripture is Ephesians 6:16, it describes this protection as the shield of faith: above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
The shield is meant to protect us from the harm of the enemy. That no matter what our situation looks like, no matter how hard it is, we must trust God, because He is protecting us. Who knows, maybe what we see in our suffering is just a mild scrape compared to what it would be if we did not believe that God was protecting us, and that shield was off. If that piece of armor was not protecting us, it could be an unstoppable bleeding gash that would render us unable to live, mentally and spiritually.
Heading 6: Summary and Close with prayer
Wow! That was a lot to unpack. Suffering is hard, and it is a blessing. Again, we experience this agony in many ways, and we all have different temperaments. It is difficult for everyone. We must stay in righteousness, to do the right thing during this time. This agony brings spiritual happiness, but it can also bring fear, if we do not sanctify ourselves in God, which will cause us to let go of the pain. God is our Comforter, and we are God’s light in this world, we are to be examples on this earth.
When we are in discomfort, we are to do this for God’s goodness, and not in evil, or bad choices. We must stay in prayer and meditate on God’s Word daily, so that we have the tools to fight in this spiritual battle. Remember, this misery can also be a test, from Satan, to trick us to blame and curse God. But to combat this, we must have faith and trust God. This misfortune is a hardship, but we need to rest in God’s lap and be at peace, because He will not leave us, He is our protector. Praise and Worship Him, with words, prayer, or music. Praise Him because it is a remarkable thing to suffer for God.
My prayer to you: Dear God, please help everyone today that is suffering, no matter what it is. Please give them peace and wisdom as they battle each day. I ask in Jesus’ name, that all these readers become stronger in their walk with you Lord, and that they become the beacons of light that we are all called to be.
Thank you, Father, for healing their iniquities and helping them to understand that you are a loving Father that wants them to be at peace and rest in You.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
Thank you everyone for reading this series. I hope that it has enlightened you and given you a better understanding of God’s word. Look for the next topic to be posted soon: The Power of Perseverance: Conquering Christian Trials with Hope
Do you want updates to the next post? Sign up here:
Has this helped you? Do you have questions? Post a comment here:
