Suffering Is Our Opportunity To Grow

“But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last.  And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! [Job 19.25-26]

It seems Job's "prophecy" (see yesterday's blog) has become "faith" in Job.  Are we actually witnessing a man having the revelation of a "redeemer" long before Messiah?

Before this time, Job did not sound so convinced of 'life after death,' but now his story sounds different!  Job's story is emerging as an example of processing personal thoughts and beliefs through suffering into solid faith. 

I am afraid however that all too many supposed Christians never will have this type of revelation (and therefore relationship of faith) with God.  Oh sure, they will have religion, but without revelation there is no real relationship (no growing to know one another) and without relationship, there is no salvation.

Okay, I am going to draw further conclusion here that sucks...  It seems Job's revelation is tied directly to his suffering.  In other words, it is in Job's difficulties that he finds real faith.

So, do we need to seek out and embrace suffering?  No, I don't think so because given enough time every human will suffer in some way or another.  But what is done with that suffering is what determines whether or not a person will glean revelation from that suffering that will then lead to genuine faith.

So, suffering is our opportunity to grow.  It causes us to question what we believe.  It is therefore a good thing to question what we believe if what we believe does not support us in suffering!  Frankly, if what we believe does not support us in suffering, then what we believe should be discarded as useless.  Suffering is a reality that weeds out our religious facades (and we have many).

How many people can we say we know who, in the midst of suffering, turned their back on God?  Perhaps we can even say we ourselves have been tempted to turn away from God in hard times - but that is a good thing!  Suffering has the uncanny ability of weeding out lies - lies we have told ourselves and lies we have been told that we have believed.  Suffering determines whether we have actually embraced God or only hollow religious ideas.  The proof is in the outcome of suffering.  Real faith is found in suffering.  Those who fall away in suffering never really had faith nor even the desire for revelation that leads to real faith (as seen here with Job).

Note: Like Job, we will, in the midst of suffering, most likely say and even do some stupid things. However, if those stupid things can be looked back upon as part of the actual process that yields to fresh revelation of God, then... well... Thank God!

I love to gloat when I know I am right, but today my being right means I too must embrace suffering.

Father, You are so amazingly faithful!  I know my relationship with You has improved and grown through my suffering.  I know that coming through suffering in the past has helped me to be more sure of my relationship with You.  I am struggling right now with things, but have found hope today that my current hardships only reveal that my relationship with You can get even better!  For that, I thank You!