40 Days of Seeking Him - Day 29 ( I think! )

Suffering.  I have had heartache in my life, but suffering, I'm not really sure.  Jesus did.  A lot.  Last night our Pastor spoke on suffering and suffering well.  He went right to Job first off.  That man, how he got through what he did, I have no idea.  His wife, his best friends told him to curse God or that suffering was all his fault and he needed to get a grip, repent and stop sinning.  Then God spoke and shut them all up.

Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?  

Tell Me, if you have understanding.

Who determined its measurements

Surely you know!

Or who stretched the line upon it?

To what were it's foundations fastened?

Or who laid its cornerstone,

When the morning stars sang together,

And all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Job 38:4-7

God continues speaking in this fashion for another couple chapters reiterating that He alone is God and He alone knows why things happen they way that they do.  He never offers Job an explanation of why He did what He did and Job answers in the last chapter, "I know that You can do everything, that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You."  Amazing.  After all that suffering, Job acknowledges that God has total control and Job seems to be okay with that.  Where else would we run under suffering?  The way of the world?  It holds nothing that can satisfy.  Only God alone has the comfort and the peace that our aching heart needs. 

The weeks leading to the cross, Jesus knew what lied ahead of Him.  The suffering that He experienced I cannot even comprehend.  We had lots of heartache in our life last week, did you see that post?  It puts everything in to perspective, what is important and what is not.  Pastor finished his message with familiar verses, but verses that bring comfort and strength.  I Peter 4:12 states: "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you, but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy."  Now, I realize that Peter is writing this letter to Christian that are being persecuted and martyred for the sake of the Gospel and that is not happening to us in our trials and sufferings, but I do think that we can gain comfort through these words in any trial that we find ourselves in.  Our pastor closed with this charge that I hope I will always keep in mind, "Suffer well."