Suffering
by Charles R. Swindoll
2 Corinthians 1
Of all the letters Paul wrote, Second
Corinthians is the most autobiogra
phical.
In this letter Paul records the specifics
of his anguish, tears,affliction and
satanic opposition.He spells out the details
of hispersecution, loneliness, imprisonments,beatings,
feelings of despair, hunger,
shipwrecks,sleepless nights,
and that "thorn in the flesh"
---his companion of pain.
How close it makes
us feel to him when we see him
as a man with real, honest-
to-goodness problems,
just like ours!
It is not surprising, then, that
he begins the letter with words
of comfort, especially
verses 3 through 11. Ten times
in five verses(vv. 3-7) Paul uses
the same root word,Parakaleo,
meaning literally, "to call alongside."
This word involves more than a
shallow pat on the back.
This word involves genuine,
in-depth understanding . . . deep
-downcompassion and sympathy.
This seems especially appropriate
since it says that God, our Father,
is the "God of all comfort" who "
comforts us in all our affliction."
Our loving Father is never
preoccupied or removed when
we are enduring sadness and
affliction!
There is another observation
worth noting in 2 Corinthians 1.
No less than three reasons
are given for suffering, each
one introduced with the term
that: "that we will be able to
comfort those who are in any
affliction"; "that we would not
trust in ourselves"; "that thanks
may be given" (vv. 4, 9, 11).
Admittedly, there may be dozens
of other reasons, but here are
three specific reasons we suffer.
Reason #1: God allows suffering
so that we might have the capacity
to enter intoothers' sorrow and
affliction.
Reason #2: God allows suffering
frequently takes suffering to
make the lesson stick.
Reason #3: God allows suffering
so that we might learn to give
thanks in everything.
Now, honestly, have you said,
"Thanks, Lord,for this test"?
Have you finally stopped struggling
and expressed to Him how much
you appreciate His loving
sovereignty over your life?
How unfinished and rebellious
and proud and unconcerned we
would be without suffering!
May these things encourage you
the next time God heats up
the furnace!
Years ago I heard
two statements
about
suffering that I have
never
forgotten:
"Pain plants the flag
of
reality in the
fortress of a rebel heart."
And,
"When God wants to do an
impossible
task, He takes an impossible
individual
---and crushes him."
Excerpted from Day by Day with Charles Swindoll,
Copyright © 2000 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc.
(Thomas Nelson Publishers). All rights reserved
worldwide. Used by permission.
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