Suffering Will Come

Here are somethings to ask yourself today? Am I suffering for Jesus Christ in my life? Am I bearing in my body the marks of serving the Lord Jesus? Is my flesh winning the war in the struggle against sin in my life and am I experiencing daily victory over it in my walk with Him? Suffering for Christ is going to happen, not maybe, but it will happen. The Christian should learn to rejoice and rely on God in times of suffering.

Look up and enjoy these encouraging words from Thomas Brooks.

You have afflicted me(Brooks, "A Word in Season to Suffering Saints")"I know, O Lord, that Your laws are righteous, and in faithfulness You have afflicted me." Psalm 119:75"Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey Your word." Psalm 119:67 God's corrections are our instructions, His lashes are our lessons, His scourges are our schoolmasters, His chastisements are our admonishments.By afflictions, troubles, distresses and dangers--the Lord teaches His people to look upon sin as the most loathsome thing in the world; and to look upon holinessas the most lovely thing in the world. Sin is never so bitter, and holiness is never so sweet--as when our troubles are greatest and our dangers highest.

By affliction, the Lord teaches His people to sit loose from this world, and to be prepared for eternity. By affliction, God shows His people the vanity, vexation, emptiness, weakness, and nothingness of all createdthings; and the choiceness, preciousness and sweetness of communion with Himself.It has been the lot and portion of God's dearest children, to be exercised with very great and grievous afflictions; in order . . . to the discovery of sin, to the embittering of sin, to the preventing of sin, to the purging away of sin; and to the discovery of grace, to the trial of grace, to the exercise of grace, to the increase of grace; and to the weaning of them from this world; and to the ripening of them for heaven; and to the completing of their conformity to Christ, the captain of their salvation, "who was madeperfect through sufferings," Hebrews 2:10; andto work in them more pity and compassion to those who are in misery, and who sigh and groan under their Egyptian taskmasters.