This is by far one of the most misunderstood portions of scripture in the Bible because when bad things happen, we only tend to look at the bad…the suffering…the pain. It hurts so much and we cannot see past the difficulty of what we are going through right at that moment in order to see anything good that may possibly come from it. But, oftentimes when we are past the pain and beyond the sorrow, we can look back and then we can see that God’s hand was at work in the situation and how He worked good things together even in the midst of great sorrow.
Paul had much to teach us about this subject, so in order to find a Biblical example of this lesson, we need only to look at some of what he said. In Philippians 1 verses 12-14 the Apostle Paul had this to say, “But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” So what Paul was saying here is that even though he had been called to suffer for this time, what was actually being accomplished was for the furtherance of the Gospel, because even though he had been thrown in this dungeon and was being kept in chains, he was seeing that even the palace guards were witness of the fact that his imprisonment was because of the cause of Christ. They understood that the whole reason that Paul was suffering was because He was preaching Christ to those people in Philippi. So they were taking notice of what was happening in Paul’s life and it was his hope that their lives would also be changed. And not only that, but his bondage was also causing the other brothers in Christ to become bolder in their witness for the Lord. God was working his situation for the furtherance of the Gospel and the increase of the Kingdom of God.
At the time that I am writing this, many people have been persecuted, killed and beheaded by the terrorist organization ISIS in Iraq, and as we have watched this nightmare with great horror, we cannot begin to imagine how those precious people can endure such tragedy and fear for their lives. They have watched their loved ones brutally murdered and many have barely escaped with their lives as they have fled to the mountains and other cities out of great fear and torment. We have prayed and prayed for these precious people and we cannot imagine how anything so violent and horrible could ever work together for any good for anybody. Yet, in the midst of all the pain and all the horror and violence, we are now hearing of many, many people who are coming to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ…in spite of…or maybe even because of all the tragedy and pain. God truly is working all things together for the ultimate good.
I have sat in funeral services where many people were mourning the death of a dear loved one, and then a wise pastor used this sad time as an opportunity to preach the Gospel, and I’ve seen people’s hearts turn toward Jesus during their time of great pain. People realize during times like these that they are not immortal, that their lives really will come to an end, and it is during these times of great grief that they begin to think of their eternity… and where their eternity might lead them. God can use any situation to change lives and bring eternal life to many, even during times of great sorrow.
And of course, Jesus was our greatest example of this as the Prophet Isaiah wrote:
“Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
(Isaiah 53:4-6)
Imagine what He suffered and the pain He felt as He was beaten and bruised…as they hung Him on that cruel cross to die for your sins and mine. Had He not been willing to suffer such agony…had He not been willing to hang there naked and bare before men and women…had He not be willing to give His life as a ransom for many, then you and I would have no hope for eternal life. But He DID suffer and die…because He knew that on the other side of the cross was the glorious resurrection…and the redemption of the saints and a wonderful eternity for you and me. I am so glad He was willing to suffer…aren’t you?
But looking at your own life and the circumstances that you must suffer. I don’t know what you have been through, but I do know this…in every situation of my personal life, God has turned the situation around and brought about good through it. When the doctors had given my dad only 3 days to live, it was on that 3rd day that the Holy Spirit worked in his life and gave him eternal life…and then gave him another 1 ½ years to live with my mom. When I went through a divorce with 2 children to raise, God proved Himself faithful to us time and time again…and my own faith was increased. Many, many times, it was through times of sorrow and pain that I saw God at work in my life in the most powerful ways. And I can tell you countless stories of friends who can testify of the same thing being true in their lives too. Does that mean that I ask for sorrow to come into my life…of course not! But when I do go through difficult times, it gives me great assurance that because God has always proved Himself faithful during all those other times of pain in the past, I can trust Him and know that He will not fail to use this difficulty for my good and the good of the Kingdom of God. It certainly makes those times more bearable.
So let me ask you Friend….can you look at your own life and see that you are stronger and your faith has been increased because of the times of suffering that you have endured? May we learn to say with Paul, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10) I can guarantee you that difficult times will come, but when they do, we can be comforted with the assurance that even when times are tough, God will work every situation together for our good if we love Him and we are called according to His purpose, and He will use those times to make us more like Jesus.
Prayer: Father, during times of difficulty, testing, hardships and pain that come into our lives, help us to remember Lord that You are “for” us and not against us. Help us to keep in mind that You have not deserted us during our greatest times of need. Help us Father to learn to trust that You have our best interests at heart, and even though these times are difficult to go through, You have the good in mind already that we need and You will work even these hardships together for our good. Help us Father to remember that You are ever faithful and true, and we can place our confidence in You. We love You Father…In Jesus Name…Amen
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