|
Hebrews 2:10
God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation. |
Jesus was made perfect through suffering! He not only suffered on the cross, but He also suffered throughout His earthly journey to the cross! Hebrews 2:18 says, "Since He himself has gone through suffering and testing, He is able to help us when we are being tested." He willingly faced persecution, hardship, loss, betrayal, and all the other things that the world uses to confront us. confronts. Therefore, He is able to help us in our time of need because He can relate to our kind of need!
As unpleasant as suffering is to endure, it is undoubtedly part of the process of becoming who God created us to be. A lump of clay that has never been squeezed, pressed, and heated can never become a useful vessel. We were formed from dust and will return to dust, but our usefulness in between those moments depends on our willingness to submit to the Master's hands (Genesis 3:19).
Over the years I have seen people wait in lines for many things, but the opportunity to endure hardship and suffering has never been one of them. The reality is that none of us want to enroll in the class of suffering, but all of us want to obtain the degree of understanding that only comes from completing that course. We oftentimes want everything Jesus has to offer but want no part of anything that He endured to get it. 2 Corinthians 1:4 says, “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” God undoubtedly speaks through suffering. Jesus can relate to us in all things because He experienced all things! I am convinced that the more we have endured, the more people we can potentially reach. Our ability to comfort others starts with Him comforting "us in all our troubles," then "we will be able to give them the same comfort." It is hard to speak life into someone's trouble if we have never experienced the trouble in their life. Perhaps the trials we endure today are actually the languages of comfort that we will speak tomorrow.
Jesus, thank you for enduring all things so you can relate to us in all things. Help us to walk in your ways and comfort those as you so graciously comfort us. Help us not to grow weary as you teach us along the way. Help us to use all that we have endured for the advancement of your Kingdom and for reaching the lost. It is in your mighty and all powerful name, we pray. Amen!
As unpleasant as suffering is to endure, it is undoubtedly part of the process of becoming who God created us to be. A lump of clay that has never been squeezed, pressed, and heated can never become a useful vessel. We were formed from dust and will return to dust, but our usefulness in between those moments depends on our willingness to submit to the Master's hands (Genesis 3:19).
Over the years I have seen people wait in lines for many things, but the opportunity to endure hardship and suffering has never been one of them. The reality is that none of us want to enroll in the class of suffering, but all of us want to obtain the degree of understanding that only comes from completing that course. We oftentimes want everything Jesus has to offer but want no part of anything that He endured to get it. 2 Corinthians 1:4 says, “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” God undoubtedly speaks through suffering. Jesus can relate to us in all things because He experienced all things! I am convinced that the more we have endured, the more people we can potentially reach. Our ability to comfort others starts with Him comforting "us in all our troubles," then "we will be able to give them the same comfort." It is hard to speak life into someone's trouble if we have never experienced the trouble in their life. Perhaps the trials we endure today are actually the languages of comfort that we will speak tomorrow.
Jesus, thank you for enduring all things so you can relate to us in all things. Help us to walk in your ways and comfort those as you so graciously comfort us. Help us not to grow weary as you teach us along the way. Help us to use all that we have endured for the advancement of your Kingdom and for reaching the lost. It is in your mighty and all powerful name, we pray. Amen!