In the Midst of Suffering (Part 4)

Hebrews 12:4-8

4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.  5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son?  It says, "My son do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son."  7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children.  For what children are not disciplined by their father?  8 If you are not disciplined - then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.

Suffering.  Discipline.  These are two words that none of us like to hear or to experience.  Most of us probably have negative memories of these two words.  However, when you take the time to understand what suffering is and what discipline is, you can begin to appreciate the suffering and the discipline in your life.  Why does suffering exist in this world?  Suffering is a result of our sin.  Suffering can come to us in two ways.  Suffering can come to us in trials.  Trials are the INDIRECT result of all sin in our world.  In other words, when we are suffering through trials it is still a result of sin, but it not directly tied to our personal sin.  For example, Job suffered through trials that God allowed in his life.  God allowed Satan to attack Job in several ways.  Job suffered.  Joseph suffered through trials that God allowed in his life.  Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers.  He was taken from his father and his home and placed in Egypt.  When Joseph was in Egypt he was falsely accused of physically assaulting Potiphar's wife.  He was sent to Pharaoh's prison.  However, we must remember that God allows us to suffer through trials for our GOOD and for His GLORY.  Look at what happens with Job in the midst of suffering.  He worships God; He repents of his own sin; and He is blessed with God's presence.  Look at what happens with Joseph in the midst of suffering.  He remains faithful to God; God continues to bless Joseph no matter where he is and no matter the circumstances.  Yes, God will allow us to go through trials...intense suffering...but for good purposes.

Discipline is a form of suffering God uses in our lives, as well.  Discipline is the DIRECT result of our personal sin against God.  When we suffer through discipline it is directly tied to our own sin.  Moses is known as "the deliverer."  We know how Moses led the Hebrews out of Egypt and toward the Promise Land, but we also know that Moses sinned before God.  Moses disobeyed God by striking the rock twice instead speaking to it; Moses was disciplined by God.  He was not allowed to lead the Israelites into the land God would give them (Numbers 20:12).  David is known as "a man after God's own heart."  We know how David stood before the giant when no one else would; he killed the giant with a sling and a stone.  We also know that David sinned before God.   The Bible tells us that David despised God's Word and took Uriah's life and his wife; David was disciplined by God.  David's household experienced death by the sword from that time forward (2 Samuel 12:10).  Discipline is painful.  Discipline is a form of suffering.  However, when you read Hebrews 12:4-8, you can see that discipline is a form of suffering that God uses to bring us GOOD and to bring Him GLORY, just like suffering through trials.  

Many people confuse punishment and discipline when it comes from God's hand.  The Holman Bible Dictionary explains the difference: "Divine discipline is distinct from God's judgment or punishment.  While God's judgment and punishment are meted out on the unrighteous, God's discipline is reserved only for His children."  Discipline in your life from the hand of God is a GOOD thing!  When you look at Hebrews 12, you understand that God only disciplines His children.  God only disciplines His children, and it is an act of His great love.  Hebrews 12:8 is very clear: if we are not experiencing discipline from the hand of God in our lives due to our sin, then we are not true children of God.  So as the writer of Hebrews encourages you, I want to encourage you, as well.  ENDURE HARDSHIP AS DISCIPLINE.  When it comes to godly discipline, the goal is repentance and renewal.  Acts 3:19 says, "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord."  And again, God uses all suffering - trials and discipline - for our GOOD and for His GLORY.  He can and will bring peace, joy, and ultimately, sanctification to us in the midst of suffering.  If you are suffering through a trial allowed by God, be thankful and rely on God.  If you are suffering through discipline, be thankful and rely on God.  He will never leave you.  He will never quit on you.  God is FOR you, not AGAINST you.  

In the Midst of Suffering (Part 3)

Job 1:20-22

20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head.  Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart.  The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised."  22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

One of the best days of my life was on June 10, 1996.  On that beautiful day our daughter, Hillary Noble Thomas, was born.  She was a true gift from God.  Everything about her was perfect to me, especially those big brown eyes!  Hillary was our first child.  She was the first grandchild for both of our families.  It is amazing to me that God chose me to be her father on this earth.  We went crazy as first-time parents, buying clothes and toys and books.  It was a special time for all of us.  However, our little Hillary passed away of a brain tumor on November 6, 1996.  In just over five months I went from experiencing one of the best days of my to experiencing one of the worst days of my life.  Those of you who have lost a child or children know the suffering that I am talking about.  It changed me then.  It is still changing me today.

Over the past few weeks I've been preaching a series entitled, In the Midst of Suffering.  Oh what I would give to know then what I know now!  What I know now is that God allows suffering in our lives, but He uses suffering for our good and for His glory.  Ultimately, I believe God uses the suffering in our lives as part of the sanctification process - making us more like Jesus in every way.  It's not about what I feel; it's about what I know.  Suffering is going to happen in this life.  It is going to happen often.  Suffering exists in our world because of sin.  Sin has broken us and broken our world; therefore, we suffer.  Sometimes the suffering comes through discipline; this type of suffering is a direct result of my personal sin.  Sometimes, though, suffering comes through trials; this type of sin is an indirect result of all sin.  Our response to suffering will make all the difference in our lives, even in the lives of those we know and interact with.  

Job is a man who suffered.  As we see in the book of Job, he suffered through trials - an indirect result of all sin.  Job 1 tells us that Satan roamed the earth looking for someone to devour.  God tells us that Job was a blameless and upright man, that there was no one else like him on earth.  Job feared God and shunned evil.  Nowhere in the book of Job or in the Bible does it say Job was perfect.  He was not.  He was a sinner who needed to be rescued and to be redeemed by God through Jesus Christ, just like every person who has ever lived, is living, or will live.  However, God allowed Satan to bring suffering upon Job.  Job 1 tells us that in a matter of hours Job lost his servants, his animals, and all of his sons and daughters.  It is quite possible, no one has ever suffered like Job, apart from Jesus.  In the midst of suffering, what was Job's response?  Job responded by WORSHIPING and PRAISING God (Job 1:20-22).  It doesn't saying he was laughing or having a good time; it doesn't say he wasn't worried or wasn't hurting.  I have to assume that Job was hurting in his mind, in his body, and most definitely in his spirit.  However, Job did not sin against God by cursing Him or assigning Him blame.  Rather, Job honored God by WORSHIPING Him and PRAISING Him.  A little later, Satan went after Job again.  God allowed Satan to bring suffering upon Job's body, but Satan could not kill Job.  After these painful sores covered his body from head to toe, Job's wife and friends told him to "curse God and die."  The assumption during this time was that if something bad was happening to you it was because you did something wrong to God.  Job resisted the temptation to sin by cursing God or assigning blame to God.  Job continued to trust God.  Did he have questions?  Did he want answers?  Absolutely.  He went to God with his questions.  Did God give him the answer he wanted?  Well, actually, no.  God didn't give Job a reason or an answer for his suffering.  God gave Job something better; God gave Job the best gift: God gave Job Himself, His powerful and loving presence.  Job did have bitterness in his heart; Job did curse the day that he was born.  However, when God gave Job His presence, Job repented of his sin, and he moved forward in his relationship with God with trust.

I wish I could say that I responded the way Job did in the midst of suffering.  When Hillary died, I tried to look good for everybody who was watching.  However, I was bitter.  My bitterness poured over into my relationship with God and eventually my relationship with my wife and everyone else.  In the midst of my suffering, I wanted answers and reasons from God more than I wanted God Himself.  It took me a long time to move forward.  It took me a long time to get to that place of WORSHIP and PRAISE for God.  It took me a long time to embrace those words of Job: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart.  The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised."  In all of that time, God never left me; God never forsook me.  He was always there.  I thank God for His love, His grace, and His mercy.  I thank God for never giving up on me, even though I have given up on Him countless times.  Through repentance and faith in Jesus, I am His child, and I am forgiven and freed from sin...the bondage and the penalty.  Does that mean the suffering went away or that the suffering won't come anymore.  No.  The suffering is all around me.  Sometimes it is discipline, a direct result of my personal sin.  Sometimes it is a trial, an indirect result of all sin.  But what I know today is that God is FOR me and not AGAINST me.  What I know today is that God didn't take the suffering away, but rather God uses the suffering in my life for my GOOD and for His GLORY!  When I choose to view suffering through the lenses of God's Word, it makes all the difference in my response.  It makes all the difference in my life.  Has God ever given me a reason why Hillary had to die at five months old of a brain tumor?  No.  Will He give me a reason.  Maybe, but He doesn't have too.  God's already given me something better;  God's already given me His best.  He's given me Himself.  Today I worship You, Father!  Today I praise You, Father!  Thank You for Your great love for me and for Your purposes and plans (even those of suffering) that are greater than any I could ever dream or have for myself.  And thank You for Hillary and the blessing she was and always will be to us.  Amen.

What is your life? You are a mist...

James 4:13-15

13 Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money."  14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.  WHAT IS YOUR LIFE?  YOU ARE A MIST that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  15 Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."

Not a day goes by that I don't think about my dad.  He was my hero.  My dad worked hard to provide for my mom, my brothers, and me.  My dad always went above and beyond to make us feel special, to make us feel loved.  On Memorial Day, May 29, 1989, my dad worked in the yard all morning long.  At lunch, he decided to grill food for us.  My oldest brother's girlfriend came over.  My girlfriend (now my wife) came over.  We ate some good food and laughed a lot.  Later that afternoon, my dad coached my youngest brother's baseball game.  My brother Chris was pitching for his team in a game that would decide first place in their summer league.  My dad was excited about the game, but he was even more excited about Chris pitching and all of us being there to watch him.  However, after about two innings, my dad wasn't feeling well.  It was just a few moments laters that my dad would take his last breath on this earth, right there on the field where he coached all three of us - John, Chris, and me.  My dad died of a massive heart attack on Memorial Day, Monday, May 29, 1989.

In James 4:14, James asks a question: "WHAT IS YOUR LIFE?"  He gives the answer: "YOU ARE A MIST that appears for a little while and then vanishes."  We have life because God breathed life into our bodies.  However, life on this earth is short.  I was 15 years old when my dad died.  I thank God for the 15 years I had with my dad.  My dad loved me.  My dad taught me.  My dad loved to laugh.  Looking back, I sure do wish I had more time with him on this earth...to love, to learn, and to laugh.  It definitely seems like a "mist" now.  I am a husband and a father today.  I work hard to provide for my family.  I love my kids.  I teach my kids.  I laugh a lot with my kids.  But there are times when I am guilty of believing I have all the time in the world to do this or to do that.  There are times when I am guilty of the attitude found in James 4:13, the attitude of "today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money."  I have to realize that my life is a "mist."  I am only here for a little while, and then I will vanish.  I have to embrace the attitude and the truth of James 4:15, which is simple: "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."  I also have to embrace the encouragement of Paul in his letter to the churches at Ephesus and at Colosse.  Paul said on two different occasions, "Make the most of every opportunity."  In the ministry, I need to make the most of every opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus with everyone.  In my family, I need to make the most of every opportunity to share and to show the love of God.  My life is short.  My life is a "mist."  I don't know when I will take my last breath.   I need to "make the most of every opportunity."  I need to be ready.

Yesterday morning, I was typing a message on my computer.  I had typed about a page and a half of notes when the electricity went out.  You know what happened.  I didn't save my work yet.  I had just started.  Everything was fine.  It was bright and clear outside.  I would have time to save my work in a little while.  NOPE.  The electricity went off without warning.  I wasn't ready.  I lost all my work.  Hey, a page and a half is a page and a half!  I sat there stunned, confused, and even a little angry.  I was reminded in that moment that I need to be ready.  Anything can happen.  I was reminded in that moment that I can make all the plans I want in this life, but ultimately, God's got this.  He can do what He wants when He wants how He wants with whom He wants.  He is God, and I am not.  

Thank You, Father, for life.  Thank You for the full and the eternal life we have in Jesus.  Thank You for reminding us in Your Word that life is short; it is a "mist."  Thank You for reminding us to "make the most of every opportunity."  Thank You for the time you do give us in this life...the time to love, the time to learn, and the time to laugh.  Thank You for my dad and the time I had with him on this earth.  Thank You for the hope of Jesus and salvation, for I know that I will see my dad again!  I pray that I will never take for granted the life You give me. I pray that I make the most of every second of every minute of every hour of every day that You give me!  Help me, Father, to live in the attitude and in the truth of this statement: "If it is the Lord's will."  Amen!

In the Midst of Suffering (Part 2)

Isaiah 43:1-7

1 But now, this is what the Lord says - he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; YOU ARE MINE.  2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.  3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, you Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Sheba sin you're stead.  4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.  5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.  6 I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' and to the south, 'Do not hold them back.'  Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth - 7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made."

The Bible is clear: life is hard.  From the moment that sin entered our world, brokenness, suffering, and hardship came with it.  Suffering is a result of our sin, as we see in Genesis 3.  However, God loves us.  God made a way through the life, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus for us to be right with Him.  God rescued us and redeemed us through the blood of Jesus!  Did God take away the suffering and the hardships?  No.  However, God is sovereign.  And as we see throughout the Bible, God uses the suffering and the hardships in our lives for our good and for His glory!  Isaiah 43 is one of my favorite passages in the Bible.  I don't want to take it out of context, so let's think about what God says to Israel in this passage.  In verse 1, God reminds Israel that He created them and formed them.  He reminds Israel that He gave them their name.  God reminds Israel that they belong to Him.  Verse 1 alone shows us the intimacy God desires and has with His children.  Verses 2 - 7 show us even more, in regard to sufferings and to hardships.  Twice God tells His children, "Do not fear," and "Do not be afraid."  He warns Israel that obstacles will be encountered as He brings them home.  But the beauty of these verse is found in God's statements to Israel: "I will be with you," and "I am with you."  Yes, God made a promise to Israel that He would rescue them and redeem them because He loved them!  Throughout the hardships and the sufferings, He would bless them with His sovereign presence.

Today, through my repentance of sin and my faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, I am a child of God.  I belong to Him.  Through Jesus, I can hear God say to me, as well, "YOU ARE MINE!"  I may not encounter the same sufferings and the same hardships that Israel faced when Isaiah spoke this prophecy.  However, I do and will face sufferings and hardships in this life that will feel to me like it must have felt to Israel.  I don't know about you, but there are times in my life when I feel like the waters are going to sweep over me.  There are times when I feel like I am going to drown in the river of suffering.  There are times when the flames get hot and even hotter.  There are times when I feel like the flame of hardship is going to burn me up and devour me.  In these moments, I can trust what I feel, or I can trust what and Who I know.  I know what God says to me and what God says about me in His Word.  I know that God loves me and has demonstrated His love for me in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, His only Son and my only Savior.  No, I don't know what my future holds, but I do know Who holds my future.  I don't know when my flesh will fall to the ground from which it came, but I do know in that moment when it does, I will be with my Lord forever and ever!  I know that one day I will be with my Lord in glory, where no more sufferings and hardships will ever exist!  Until that time, I will believe my God and believe His words to me and for me.  I pray today that you will walk in the knowledge of God and who you are in Jesus rather than walking in your feelings that shift and change like the winds of the earth.  I pray today that you hear God when He says to you, "YOU ARE MINE!  Do not fear.  Do not be afraid.  I will be with you.  I am with you."  Amen!

In the Midst of Suffering (Part 1)

1 Thessalonians 1:4-8

4 For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction.  You know how we lived among you for your sake.  6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING with joy given by the Holy Spirit.  7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.  8 The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia - your faith in God has become known everywhere.  Therefore we do not need to say anything about it.

I believe all of are in one of three places in this life: 1. We are either COMING OUT of suffering; 2. We are IN THE MIDDLE of suffering;  or 3. We are HEADING TOWARD suffering.  The dictionary says to "suffer" means "to undergo or to be subjected to or to endure pain, distress, possible injury, loss, or anything unpleasant."  The Holman Bible Dictionary says three categories of suffering exist: 1. Suffering caused by physical limitations; 2. Suffering caused by natural disasters; and 3. Suffering caused by human actions.  Suffering is a reality in this life.

The Bible says much to us about suffering.  One question that is asked time and time again about suffering is this: WHY DO WE SUFFER?  In Genesis 1, we read that God created the heavens and the earth.  When God created the earth and everything in it, it was good.  The man and the woman were enjoying a perfect world and a perfect relationship with God.  In Genesis 3, the man and the woman chose to sin against God.  In that moment, sin came into this world, and the world has been broken ever since.  Suffering came into this world as a result of sin.  However, God loves us.  God stepped into our brokenness and our sin, and He made a way to be right with Him.  In Genesis 3:14-19, God made two promises that we need to know.  God promised a Savior, One who would rescue us and redeem us from our sin.  God also promised suffering because of sin.  Pain and toil and trouble would plague the earth and mankind.  If we are not careful, we focus so much on the promise of suffering and the reality of suffering that we miss the promise and the reality of salvation!

Paul David Tripp says in his book, Suffering, "Suffering is real, tangible, personal, and specific.  Scripture presents to the one suffering a loving God who understands, who cares, and who invites us to come to Him for help, and who promises us one day to end all suffering of every kind."  Why do we suffer?  We suffer as a result of sin.  However, God can and will use the suffering to bring us blessings!  When you look at the church mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 1, we see the people IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING.  Yet, this church - these people - were marked by faith, hope, and love (v. 3).  This church - these people - had a dynamic faith!  Their local communities knew about their faith.   The world knew about their faith.  Paul said that he didn't need to say anything about their faith because their lives said enough!  How did they respond IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING?  They chose to focus on the message of the gospel IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING.  The Holy Spirit blessed them with joy IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING.  God blessed them IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING.  We need to remember that God has a long-term plan in mind for us as believers; His plan is not temporal but rather eternal.  Through repentance and belief in Jesus Christ, God saves us from our sin, and He sanctifies in this life.  God uses the suffering in this life for our good and for His glory.  Paul David Tripp also says in his book, "Suffering has the power to expose what or who you have been trusting all along."  When we suffer, we can learn so much more about God and so much more about ourselves.  Many times I have learned through suffering that I trust in myself way too much; I trust in my family, my education, my job, and my resources on earth way too much.  I have learned through suffering that I don't really trust God as much as I say I do, or worst yet, at all when things begin to all apart.  IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING, I have to choose what or who I believe.  I have to choose to believe that God is with me and God is for me.  I have to choose to believe that God is in control even when I don't feel it or see it.  What or who I believe makes all the difference IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING.

I don't know where you are right now...coming out of suffering, in the middle of suffering, or heading toward suffering.  I don't know what or who you are trusting IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING.  I do know what God's Word says, and I believe God's Word.  Jesus says in John 16:33, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world."  James says in James 1:2-4, "Consider it pure joy, my brother and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."  I know and believe that God loves you.  I know and believe that God has promised to save you from your sins through Jesus Christ.  I know and believe that God has promised suffering in this life as a result of sin.  I know and believe that God can and God will use the suffering to bring blessings to you and through you.  What do you believe IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING?  Who do you believe IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING?  What you believe and who you believe will make all the difference in your life...temporally and eternally.