My comfort in suffering is this: your promise preserves my life. Psalm 119:50
Suffering, what an ugly painful word. Who wants to suffer? Not me. Unfortunately, it is a part of life. Some experience it more than others but nonetheless it is a universal experience.
What happens to you and me in times of suffering? Do we grow angry, bitter, or cold? Do we go into isolation? Do we stop trusting everyone and everything? Or do we consider it pure joy like James 1:2-3 says because we know that it will produce the maturity of our faith?
You may be going through the same thought process I would go through when reading James 1:2-3. It sure sounds great to be all joyful in the midst of trials and suffering because it will mature my faith, but you don't know what I'm going through.
That's exactly right. I do not know what you are going through. More than likely I know someone who has been in a similar situation or a much worse situation. That is irrelevant though.
Comfort in the midst of suffering does not come from someone knowing what you are going through. Comfort does not come by dragging others into our misery with us. Comfort comes by the promise of Jesus Christ.
Comfort in the midst of suffering is this: God's promise preserves your life.
What is this promise you may ask? The promise is that if we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior no matter if we live or die we have eternal life. Paul expresses it this way in Phillipians 1:21, “For me to live is Christ,and to die is gain.” Later on in verse 23 he says I am torn between the two. He is torn because fruitful labor is produced by him being on the earth but he also longs to see Jesus. In life or death we live.
I do not know what you are going through today but I do know this: just as you share abundantly in the suffering of Christ, so also your comfort abounds in Christ. (2 Corinthians 1:5) Be comforted today. God's promise preserves your life no matter what.