Based on “Stand Firm and Stand United” by Pastor Mark Balmer; 7/24-25/10
Message #6056; Daily Devotional #6 - “Comfort in Suffering”
Preparing the Soil (Introduction): Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have. (Philippians 1:27-30)
Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): As new believers we often equate suffering with pain. We initially believe that by giving our lives to Christ we will be freed from the difficulties we once incurred. It isn’t long before we have an encounter that challenges that belief. As we read and study the Gospel, we discover that Christians have always suffered persecution and even death for declaring their commitment to Christ. Jesus teaches us that we should anticipate suffering, not so we would fear it, but so we would expect it (John 15:20). But how could God expect us to wait for the onset of our suffering without fearful anticipation? How could the early disciples rejoice in their suffering while most Christians today fear it? They understood something we often do not. They knew that we have nothing to fear (Revelation 2:10). God does not abandon us when we suffer. He is with us, even more so in our pain (1 Peter 3:13-14). When we suffer alone, it is not because He has left us, but because we have refused to reach out to him. Paul was no less human than you and I. He endured flogging, imprisonment, and shipwreck and was bitten by a poisonous snake. He lived his life knowing that one day he would die for his faith. Yet he not only endured, he welcomed suffering for the Gospel! Was he a masochist? Did he enjoy pain? No, he simply understood that the greatest pain we could endure had already been borne by Jesus when He died on the cross for our sin.
Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): Today the suffering we endure is not always physical in nature. Satan’s attacks are often on our relationships. He uses distraction and disunity to destroy our homes, our churches, our workplaces. Marriages become split as roles become more and more undefined and conduct becomes dictated by immorality and infidelity. If Jesus is the center of our lives, He becomes our protector and our comforter when we experience pain and suffering. When we turn to God for comfort we learn to use prayer, rather than relying on the ways of the world. After all, Jesus teaches us that we cannot have two masters, we either belong to God or we belong to Satan (Matthew 6:24).
Cultivating (Additional Reading): Genesis 37:9, Genesis 40:8
blw
Calvary Chapel of Melbourne; 2955 Minton Road; W. Melbourne, FL 32904; 321-952-9673
All Bible references are from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise noted.