By my beautiful friend, Alice Johnson Kennison, who has stood with me through years of my own suffering and has gone through tons of her own also, still holding on to God.
Jesus purposefully came to earth to suffer for us. The Lord and Master of the Universe willingly came to see and experience exactly how we live here. He didn’t have to do that, but because sin had entered the world, we needed someone to cover the sin that stood between us and a holy God. He suffered from the same things we do His whole life, and then died an agonizing death of His own free will for us. It was so hard He even asked God to make it go away! But yet He chose God’s will.
He understands, He loves and pities us, and is bringing us to a better place THROUGH our sufferings. Everyone who lives on earth is going to suffer the effects of this fallen, imperfect world, but it is only for a brief time in eternity. Because of Jesus, sin now has no power to damn us eternally. Soon we will have a place to go where everything will be made new, with NO more pain, NO more sorrow. This is the very sure hope that we have as Christians!!
God’s plans are much higher than our plans, so no, we don’t understand fully what our suffering on earth means. It’s so hard sometimes, but His compassions never fail, they are new every morning; great is His faithfulness (Lam 3:22). We can always trust Him to love us, to understand our suffering, and to go through it with us.
Amen, sister!!!!!!!
Christa Upton Black Hills Picture Books Edgemont, SD 57735
