The Gift of Suffering

"For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in Him but also suffer for His sake . . ." ~ Phil. 1:29

I just read this, & felt that stirring in my spirit that always indicates the Holy Spirit's nudging. "Pay attention to this", He seemed to whisper. What caught my attention was the word "granted", which has the connotation of a gift. That means that, according to this verse, not only is our belief in Christ a gift from God, but so is suffering for Him! We could lump in our everyday trials, & in a sense that's certainly true. But the wording, "for His sake" leads me to think of suffering through persecution. That would mean that when our society persecutes bakers or photographers for refusing to serve in a homosexual union ceremony - to use two recent examples - that persecution is a gift from God. And when, like Paul did when he was persecuted for Christ's sake, believers stand firm in their convictions while responding with grace, He is glorified. Just like with Paul, the Gospel will be preached & sinners will repent & believe. What a glorious thought! When viewed through this lens - that our persecution leads to others' salvation - we can see the gift so clearly, & we can rejoice in our suffering, knowing that God is using us to fulfill His purposes! How truly amazing is our God!

"The Terminal" ~ R.C. Sproul, Jr.

I am always drawn to people who exhibit faith in & love for God in the midst of heartbreaking circumstances.  I believe that John Piper is right when he says that "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him . . . in the midst of loss, not prosperity."  R.C. Sproul, Jr.'s wife is battling cancer yet again, & he is meeting this challenge with exactly that kind of vulnerable yet strong faith that whatever the outcome, God is good & will see their family through.  I saw just the other day that the clinical trial that she was involved in did not work for her, so it's back to more chemotherapy.  It breaks my heart for people to suffer.  I wish suffering wasn't part of life, because it's not natural; it's not the way God created our world.  But it is a reality in this fallen world, & it not only sanctifies us so that we're more like Christ, it also makes our very souls yearn earnestly for the return of our King.  I received a new "Kingdom Notes" in my email a couple of days ago, & it was so touching, so poignant, so true, I just have to share it with you.  Please keep the Sproul family in your prayers, & let us all bear in mind that, whether we have a doctor's diagnosis or not, we are all terminal & must "look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil." (Ephesians 5:15-16)

"The yellowing sky confirmed the wisdom of the forecasters, a tornado might well be just around the bend. With one eye scouring the landscape I dutifully herded my then seven children into our basement. One of them, worried, asked me- “Are we all going to die?” Tender hearted father that I am, I told the truth- “Of course…but probably not today.” We survived the weather that day, but we are all still terminal.

As my wife continues her valiant fight against leukemia she too occasionally asks me to look into my crystal ball. She wants to know if she is going to make it. The doctors don’t know, and they are considerably more knowledgeable than I am. So I tell my wife what I do know- “I don’t know if you are going to get well or not. I do know that that day was appointed before all time. Nothing will make it a day later, nothing a day earlier. Cancer cannot determine when you go home. Only your Father can.

God can and does give clues, from time to time. The Bible affirms that He opens and closes the womb. That doesn’t mean that Abraham and Sarah didn’t have reason to be surprised. That Denise is ill, that it is this kind of cancer, that form of leukemia, this other test result suggests that we have more reason to worry about her than me. Seeking to decipher all these clues causes us to ride a roller coaster of hope and fear. I have come to learn, however, that my confidence on a given day is likely more tied to how poorly I slept the night before than it is deciphering the results of a CT scan.

My calling then is to rest in, to believe, to be comforted by what He has spoken clearly. Providence is His, but there He speaks a strange language in muted tones. His Word, on the other hand is both loud and clear. We know, for starters, that God Himself is behind this. God will either defeat the cancer He has sent, or He will have sent the cancer that calls her home (Isaiah 45:7). We know that whether her time is sooner or later, it works out for the good not only for her, but for her husband and children (Romans 8:28). We know that whenever He calls her home He will at the same time heal her fully (Revelation 21:4).

Insofar as I am able, by His grace, to believe what He has revealed, I am able to be at peace about what He has not revealed. Insofar as I seek to learn the secret things, I will fail to believe what He has revealed. One thing we know for certain- He is good. He loves us with an everlasting love. That doesn’t answer the question of the day or the hour. It just makes it not so important.

It is a good and proper thing that I should, and you as well if you are willing, pray that God would make Denise well, that He would allow us to grow old together. It is, however, a better thing to pray that I would be a faithful husband to my love, and a faithful father to the children He has blessed us with. It is less important that He believe me and my conviction, that the kingdom would be better with her here. It is more important that I believe Him and His promise that the gates of hell will not prevail (Matthew 16:18), and that He who has begun a good work in us will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus (Ephesians 6:10). This train is bound for glory."

Faith in the Midst of Cancer

The Story of Zac Smith from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.



A Story from Adam Kring on Vimeo.

Tears of Hope
 
God is still God, & God is still good.  Some of the most beautiful words I think I've ever heard.

A Poem for Suffering

I don't troll through my bookmarked blogs as religiously as I used to, but I'm so glad that I decided to just now, because I ran across a very sweet - though sad - post on GirlTalk that you simply must read.  The following poem will have an even greater impact if you do.

There's substance that's casting these shadows

There's reason behind all this pain

All gold is made pure by refining

And plants cannot grow without rain

He's promised to hold you and keep you

He's told you that He's always there

His Word says He'll never forsake you

Or test you past what you can bear

So trust in Him all through this darkness

Hold fast to the truth of His Word

Be certain of His gracious promise

And rest in Christ Jesus our Lord

For one day all pain shall be broken

Renewed shall be joy that was lost

All death, pain and fear have been conquered

Because of His death on the cross

~Amy Calderone

Resources for Suffering

When someone you love goes through a trial, their suffering becomes your suffering.  Such is the case with us; we have a loved one who may be entering a time of intense suffering.  And because we love her dearly, we are suffering, too.  It may be that God delivers her - & therefore, us - from this affliction, but then again, He may not.  Either way, He's good.  In any case, we all need to be prepared for the inevitable suffering that comes to all men.  The absolute best way to do that, in our opinion, is reading.  Scripture is our lifeline.  There are also other resources that we can turn to; men & women of God who have been blessed by Him with the gift of "preaching" through writing.  Michael is the family theological librarian, so he's thrown himself into researching out the best books that speak to suffering.  And if you know Michael, you know that he's already got most of these . . . and those he doesn't already own, he will soon!  Now, this list is not by any means exhaustive; there are soooo many more wonderful books that we just aren't able to list that can be found at Monergism & Westminster.  By all means, check these out, as well.  You'll probably think that I sound like a broken record, but John Piper has preached some stellar sermons on suffering, death, & sickness & his poem about Job (which you can download or listen to him read aloud) is phenomenal!

-Sunsets:  Reflections For Life's Final Journey by Deborah Howard 

-Where Is God in All of This?: Finding God's Purpose in Our Suffering by Deborah Howard

-My God is True: Lessons Learned along Cancer's Dark Road by Paul D. Wolfe

-Hearing Jesus Speak into Your Sorrow by Nancy Guthrie (this is one of many excellent books on suffering & grieving by her)

-Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in The Christian Life by R. C. Sproul

-Does Grace Grow Best in Winter? by J. Ligon Duncan; J. Nicholas Reid

-Fear Not!: Death and the Afterlife from a Christian Perspective by J. Ligon Duncan; J. Nicholas Reid

-Is God Really in Control?: Trusting God in a World of Terrorism, Tsunamis, and Personal Tragedy by Jerry Bridges

-When God Weeps by Joni Eareckson Tada

-Trusting God: Even When Life Hurts by Jerry Bridges

-Beside Still Waters: Words of Comfort for the Soul by C. H. Spurgeon

-If I Should Die Before I Wake: A Look Beyond This Life by Scott Oliphint; Sinclair Ferguson

-A Steadfast Heart: Experiencing God's Comfort in Life's Storms by Elyse Fitzpatrick (this also comes with a wonderful CD with Scripture readings & songs)

-A Place of Healing: Wrestling with the Mysteries of Suffering, Pain, and God's Sovereignty by Joni Eareckson Tada

-Power Perfected In Weakness by Chris Klicka

-Suffering and the Sovereignty of God by John Piper

-Miraculous Healing: Why Does God heal some and not others? by Henry Frost

-Suffering: Eternity Makes a Difference (RCL Booklet) by Paul David Tripp

-From Grief to Glory by James W. Bruce III

-Grief: Finding Hope Again (CCEF Booklet) by Paul David Tripp

-A Shelter in the Time of Storm: Meditations on God and Trouble by Paul David Tripp

-If God is Good:  Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil by Randy Alcorn

-Heaven by Randy Alcorn

-How Long, O Lord?:  Reflections on Suffering and Evil by D.A. Carson

-Polishing God's Monuments:  Pillars of Hope for Punishing Times by Jim Andrews

-Why Does It Have to Hurt:  The Meaning of Christian Suffering by Dan G. McCartney

-When the Darkness Will Not Lift by John Piper

Soli Deo Gloria To The End ~ Christian Schmidt

This entire post is Christian Schmidt's most recent post.  I've already linked to him twice, but I guess I'm afraid y'all won't follow the links & you really need to see this.  I am completely floored by this young man; his faith is so strong, & he is using his last efforts to point to & glorify Christ.  Please, please take the time to read this.

"Colossians 1:28-29, “28) Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29) For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.”

My parents and doctors have said that our main two concerns are: 1) no pain and 2) the ability to breathe. Notice that this is all with the conclusion that I will die. The cancer has become very progressed, and I feel that my time is almost done. The doctors are beginning to say that I might not make it to the beginning of the next year. I’ve come to accept this, but some of the doctors are beginning to say that I should just give up. I’m currently doing three weeks of radiation, and some say that I should just go home, get hospice, and slowly die. Did the apostle Paul run away after he had been beaten, persecuted, and shipwrecked? Did Jeremiah give up because of the constant turmoil on his life? The answer to those questions is no. There will come a point where my body will eventually fail me, but I will fight to my death to proclaim the gospel.

In Philippians 1:19-26, Paul discusses the benefits of living and dieing. It can be summed up in verse 21 when he says, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” The first part means that we live for Christ and spread the gospel. He later discusses how living will give him more time to preach the gospel and teach and encourage those who are already walking in the light, which is why he pushes on to live so that he can preach and teach. He also discusses the great benefits of dieing right now, and the great joy he will have when he goes to heaven. Living or dieing are ultimately in the hands of the Lord, which Paul understands, but this doesn’t stop him from fighting to leave to do as many good things before he leaves his despite his great desire to go home.

John Piper gave a great sermon entitled, “What Happens When You Die? At Home With The Lord,” based on 2 Corinthians 14:16-5:10, and given on July 18, 1983. Piper pointed out the order of Paul’s desires (1 being the highest desire and 3 the lowest): 1) The Lord would return and that he would instantaneously be fully clothed and be with the Lord. 2) He would physically die and return to the Lord without his completely glorified body. 3) He would remain on this earth. We just saw in Philippians of how Paul’s desire was to depart, but it seemed to be God’s will for him to stay. He obeyed this call just as he submits to God’s will in 2 Corinthians passage, but they are different because in the Philippians passages he is only speaking of himself, while 2 Corinthians is encouraging all people to live this.

At this point, I am ready for death. I’m actually afraid of getting healed because then all my hopes for heaven will have to wait several years. My body is in constant pain, which isn’t completely true because they have given me some pretty strong meds and I almost have no pain when I have a comfortable position, I can hardly breath, and these are just a few of my symptoms. It’s hard, sometimes nearly impossible, for me to get up, walk, and lay down. I can do almost nothing on my own, but my loving parents are there for me whenever I need something. I am almost eager to die because most mornings I seem to say, “I can’t do this anymore,” but God is there to lift me up and help me with all of my struggles because of his mercies are new everyday and He is our portion (Lamentations 3:23-24). I am now living the idea of “Live Weak” to the fullest expression (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). The more my weaknesses are displayed the more God is glorified.

The verse at the top has been really important these last few days. Verse 28 speaks of doing everything possible to present everyone mature in Christ. The next verse speaks of toiling to do this. Toiling is not just helping people here and there but using everything that God has given you to complete this task. For me, since I will be unable to do almost all physical activity, I will toil by writing, speaking, when I can, witness to everyone, which I don’t see too many people, but that could make it easier to focus on some more than others, and finally offering any kind of counseling and encouragement to whoever needs it. I may not always have the strength to do these things, but that didn’t stop many of the early missionaries that would grow sick on the mission field and lose their children and wives. They persisted on because it was not their strength, but God’s strength with them. Some may say that I don’t need to push myself too hard, but this is looking at my strength rather than seeing it as God who strengthens me, “with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.” Besides, if I push myself too hard, then I will get to go to heaven sooner. It is a win-win situation regardless of how you look at it. Praise be to His holy, righteous name. I rejoice that I have been chosen to suffer to for the glory of God."

I Have a Shelter ~ Sovereign Grace Music

"Come Weary Saints".  Sometimes that's a very appropriate name for me.  Sometimes I can feel like I'm at the very end of myself.  I think that's just where I need to be, too, because when I come to the end of myself, I find God.  He bids us come & find our rest in Him.  That doesn't always mean that the burden is removed, but He gives us strength & grace to bear up under it.  Sometimes, it is removed.  This will soon be the case for Christian.  We've just found out today that he is about to enter into his eternal rest.  His sufferings are almost done.  He has glorified God in them, & I have no doubt whatsoever that he will hear what every saint longs to hear from Him whom our souls love:  "Well done, good & faithful servant."  I've been overcome with different emotions this evening for this family that I've never met.  I've deeply felt their sorrow & grief.  I pray that God will give them strength, grace, & comfort.  Christian's suffering is ending, but having to go on without him begins a new phase of suffering for them.  My heart breaks for them in their loss.  I've been there, too, in a different way.  My Papaw died from lung cancer that metastasized to his brain when I was 16, & I feel his loss to this day.  I've feared & hated cancer ever since.  But after watching people like Christian suffer well through cancer, my fear is gone.  He - & others like him - have shown me that my afflictions here on earth are indeed "light" & "momentary" through their eternal perspective.  They've been focused on the reward that is waiting for them - Jesus Christ.  And this leads me to my other emotion this evening.  I've actually felt some envy, because Christian is going to soon meet our Savior face to face.  He will soon gaze into His loving eyes, hear His soothing voice, & feel His comforting embrace.  Oh, the wonder & bliss of that moment!  I don't grieve for him, because he is losing nothing & gaining everything.  But I do pray that his family will feel God's loving presence with them, that they will know that God is good & that He will never leave them.  That He will get them through this.  And I pray that God will continue to use Christian to show the world that He is worthy of all honor, praise, & worship.  I pray that God will bring the lost to salvation through Christian's & his family's suffering.  Please pray, too.  And remember that if you're going through a storm & you're a Christian, Jesus is your shelter.

Suffer Well

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies." (2 Cor. 4:8-10)

I've been thinking about suffering a lot lately. Now, don't get all worried & run off; this is not going to be a sad post. I promise! So, sit your hiney back down & move your hand away from the mouse. I've been thinking a lot about suffering because we all have those times. Regardless of the bill of goods that the health, wealth, & prosperity teachers like to try to sell us, Scripture says that we will suffer. Some people are caught completely unaware by suffering. They are fair weather "Christians"; when the inevitable storms blow, they crumple. I'm not talking about grieving; this is normal. Even Jesus grieved over Lazarus' death right before He resurrected his lifeless body. But some become angry with God & walk away from Him because they feel that He owes them only pleasant experiences in life. Not to be too blunt, but that's a lie. There is absolutely no biblical basis for these beliefs. They should be discarded & repented of. We see myriad examples of Christians suffering in Scripture. Of course, the first to come to mind is Jesus Christ Himself. Further, not a single apostle escaped suffering. Most of them were martyred. 2 Timothy 1:8 calls us to "share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God". In his epistle, James exhorts us to "count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds". When, not if. To be a Christian is to suffer. To be a Christian who suffers well is to be a Christian who glorifies God & brings honor to His name. It's to show to the world that Christ is worthy of our suffering.

To endure persecutions from unbelievers in the form of imprisonment, torture, & rape & respond by praying for your persecutors' salvation; to face cancer - as Rachel, Matt, & Christian have - & determine that it's worth it to you to suffer & even die if Christ is glorified & people are brought to salvation; to declare, "The Lord gave & the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord", upon finding out that your bride has been killed in a car accident - this makes God look glorious! The world doesn't understand this kind of faith, & they are drawn toward its Founder & Perfecter, Jesus Christ.

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith--that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (Phil. 3:8-11)

Seeing the Son Through the Rain

Warning: If you aren't a pet-lover, this post will be nonsensical to you. Then again, if you're a lover of God, you might be able to apply it to your own life. If you're both, then read on.

Today is overcast. The clouds seem to be bordering between hope of the sun peeking out & letting out a drizzle or full-on deluge. Just like my mood.

Ginger's cancer is back. And the chemo doesn't seem to me to be working this time. Certainly not as well as previously. It most assuredly is not side-effect free like every other round has been. Watching her suffer last night with deep non-stop panting, trembling, & obvious discomfort was unbearable. I broke down all evening long & went to bed with tired, puffy eyes & a stopped up nose. I knew this was coming, but when the chemo's working & she's in remission, it's just easier to push that knowledge away, you know? Out of the few devastating emotional events in my life, this ranks right up there.

Even so, I'm bordering between hope of the Son peeking out & letting out a full-on deluge (drizzle isn't an option). I've seen evidence of Him, even at my lowest points yesterday:

     -Our vet staff took such great care of Ginger, not letting her be alone during & after the chemo administration;
     -My husband & mother were so supportive, loving, & concerned about both Ginger & me;
     -God heard my cries for help & took pity on me, giving me strength when I felt that I just couldn't handle this;
     -God heard my cries & took pity on Ginger, giving her comfort & peace last night intermittently through the evening & then throughout the night;
     -Ginger seems to be feeling a little better this morning, which is a gift from God as well.

Ginger's really done amazingly so far. This cancer (lymphoma), if left untreated, can kill a dog in 6 weeks. Chemo has been effective (another evidence of God's graciousness), & December 24 will be 2 years since her diagnosis. She's responded well with each treatment, just being really tired for a couple of days. Until now, her lymph nodes have retreated with steroids & chemo. Now they're not. My greatest fear is that she will suffer. Michael experienced this cancer with his dog years ago, & her suffering was traumatic. I don't want to have to put her down - here comes the rain again - but I don't want her to suffer either. We're not to that place yet, thank God, & I hope we won't get there. I think God, in His wisdom & love, has said "no" to healing her here, so my new prayer is that He will take her peacefully without suffering while I'm there to hold & love her.

I'll tell you one thing this trial makes me do. It makes me hate this world. Not in a rage sort of way, but in a longing for heaven sort of way. And it makes me want to slap Adam & Eve. And it makes me hate sin. If it weren't for the Fall, none of us would suffer. But because of the Fall, we don't reflect the image of our Maker well (to put it mildly). So, suffering is the means intended by God to refine us, to sanctify us, so that we become more like His Son. And you know, when I look at it like that, even pain like this is worth it. I want to be more like Jesus. I want my hold on the things of this world to be loosened so that my grasp on Him can't be. This is a time for strengthening my faith in God, for deepening my trust in & relationship with my Father. When I realize that He's doing just that, that He's drawing me to Himself through this suffering, I have peace. He only does what's right & good, & He will see me through this.