Don’t Be Surprised By Suffering

Don’t Be Surprised By Suffering

Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 4:12-19

Focus Verses: 1 Peter 4:12-13   " Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.  Instead, be very glad for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world."

 

Peter tells us not to be surprised if we go through suffering.  Everyone on earth will go through some kind of suffering.  This is a fallen world and things are broken here. But Peter says we can be glad when trials come our way.  It sounds really strange that we can be glad when we are suffering. Peter then says that because of our suffering we can be joyful because one day we will see God’s glory.

The world has seen in the news that Kenya has suffered greatly with flooding rains.  Many people have lost their homes and all their possessions, and some have even lost loved ones.  I have seen videos of streets that I walked on just a few months ago that look like a raging river.  It is very sad to see people's belongings just being washed away.

So why do bad things like this happen? My answer is, I don’t know.  But I do know that God is good all the time.  And God is in control all the time.  God always has a plan.  God has never has to say "oops". God never makes mistakes. Nothing happens to us that God doesn’t allow for the good even if we can't see it at the time.  Remember that the worst thing to happen in the history of the world was when Jesus was tortured, crucified and killed on the cross.  But God turned that bad event into the best thing that ever happened in the history of the world.  Jesus went to the cross to save the whole world from their sins. But for only those that would repent and accept this forgiveness by faith.  So don’t be surprised the next time you are going through a difficulty, God is up to something.  He is working out His perfect plan for you.  And He is there to help us through any difficulty.

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries