In The Midst of Suffering:

Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. (Acts 14:22) 

No one ever prepared me for the reality of walking through suffering with people in the church. I have been serving on staff at a church for the past two years and I have come to view my church as a family. When one of us suffers we all suffer. My heart breaks for every church member who is going through a difficult season. I am often confronted with the question, "why?" "why would God allow this to happen?" "why can't I be healed?"

My heart breaks. Below is my answer to these questions.

The need for inner strength arises not just from the depletion of everyday stress, but from the suffering and afflictions that come from time to time. And they do come.

Suffering is inevitably added to heart-weariness on the way to heaven. When it comes, the heart wavers and the narrow way that leads to life looks impossibly hard.

Paul cried out three times with a question because of some affliction in his life. But God’s grace did not come in the form he asked. It came in another form. Christ answered, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul greatly desired to be healed from his affliction and he had enough faith to be healed but God had another plan in mind. God chose not to heal Paul because He had a greater plan.

Here we see grace given in the form of Christ’s sustaining power in unrelieved affliction-one grace given in the circle of another grace denied. And Paul responded with faith in the sufficiency of this future grace: “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me”.

God often blesses us with a “grace given” in the circle of “grace denied.” 

Sometimes the grace of God comes inside the circle of a prayer denied. But in the midst of grace denied we get a grace supplied.

God is sovereign (in control) over everything; including whether or not a person is healed. My prayer for everyone going through a difficult affliction is that you learn to trust God’s wisdom in giving the grace that is best for you.

I am praying that every person walking through a trial would not be surprised that God gives us wonderful graces in the midst of suffering that we had asked him to spare us. He knows best how to apportion his grace for our good and his glory.

Sometimes God chooses to heal us; however, sometimes no matter our faith and no matter our prayers God chooses not to heal. In those seasons of difficult afflictions when you can not trace God's hand I pray you trust His heart.

My prayer for everyone going through a difficult affliction is that you learn to trust God's wisdom in giving the grace that is best for you. I am praying that every person walking through a trial would not be surprised that God gives us wonderful graces in the midst of suffering that we had asked him to spare us. He knows best how to apportion His grace for our good and His glory.