Acts 9:16 “I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

Anyone up for suffering?   This is NOT my idea of a good time.   I generally choose to go right on by this sign up table.   I take a pass on this one!   What vacation time?  I’m outta here!

Yet, ALL of us will suffer in this life.  It’s a guarantee!  It’s one thing when the suffering I experience suffering by the hands of my enemies, it’ yet another thing when the suffering comes from the hands or lips of those who say they ‘love me.’  But when the suffering comes from the hand of God…that is a hard pill to swallow.   It is here I must trust that God has a plan.  That His ways are higher than mine.  That His promise to not give me more than I can handle will in fact be the reality in my suffering time.   Most importantly that He has a reason that I am going through whatever He is allowing me to go through and His purpose for the suffering will be revealed….usually later than sooner!

Saul/Paul sat in blindness for three days, he was ridiculed by the believers who would not believe in his conversion, his message was not popular by those he ‘used’ to hang with, of course imprisoned and stoned, Paul took his lumps of suffering!  He was pressed, but not crushed!  Persecuted but no abandoned!   Hold on my child during your suffering, joy comes in the morning, weeping only lasts for the night!