9. There is a purpose to suffering.
Sometimes we wonder why we have to go through hard things. “God doesn’t love you,” the enemy whispers to us. “If God loved you, he wouldn’t allow hard things in your life.” We have to remember that Satan is a liar and he will tell us anything so that we will not trust God. He tries to convince us a loving God wouldn’t let us suffer. And yet, if we read Romans 5:3-5, we find just the opposite is true. Because God loves us he allows suffering. Tribulation brings about perseverance, and that will develop character in us. And God wants us to have character.
One day we will be in heaven and we won’t have trials and tribulations, but here on earth, we do experience them. But why should we be surprised? God’s own son suffered on this earth. And he did nothing to bring it on. Suffering is something God allows because of his love for us. And when God’s children suffer, God doesn’t step back. He is right there with us.
10. God meets our needs.
God is our provider. We are told that over and over in Scripture. Whatever your need, God can take care of it. Read Philippians 4:19. God has promised something that we can hold onto with both hands. And this is a verse we need to really read carefully. First of all, God says he will meet all our needs, not just some of them. We can have confidence that if we have a legitimate need, God our Father will meet it. What a sense of peace that can give us when our money is small and our bills are big. God is bigger still.
And he doesn’t do it according to how much faith we have, or how much we serve him; he does it according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. What unbelievable love.
Father God, we come before you and we pray that you will help us meditate on what’s true when we have uncertainties in our life. We thank you that there is nothing in our future that is unseen by you. And we thank you that you do not leave us alone, but you are our guide, our strength, and the one who will uphold us. Give peace, Lord, to those who are unsure what lies ahead. Thank you for your Son. It is in his precious name we pray. Amen.
