SUFFERING AND GLORY

HEBREWS 12:1–6

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God

(Heb. 12:2).

Suffering is not supposed to be pleasant. If it were pleasant, it would not be suffering. If we were able to stand above our circumstances and ignore pain and anguish, it would not be suffering. Jesus did not stand above the suffering to which God called Him. He drained the cup. How did He do it?

The Bible tells us that though suffering is horrible, it has a purpose. The way we are to endure suffering is by means of hope, which in the Bible means a sure and certain confidence (Heb. 11:1). We have hope in three things. First of all, though discipline seems painful at the time, “later on it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Heb. 12:11b). We can endure pain and suffering by fixing our eyes on the promise of a peaceful righteousness that will be our reward in this life.

Some suffering, however, ends in death, and that brings us to the second aspect of our hope. Jesus endured suffering “for the joy set before Him” (Heb. 12:2). He looked for a reward. After His suffering was over, He was embraced by God the Father and God the Spirit. He ascended into heaven. We, too, have heaven to look forward to (see the June issue of Tabletalk). There God will wipe away every tear from our eye. We will suffer no more.

But heaven is not the last estate of the righteous. The third thing we have to look forward to is the resurrection. God does not intend to allow Satan to destroy the world. The work of Jesus Christ was not to rapture souls out of this world but to restore people in their totality along with this world in its fullness. It is the wicked who will be removed from the creation. There will be a new earth, and we shall have new, resurrection bodies.

Think about it for a moment. You will live forever. What will you be doing 150 years after the resurrection? What about 150 million years later? or 150 octillion years later? You see, in the light of this infinite life of bliss, the few years of suffering we endure in this life amount to but a moment of time. In contrast, those who reject God’s call to suffer in this life may find that they are called to suffer forever.

CORAM DEO

Nehemiah 11–13

Even if you are not enduring some devastating form of suffering, chances are that sometime recently you became annoyed about something that happened. Use today’s lesson, applying it to your own circumstances, to put the little grievances of life into perspective.

For further study: Romans 8:18–27 • 2 Cor. 4:13–18 • Phil. 3:9–14

wednesday

august