Suffering

“It is the fire of suffering that brings forth the gold of godliness.”
G-d could have kept Joseph out of jail, He could have kept Daniel out of the lion’s den, and kept Jeremiah from being tossed into a slimy pit, or Paul from being shipwrecked three times, and kept the three Hebrew young men from being thrown into the blazing furnace - but He didn’t. He let those problems happen, and every one of these people was drawn closer to Him as a result.
So we are transformed by trouble for you never know that G-d is all you need until He is all you’ve got. Regardless of the cause, none of your problems could happen without His permission and everything that happens to a child of the Father if Father-filtered and He intends to use it for good even when the adversary and others mean it for bad.
Because the Father is dominion in control, accidents are just incidents in His good plan for you. Everything that happens to you has spiritual significance. Romans 8:28-29 says: “We know that G-d causes everything to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose for them. For the Father knew His people in advance, and He chose them to become like His Son.”
“To work together” The events in your life work together in His plan. If you will give Him all your distasteful, unpleasant experiences, He will blend them together for good.
“Of those who love Him and are called” This is not for everyone, only for His children.
“According to His purpose” Everything the Father allows to happen in your life is permitted so you will become like His Son.
We are like jewels, shaped with the hammer and chisel of adversity. If a jeweler’s hammer isn’t strong enough to chip off our rough edges, G-d will use a sledgehammer. If we’re really stubborn, He uses a jackhammer.
Paul said: “We know that these troubles produce patience. And patience produces character”. What happens outwardly in your life is not as important as what happens inside you. Peter said: “These troubles come to prove that your faith is pure. This purity of faith is worth more than gold.” Were James said: “Under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors.”
It is vital that you stay focused on His plan, not your pain or problem. If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. But if you look at the Messiah, you’ll be at rest! Your focus will determine your feelings. The Good Book tells us to “give thanks in all circumstances,” so ask the Father what do you want me to learn? Then trust Him and keep on doing what is right, don’t give up - grow up!
G-d teaches us real joy in the midst of sorrow, and He develops real peace within us, but allowing times of chaos and confusion. We learn real peace by choosing to trust Him in circumstances in which we are tempted to worry or be afraid. Patience is developed in circumstances in which we’re forced to wait and are tempted to be angry or have a short fuse.
Real maturity is refusing to be intimidated, and requesting the Father’s help. Then refocus your attention of something else, also reveal your struggle to a godly friend who will pray with you and encourage you to keep running the race. For this is all but a training field towards being mature, then to be used for the advancement of His kingdom. There are no shortcuts to maturity; it takes years for us to grow to adulthood and to ripen to maturity. So when you cry out “how long?” He is only concerned about how strong we grow. He has promised that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.
Count suffering a privilege for it helps you grow. The history of Israel illustrates how quickly we forget the lessons He teaches us, so learn fast or you will keep repeating the same lesson. Growth is often painful and scary for you must let go of old ways in order to experience the new. Spiritual growth is sometimes tedious work, one small step at a time, but expects gradual improvements for everything on earth has its own time and its own season. The Father’s timetable is rarely the same as ours.
Habakkuk said: “These things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!”
This journey though life involves, believing through worship, belonging through fellowship, and becoming through discipleship. Every day the Father wants you to become a little more like Him. “You begin to live the new life, in which you are being made new and are becoming like the One who made you.”
Expect trials and tribulations in this life, suffering is for our perfection.