Suffering: Will You Drink From The Lord's Cup?

Suffering! As believers, this can be a difficult thing to study and acknowledge in all of our lives. We need to understand that we will ALL suffer as believers at some point, or points, in our lives. And we should never blame God for it; that He is not faithful to His Word; that He doesn't hear us!




"God, in all His wisdom, has a purpose for our pain, a reason for our struggles, and a gift for our steadfast faithfulness." "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6) NIV. There is a path we all must follow when we choose to give our lives to the Lord and follow Him. And this path will have many test and trials along the way. Our Lord tells us that we will share the same cup that He has drank from. "You don't know what you are asking." Jesus said, "can you drink from the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with? Jesus said to them, "you WILL drink from the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with...." (Mark 10:38-39) NIV. Jesus is speaking to His disciples and telling them the cost of following Him. They drank from His cup and sacrificed their very lives. A student is not above his teacher! We should all understand this and not be troubled or dismayed in our suffering. Our Lord did not question His fathers Will or wisdom in this, but accepted it all. And so should we all. Peter also reminds us of this in these Words: "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you." (1 Peter 4:12) NIV. These should be words of encouragement to us in these times of unexplained pain and struggles. Knowing that in choosing to follow our Lord, we will walk the same path. Not living in doubt and fear but having consistent trust and faith in our Lord's faithfulness. When these things occur in our lives, and He said they will, stay strong in His Word. Do not fall back into the flesh and the world and doubt Him, turn our backs on Him, and even walk away from Him, or think that He is not answering our prayers. Recognize that this is from flesh and false counsel of the world, and a primary attack from the enemy. The enemy would have us doubt His Word and bring us to fear, stress, and anxiety, or we can choose to accept His Word and purpose in our lives. Our Lord is faithful to His Word and our trust in Him will bring us His peace, understanding, and thankfulness to our Father by and through His Holy Spirit. And yet, as we walk though these trails, we are never alone in them. "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes before you; He will never leave you nor forsake you." (Deuteronomy 31:6) NIV. We can choose to walk this hard road, or go the easy path, which is sitting on the fence. Choosing to follow the Lord and truly making Him the 'LORD' of our lives is going to be filled with hard times. Our lives will never be a fairy-tale life. "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." (Matthew 10:34), NIV. Accept His Word in this and be at peace in Him at all times. "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7). There are so many that are falsely taught that the Lord will not allow in our lives more than we can handle. This is no where in His Word. What the Lord tells us is that He will not allow us to be tempted beyond our ability to withstand it and He will provide a means of escape. "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond you ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way for escape, that you may be able to endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13). What can we then say of suffering? How many have given their very lives for the Lord? Isn't that something we would think that we could never endure? Yes it is, but the Lord will strengthen us during these times to do what we as humans could never do.




Why then is there suffering and why does our Lord allow it in our lives? The Lord uses suffering to humble us so He can exalt us. The Lord uses suffering to refine us as through fire. To form us into the image of His Son. Suffering empties us so that we become completely dependent on Him. Suffering can be the Lord's tests, trials, and tribulations in our lives that lead us to the throne of God through Jesus Christ. Suffering can be the pathway that leads us to greater works in the Lord and of the Lord. "And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you." (1 Peter 5:10). These are just a few examples of why the Lord allows us to suffer.There are many more reasons in His Word. All we have to do is search them out. You may say that this isn't great news! You might think that there is then no hope if we will all suffer these things. The hope is in what suffering brings. It truly refines us; polishes us; and our steadfastness brings joy to the Lord; pleases the Lord; strengthens us to get through anything. We are no different than anyone else. We will all go trough them together...and we will all have victory over them through the Lord. We each have a path, a purpose set before us by the Lord. Different, yet the same. With the same end result. We all just must stay the path and not give up, and the Lord will reward you. "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial. for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him." (James 1:12).




My prayer is for each of us to stand strong in Him. To trust in Him in all things. To be filled with all wisdom, knowledge, and understand of His Word in and through His Holy Spirit. Everything that happens in our lives as believers, has the end result for us to be conformed by God to the image and likeness of Jesus Christ. This is Our Fathers Will for each of us. These are the fires that refine us, that purify us before our Father. "These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." (1 Peter 7:7).The one absolute I firmly believe is the Lord's Will for each and everyone of us in these times, is greater than anything we imagine or ask for. All that He askes of us is 'faith' and 'trust'.









2 Timothy 3:12 "Indeed, ALL who desire to live a Godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted."









Romans 8:18 "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."









Revelations 21:4 "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."









2 Corinthians 4:8-10 "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies."





























Your comments are always welcomed and encouraged.




Psalm 34:3 "O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together." (KJV)