Monday, March 6, 2023

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance

Romans 5:3

In Black’s book, “The Blessing of Adversity,” he makes it clear that there are benefits to being broken. He recounts a number of situations that he experienced as a chaplain and also shared stories from his own life. He says it best on page 36, “I’ve seen enough anguish to convince me that evil is real; sin is pervasive, and death is a regular and frequent intruder on humanity. Yet in spite of the brokenness and suffering all around me, I believe that God can use our pain and enable us to benefit from affliction.”

Though we have touched on some of the benefits of trouble last week, we will cover a few more this week. Here is a comprehensive list from the author.

Trouble does the following:

Humbles us

Deepens our knowledge of God

Strengthens our prayer lives

Exposes us to divine grace

Enables us to see God’s faithfulness

Leads us to the sacred Word

Deepens our appreciation of divine providence

Draws us away from backsliding

PRAYER: Lord, the scripture today reminds me that I should not just tolerate trouble; I just rejoice in it. I must remember that one of the benefits of suffering is the production of endurance. Let me see my trouble through your eyes. In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.

Black, B. C. (2011). The Blessing of Adversity: Finding Your God-given Purpose in Life's Troubles. Tyndale House.