A Spectacle Of Glory #116

Read: Acts 14:21-22

God hates suffering—and Jesus spent much of His time on earth reversing and relieving it. It’s the same today. In answer to heartfelt prayers, He still grants babies to childless women, heals cancer, protects Alzheimer’s patients from walking into traffic, and writes happy endings to sad situations. But it simply doesn’t follow that God’s only relationship to suffering is to relieve it. Yes, He will eventually banish it from His presence forever, but for now, suffering is part of our broken world, and God will still use it for His own ends.

In today’s Scripture, Paul reminds us that “we must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” Not just hardships, but many hardships. In other words, no one enters Christ’s heaven who doesn’t first share in Christ’s sufferings. Today, determine to be no greater than Your Master. If the Lord Jesus suffered many hardships, you can expect them too—along with the comfort and encouragement of His presence.

Lord, You have always been clear about it. You have said, “In this world you will have trouble.”^a But then you offer Yourself as my Companion, Friend, and Champion through every moment. So I have hardships—but I also have You! And You, Faithful One, are enough.