Friday, October 07, 2016

Rejoice ... In Suffering? (1 Peter 4:12-13)

Today’s scripture: 1 Peter 4:12-13

I’ve written about this before (in fact just a week or so ago …), and I’m sure I’ll write about it again. We should expect trials. We should expect suffering. Christ Himself told us we’d suffer as He suffered. We’d be persecuted as He was persecuted.

Why is it then so many of us complain or whine when we face adversity? I’m not saying we can’t cry out to God in our suffering. The psalmists certainly did. I’m not saying we can’t ask “why?” Job certainly did.

We don’t have to understand. We don’t even have to like it. But we shouldn’t be surprised.

We should rejoice. I know it’s an oxymoron: Joyful suffering. But in Christ, we can rejoice even through trials and tribulations. We can know, with certainty, God will use every situation—good and bad—for our ultimate good and His ultimate glory (Rom. 8:28).

And we can give glory to God … at all times and in all ways.

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