Lifetime Daily DevotionsSample

The Sufferings of This World

You are looking at this only from a human point of view and not from God's.
Mark 8:33 tlb

I cringe when I hear someone say, "God took my son," or "God brought this deformed child into my life," or "God caused this tragic accident."

This is looking at things from the human point of view. Nowhere in Scripture does God promise to extract us from the sufferings of this world. And yet so many times it's Him we blame, it's Him we shake our fists at. We live in an alien world, in a fallen world with people who are lost, who have rejected God's love and grace, who are under the control of the Deceiver and his devoted followers. And so we're "fair game." If we're in enemy territory, then we are subject to the enemy's attacks.

Christians must go through the same tragedies, heartaches, and frustrations that non-Christians do. We aren't hiding behind a barricade. We're in an intense battle. Jesus said:

I have told you these things so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]
John 16:33 amp

He assures us that we will experience difficult times. He also assures us that we will not be destroyed because of these difficult times.

I have overcome

I have robbed it of power to harm

I have conquered it.

He isn't talking about our physical well-being. He is talking about that unshakeable identity, that never-failing love, that Spirit that refuses to be bound and defeated. He does not assure us that we will come through unscathed and unscarred, or even alive! The "plus" is that He is our strength. The "plus" is that we are not alone!

Jesus prayed, "I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one" (John 17:15). God did not keep Jesus from the sufferings of this hostile world, but Jesus held fast to God and Truth. God did not take Him out of the world, but He did keep Him safe from evil. He triumphed over evil. He faced the evil of His day and overcame. He faced each day in the strength of who He was and who God was.

Because He lives in me, I can do the same.
Because He lives in you, you can do the same,
Cant you?