Strong Start - a Devotion on StrengthSample

Strength in Suffering

Have you ever been going through an unfortunate situation and someone says to you, "It's going to be okay?" On one hand, you appreciate their efforts and support. On the other hand, you probably didn't find much comfort in their words - mainly because the situation was still ongoing and the possibility of things being okay just didn't seem plausible.

As a believer, this journey will often be riddled with experiences that you'd prefer not to deal with. When you're in these circumstances, though, the truth of the matter is, it will be okay. It's hard to wrap your mind around that as you're in the thick of a storm, but that's the truth. You know why it's the truth? Because pain and permanence are not synonymous. In other words, all suffering has an expiration date. The focus scripture proves that.

Here's the challenge for you: adjust your idea of suffering. The next time you find yourself in a less than ideal position, instead of simply seeing it as being in a painful process, see it as being in a production process.

All pain, when you're journeying with God, will produce something. According to the focus scripture, once you've suffered a little while, God will restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

Father, thank You for the strength to suffer well. When the pain seems too much to endure, grant me the resilience to make it to "a little while" because that's where the suffering turns into reward.