A Lesson in Suffering

Jeremiah 29:11-13
11)For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12)You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13)You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

One of the amazing things about the bible is that no matter what your situation in life is, or what type of moment your having; the Bible can reach out and grab you.  This verse for me came at a crucial time; delivered to me by my Dad.  To say this has been a rough month would be an understatement. For starters my wife is soon to be 8 months pregnant.  This is a good thing, but it also brings on a whole new other set of problems.  Worries about having another kid; How are we going to be able to afford one, pay off the bills etc.  These are questions that keep you up at night, combined them with a wife who can't sleep and tosses and turns and at least to me; this means I don't get much sleep.  In a normal situation these small problems would be ones that wouldn't really bother me too much.  But when you throw in that both me and my wife have been told that we would not be rehired next year; well, the problem broadens.  When problems come, normally I go running; crazy thing is we are having our second blizzard of the month.  For those of you keeping score its as follows: pregnant sleepless wife, money worries, job worries, and two blizzards.  Ya, my plate is pretty full.

I know that as Christians we are supposed to have "Faith", but sometimes you still have to wander.  "What is God up to?", "Why does it have to be this way?".   Sometimes it reaches a point when you feel like David yelling out in Psalms 79:5  "How long Lord? Will you be angry forever?"  Truth is I try desperately to be strong, yet I always feel myself falling short.  It would be easy for me to sit here and blog about what an evil person my principal is and blog about his many faults and weaknesses.  In some ways I would like to do that, might even feel better after having done it.  But would it really help anything.  Would I sleep better at night? Doubt it.  I'm really good at being angry, always have been.  It's a strength that I have.  But all anger does is leave one feeling depressed, bitter and helpless.

Every part of me wants to retaliate, but if I can't strike out at the one I feel has hurt me and my family, what can I do.   I could burn some bridges, I could tell the community what I've learned about this man. Would this make anything better.  Something tells me no.  In fact it might only make things worse.  In some small way I might feel just a tiny bit justified.  But what would the long term effects be.  What would others think.  Some might feel good for me.  Some might feel pity.  But if my job as a Christian is to be an example of Christ, would I be doing that.  What would my children learn from my reaction.  We all suffer, the Bible tells us that.  (Sorry Joel Olstein).  If you have any question about that just read Habakkuk, Job, or 2 Corinthians; each of these books are fairly decent examples of suffering.  I say fairly decent because their is one example which is truly better.  That example is Christ, his suffering on the Cross for us, because of us, to exonerate us, to redeem us.

Isn't it awesome knowing we worship a God that not only talks about suffering; but has also been there and done that.  A God that so loved us that he came to Earth in the Flesh and suffered something far greater than anything I have suffered.  My big question is how can I take his example and apply it to my own life and my own circumstances.

First off how did Jesus treat the individual he felt betrayed him.  He ate with him.  When Peter tried to lash to defend Christ after Judas betrayed him John 18:11 tell us....

Jesus commanded Peter, "Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?"
So my thoughts and desires to attack, to lash out; is an exact opposite of what Jesus did.  Jesus even went so far as to stop one of his followers from lashing out.  Jesus truly is a better man than me.  But my question is why did he not. Mathew 26:52-54 spells it out....

52 Then Jesus told him, "Put your sword back in its place because all who take up a sword will perish by a sword. 53 Or do you think that I cannot call on My Father, and He will provide Me at once with more than 12 legions of angels? 54 How, then, would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?"

To me God is saying he could of retaliated, but if he had; the old testament would have been wrong.  In fact everything about our faith would be wrong.

How am I supposed to take this.  I see only one way.  It is possible for me to lash out, but if I do the plans God has for me will not happen.  What plans though.  For me uncertainty or not knowing about the future is killing me but the bible also tells me in Jeremiah 29:11...

11)For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

How comforting is it knowing that God not only knows what is going to happen, but he has also planned it and the plans are not for disaster but future and hope.  So maybe I'm supposed to stop laying there at night worrying about the future, and smile knowing that God has something in store for me.  Smiling I can do, but with a mind like mind and years and generations of some of the worlds best worriers; what can I do when my smile stops and in spite of my bets intentions I do worry.  Jeremiah 29:12,13 spells it out....

12)You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13)You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

Here the Bible is saying not only to pray, but to get into the word. So that is what I promise to do.

Why am I going to do it.  #1) Jesus did it  #2)  The Bible says to do it  #3) Sleeping in the same bed as a Wife who is 8 month pregnant; I'll be up anyway, so I have the time and #4) What have I to lose

Here is the thing, I'm not in this alone; I not only have a wife, 2 and 8/9ths kids; but I also have the students, friends and family that are watching me go through this.  God doesn't do anything by accident, he doesn't do it out of meanness; He does it because it is his plan and his will.  I've got to believe me and my family will come out of this in the positive.  My suffering can not pull me down, it has to lift him up.  In lifting him (Jesus) up: I will be lifting me, my family and me testimony up for all to see.

Jesus, Give me and my family the strength to get through these times of suffering.  Knowing that I will stumble, I will fall; make it so that I can come to you through prayer and the Word and find new strength.  It is your will and not my own that is important.   To show that I am strong, I must first show humility and weakness.  Let me not lash out at my enemies, but eat or commune with them just as you did.  Let my suffering be an example to others. 
In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen