Patiently Enduring Suffering – 5

God uses suffering, trials and hardship in our lives to make us more Christlike:

“Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:7-11)

We read through the above text and stumble over the word discipline. We often think of discipline as purely punitive. Certainly there are times when we do need to be disciplined for something we’ve done that we should not have done. Such discipline provides a needed rebuke and correction. But there is also a discipline designed to instruct and form us. Regardless of what prompted the discipline, we can be assured that God’s motivation is always for our good to make us more like him in character.

Just a few verses earlier, the writer of Hebrews urges us neither to take the Lord’s discipline lightly, nor to lose heart. “The Lord disciplines those he loves.” (Hebrews 12:6)

A few days ago I began reading through 1 Samuel again. I was struck anew by the fact that God had Samuel anoint David as the next king of Israel while Saul was still king and many years before David would ascend to the throne. Even though David always showed honor and allegiance to King Saul, Saul was obsessed with killing him. For many years, David fled from Saul’s irrational jealousy and hatred.

God knew all that David would have to suffer and endure before becoming king. This begs the question, “Why didn’t God wait until Saul was dead before anointing him as king, so David could’ve avoided all this trouble?” Obviously, God had a plan for molding David into the man he wanted him to be—a man who could lead his people in integrity and godly wisdom.

During those incredibly rough years, David wrote many of the Psalms. In Psalm 57 we get insight into David’s heart and mind when he was fleeing from Saul and his army. “I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills his purpose for me. He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me; God send his love and his faithfulness.” (Psalm 57:2-3) We too need this God-ward focus and trust in our loving heavenly Father when we’re in the thick of hardship and suffering.

© 2009 Rob Fischer