Suffering Through Storms

Remember when the disciples were on the Sea of Galilee and a storm struck? (Read Matthew 14.) The wind and waves began in the evening and continued all night long.

Meanwhile, Jesus was on a mountaintop praying, far away from the impending disaster. I’m convinced the disciples were praying for the storm to stop, or at least to be able to make it to the other side of the Sea and find safety on dry land. Jesus didn’t answer those prayers. Instead, He met them out on the Sea, walking on the water. Why?

This age-old question has kept millions at an arms-length away from their Creator. Why does human suffering occur and why does God not stop it? When we are going through trials and tribulations, we can hang our hats on this truth: God has a divine purpose in the pain. Our job is to trust Him through it and wait to see the spiritual fruit that accompanies it in the future.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ." 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

God has not promised us an easy life. Far from it! He has promised His children that he will be with us through those trials. Jesus meets us in the middle of the storm to build our faith and to teach us to worship Him in truth and spirit.

Suffering produces a reliance on God in the heart of the faithful. Suffering pushes others further from the Lord when their souls are unfaithful and bitter. In essence, tough times separate the wheat from the chaff. As we grow spiritually, God begins to show us His power and comfort as we go through the curve balls in life.

The comfort we receive from Him can be used to bring people into the Kingdom of God. When non-believers experience trouble, it's the perfect opportunity for the believer to comfort them, love them, and understand them. When we show others God's love through our lives, they will be prodded to consider Jesus as their own Lord and Savior.

We live on a fallen planet where sin and suffering is the natural order of things. Suffering will continue until sin disappears; and that will not happen until the Second Coming of our Lord.

Notice some key words in the verse 5: abundantly and abounds. The word abounds comes from the Latin word abundāre, meaning to overflow. Imagine a river after a rainstorm. The water overflows its banks because it cannot be contained. There’s too much water! In the same way, God provides a mechanism through the power of the Holy Spirit to bring an overflowing amount of comfort when times turn difficult.

That comfort is available in very large quantities when we humble ourselves before the Lord. This builds our faith and helps us shine a brighter light into a darkened world. One of the greatest evangelism tools we have is our testimony. Every powerful testimony contains copious examples of God’s grace and comfort when the wind threatens to tear us down. Seek God’s comfort today. You will not only be helping yourself, but you will also be providing a wonderful weapon for your Lord to use to see others come into His glorious kingdom.