Joy in trials

As I was reading
1Pe 4:12 — 1Pe 4:13 (NLT)

12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. 13 Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.

The Holy Spirit ministered to me to connect this passage with....
2Co 1:3 — 2Co 1:7 (NLT)

3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 5 For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. 6 Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. 7 We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.

One reason that we can rejoice in what ever we are going through (and our rejoicing is not for what we're going through, but for Christ Who is with us and enabling us to walk in faith through it, and leading and guiding us/teaching us how to remain faithful to Him and His Word through it and how to trust Him, lean on Him and rest in/stand strong in Him and His Word... plus receiving His love and comfort) is because as we are receiving from our Savior and Lord all that He desires to teach us ...

we have a knowing from the Holy Spirit in 2 Corinthians as ministered through/to the apostle paul... that there will be someone, who will come across our path.. whom Father desires that we extend His very loving arms of grace, mercy, peace and love to who is in the same situation we have already walked through... we can be those blessed arms of compassion that they need, that encouragement and strength that Adonai wants them to have... and so graciously chooses to use us to stand in for Him... to be his ambassador nd physical touch to that special child of God who needs a loving touch from our heavenly Father.

So rejoice in your Savior and Lord for lovingly teaching you and leading you through a trial... and be that extension of Fathers love to the one who needs it.

Blessings
 
On suffering...was thinking on this how Jesus suffered for us on the cross. It was painful, it was agony.
Well what is suffering really --enduring pain, having to wait for a promise?

I was thinking nobody gets through life without having to suffer something. Whether it's a woman going through childbirth - that's painful! Being hungry and starving - hunger pains! Or losing someone you love - maybe your spouse dies, that's painful. Someone breaks your heart. Again, pain. If you good at sport, sometimes you will have to endure pain to gain - or you may have an injury.
And then there's people who fall ill for any number of reasons, and nobody I know has ever had good health all the time. Or if they have, when people age and get old, sometimes they have to face frailty/infirmity/weakness for the first time and can't do all the things they used to. And then there's dying - that's suffering.

But wait, what is the promise, well it's like having a child, you soon forget the agony of childbirth because it's worth it for the miracle of new life. When hungry - it's your next meal that will satisfy you. When ill, there's the promise of recovery. Broken heart? It will mend. Even dying...well, faith is in the resurrection.

I think people can be quick to try to relieve suffering with all manner of pain relievers i.e drugs. But like having a snack to relieve a hunger pain, that can ruin your enjoyment of the main meal. If you're drugged up, maybe you don't experience all that pain may be teaching you and the sweet victory when it's gone. If you just try and wish it away like some parents don't want their children bothering them - you might be missing out on their dramas yes, but you also missing out on being loved - even when they annoying you. People who have hardship in their lives are able to give so much more when they overcome, and testify that the Lord is good than someone who's never overcome anything at all.

Could Jesus have gone to heaven without the cross? Well sure, he was there from the beginning, but the fact is he came here to earth to suffer and die for you and me. He could have stayed in heaven and just enjoyed God's presence and not bothered. But he didn't. He got our victory. Thank you Lord. We can rejoice because you suffered on our behalf and we can share in your sufferings. And with the helper, the comforter of the holy spirit, we can endure these sufferings and know that God is with us through the pain.
 
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