In ministry, I see a lot of suffering in Christians. In my own life, I experience suffering.
I am excited to share with you a recent wonderful revelation of what it means to be delivered in suffering!
Hear God speak this truth personally to you and be encouraged in your sufferings!
DELIVERED INTO SUFFERING
Sufferings should not surprise us as Christians because we are called by our Father to know His Son in the "fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable to His death" (Philippians 3:10b).
We are indeed to count it an honor to "suffer for His sake" (Philippians 1:29).
I realize that suffering is relative in regards to external circumstances. I have experienced suffering in life-and-death circumstances. However, I have never suffered as Christians are suffering in Iraq.
But suffering is also absolute. I have experienced profound internal sufferings by being misunderstood, ridiculed, and falsely accused as a Christian.
Some (if not a part of all) of my sufferings are due to my sinful pride being hurt. So even when I am treated unfairly, God lovingly uses sufferings to expose areas of my life not yet surrendered to Him.
This is the meaning of "...being made conformable to His death" in Philippians 3:10b). God is using sufferings to conform me to the humility Jesus chose and displayed as He suffered on His way to, and on, the cross. This is truly what it means to "know Christ in the fellowship of His sufferings."
I thank God my Father for my freedom in Christ in sufferings! I don't have to retaliate against unfairness against me in order to try to prove someone wrong. My Father has given me the freedom to humble myself and to testify of Christ's life and truth in me. And He promises to bring resurrection out of the sufferings for His glory!
Therefore, my life in sufferings is the chief way the glory of Christ Jesus is revealed in and through me.
DELIVERED IN SUFFERING
Now for the wonderful revelation regarding being "delivered" in suffering!
Paul described his suffering in 2 Corinthians 1:8 as:
Burdened beyond measure and
despairing even of life.
Then in 2 Corinthians 1:9-10 he testifies:
Yes, we had this sentence of death in ourselves,
that we should not trust in ourselves
but in God who raises the dead,
who delivered us from so great a death.
Up until a few weeks ago, I interpreted the word "delivered" in this verse to mean "rescued from the suffering." However...
...the Greek word for "deliver" is "rhoumai" that means...get ready for this...the word "deliver" means:
God drew Paul to Himself!
Indeed, sometimes God rescues us from suffering. However, the key truth about "deliverance" here is not "deliverance from difficult circumstances" but "deliverance into the strong arms of God and being drawn close to His heart."
You see, once you trust that you truly are in God's presence, indeed in His strong arms, what is going on around you doesn't control you!
What a beautiful picture of God's true deliverance!
CLOSING
I am indebted to Wayne Barber (pastor of Woodland Park Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee) for teaching me the root meaning of the biblical word "deliverance" in 2 Corinthians 1.
Dr. Barber has described this deliverance like being swept down in a raging river when, all of a sudden, a pair of giant, strong hands and arms reach out and pulls you out of the deadly current. However, God not only pulls you out of the current, He draws you to Himself! And He wraps His arms around you and holds you there until you can be quiet and ultimately understand that you truly have been delivered by Him and unto Him!
So, when God rescues us, it doesn't necessarily mean He takes us out of suffering. He has a purpose for us in all things, including suffering, and it is to know Him.
God is always with you fulfilling His perfect purpose for you in relationship with Him through our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ!
