worship through {suffering}

Last night at C-group we discussed Psalm 22. Pastor Tyler gave a sermon using Psalm 22 discussing worshiping even in suffering. I was encourage by our discussion.

*It was the best discussion we've had in WEEKS and what a blessing. As always you guys challenge me and encourage me. I’m VERY thankful for all of you :-)

Our group thought of great questions:
Who is this God we serve?
If He is good, why is there suffering?
Does God will suffering?
What is the difference, if there is, between God willing suffering and Him allowing it?

We talked about truth. Who is God? What do we know about Him?
He is good and loving. He is worthy of our praise. God loves us so much, He sent Jesus, who experience separation from God and died for our sins.

God does allow suffering!

Romans 5:3-5

More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

BUT even though we suffer God is faithful.

Romans 8:28

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for God.

I need to remind myself daily that I love and serve a God who does care for me and loved me enough, despite my sin, to send Christ to die for me. I do not have to be separated from God, even when my body physically dies. I can easily get caught in the lie that God is only good when things are going my way. And that's a LIE. God is good all the time, He is faithful and merciful all the time. God works things for good. I see this in my past clearly. I made pour decisions, put my hope in people and dreams other than God, and I suffered the consequences. But looking back I see God's faithfulness. I see where He was chasing after me through scripture, church, family and friends. God was calling me back to Himself. Suffering gives us the opportunity to cling to God in a way we may never have, to trust Him more. Its a challenge, my sin gets in the way. But we serve a God who is greater than my sin, my emotions, my short comings. My heart is thankful this morning for who God is and what that means in my life. hope this is encouraging.

dmj.