When Difficult Times Come (Part 2)

When difficult times come II

Suffering entered the world when sin entered the world.

Genesis 3:16-19 "To the woman He said: "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you." Then to Adam He said, Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it': " Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return."

Romans 5:12 "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned-"Sometimes our suffering is due to our own choices. Sometimes our suffering is due to others choices. Sometimes our suffering is due to the fact that we live in a fallen world. We know Christ suffered yet He did not sin. Hebrews 2:10

We can expect seasons of suffering in our life. Yet, even in the midst or our suffering God is working redemptively. To Redeem: to buy back , to get or win back , to free from what distresses or harms: to free from captivity by payment of ransom , to extricate from or help to overcome something detrimental , to free from the consequences of sin , to change for the better , to offset the bad effect of , to make worthwhileiSuffering has a redemptive purpose.

God is up to something good in the midst of our suffering.

1. God is conforming us to the image of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 8:292. God is sanctifying us - 1 Thessalonians 5:23-243. God is making us dependent upon Him alone -

2 Corinthians 1:9 God works redemptively in the midst of suffering. There is comfort in the knowledge of this truth. Your suffering is not for naught. Can you trust His loving hand? Can you trust that God is redeeming your suffering?

Diane Hunt is the Director of Addiction Recovery Ministries of America's KESWICK