Suffering and Circumstances

Job and Jonah

 

The two books of Job and Jonah give an overall umbrella-like perspective to suffering and circumstances. The battle between our will and Satan’s will, God's will and the outcomes derived by each. There is a measure of faith given to each individual by God's grace. How we are deprived of His grace by sin and how we directly recognize suffering is a pretext to learning one of the secrets of life which is dying to self and contentment in Christ.

Paul

 

Paul the apostle understood this contentment in Christ Jesus as a source of strength. Paul gave up everything knowing that God was able to save him. Whether alive or dead he lived the same way. In other words whether God took him home or left him on the earth. Paul said to the Romans:

 

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
-Romans 8:28

 

Jesus

 

Jesus came as the suffering servant even to die on the cross for our sins. We should look to Jesus when we suffer and be thankful that we can suffer along with Him for the sake of righteousness.