Enduring

For I reckon that the sufferings
of this present time are not worthy
to be compared with the glory which
shall be revealed in us.
Romans 8:18

Yesterday I was talking with another inmate who's a Christian, too. I told him that in spite of the difficulties we may face in life, even if such difficulties are self-inflicted, that if we trust in the Lord, He will see us through...

I then suggested, in order to encourage him, that we read Romans 8:18 together. It's one of my own most often referred to verses in the Bible. I guess this is because in my lifetime I've had to endure a lot of suffering, myself.

Yet God assures His children that whatever hardships we encounter at any give time, if we keep our faith in Him, these things will become blessings instead of nothing more than painful experiences, which is the way most people unfortunately view them. For it is in our seasons of suffering where we will find the grace to endure. And we'll also find ourselves drawing closer to Christ, while becoming more intimate with Him, as well. After all, the Scriptures tell us that the Lord Jesus became the "captain" of our salvation by the things He suffered while on earth (Hebrews 2:10).

Therefore, as the disciples of Christ, we can, in the process of time, learn how to face our trials with joy rather than despair. But we must keep our hope in the Lord and not give up.

Best of all, I believe that our present sufferings, whatever they may be and however unpleasant they seem, will help us to better appreciate heaven. For in heaven there will be no more sorrow, grief or disappointment, nor sufferings of any kind. For the glory of the Lord will outmatch these things. While being in the actual presence of our Savior will cause us to forget all the pain we experienced while on earth.
Hallelujah!

D.B.