The Bible is full of a host of wonderful promises for believers in Christ. We are promised great peace and joy if we walk in the will of God. We are promised that God will never leave or forsake us. And we are promised eternal life!
But the Scriptures also promise us trials and afflictions as we journey with Christ. J. C. Ryle states it this way: “If we are true Christians, we must not expect everything smooth in our journey to heaven. We must count it no strange thing, if we have to endure sicknesses, losses, bereavements, and disappointments, just like other people. Free pardon and full forgiveness, grace by the way and glory to the end – all this our Savior has promised to give. But He has never promised that we shall have no afflictions. He loves us too well to promise that.”1
In the book of Hebrews we read this fascinating portion of Scripture that shows us that no matter how faithful we are in serving the Lord life can be so bumpy and uncertain. Let’s look at (Hebrews 11:32-38) below to show you what I mean:
“And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.”
The thing that struck me most about this portion of Scripture, which talks about great men and women of faith, is that we see that some “escaped the edge of the sword,” while others “were killed by the sword.” All were great men and women of faith, yet their outcomes in this life were quite different. While faith in Jesus guarantees us the promise of eternal life it doesn’t guarantee us the promise of a pain-free life here on earth nor even a long life. Many a Christian, down through the centuries, have had their lives cut short for preaching the gospel.
Life is full of twists and turns, ups and downs, pains and sufferings, and yes joy and peace for the child of God. While the world can’t understand how Christians can experience joy while going through affliction, we believers can testify that not only is this possible but it is promised us as we walk in obedience to the commands of the Lord. I love what the psalmist said: “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.” (Psalm 119:71). I agree with Charles Spurgeon when he said: “Most of the grand truths of God have to be learned by trouble; they must be burned into us with the hot iron of affliction, otherwise we shall not truly receive them.”2 To this thought, again, J. C. Ryle adds: “By affliction He teaches us many precious lessons, which without it we should never learn. By affliction He shows us our emptiness and weakness, draws us to the throne of grace, purifies our affections, weans us from the world, makes us long for heaven.”3
So, what can we conclude from all of this about the promises of God? Simply this: On this bumpy road called life, God’s promises may also seem bumpy, but in reality even His promises of affliction and suffering are for our benefit and His glory. Jerry Bridges summed it up well: “God never allows pain without a purpose in the lives of His children. He never allows Satan, nor circumstances, nor any ill-intending person to afflict us unless He uses that affliction for our good. God never wastes pain. He always causes it to work together for our ultimate good, the good of conforming us more to the likeness of His Son (see Romans 8:28-29).”4
1 https://libquotes.com/j-c-ryle/quote/lbw4p7k
2 The Spurgeon Library | Salvation of the Lord
3 The J.C. Ryle Archive : Embracing Our Afflictions by J.C. Ryle
4 Jerry Bridges Quote – 5 Faces of Christian Pain | ChristianQuotes.info
Our devotional says this:
“On this bumpy road called life, God’s promises may also seem bumpy, but in reality even His promises of affliction and suffering are for our benefit and His glory.”
A quote that puts this into perspective:
“You feel like quitting, like giving up. You can’t understand why the road doesn’t get easier, why God doesn’t remove the stones and straighten the path. If God did that, you might never get to the top, because the bumps are what you can climb on.”
Excellent