The Joy of Suffering

God, our refuge and strength in trouble

Today we pray for the people of Ukraine,

And for those of Russia too.

For those who awoke to great fear,

For those fleeing their homes,

For all facing danger.

Help them to feel the comfort of your presence, Change angry hearts and minds,

Drive out hatred with your love,

And war with your perfect peace,

For we ask it in the name of the One who is our Peace Jesus our Lord.

Amen

Such a statement as “the Joy of Suffering” would almost seem to be counter intuitive. How on earth can suffering bring joy. Paul writing to the Church in Rome said, ”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.” Romans 5:3-5

Perhaps St. John of the Cross was right: "it is quite impossible to reach the thicket of the riches and wisdom of God except by first entering the thicket of much suffering, in such a way that the soul finds there its consolation and desire. The soul that longs for divine wisdom chooses first, and in truth, to enter the thicket of the cross. "

A man found a cocoon of the emperor moth and took it home to watch it emerge. One day a small opening appeared, and for several hours the moth struggled but couldn't seem to force its body past a certain point.

Deciding something was wrong, the man took scissors and snipped the remaining bit of cocoon. The moth emerged easily, its body large and swollen, the wings small and shrivelled.

He expected that in a few hours the wings would spread out in their natural beauty, but they did not. Instead of developing into a creature free to fly, the moth spent its life dragging around a swollen body and shrivelled wings.

The constricting cocoon and the struggle necessary to pass through the tiny opening are God's way of forcing fluid from the body into the wings. The "merciful" snip was, in reality, cruel. Sometimes the struggle is exactly what we need.

Romanian pastor Richard Wurmbrand spent 14 years in prison for preaching the gospel. Although his captors smashed four of his vertebrae and either cut or burned 18 holes in his body, they could not defeat him. He testified, “Alone in my cell, cold, hungry, and in rags, I danced for joy every night.” During this time he turned to a fellow prisoner, a man he had led to the Lord before they were arrested, and asked, “Have you any resentment against me that I brought you to Christ?” His response: “I have no words to express my thankfulness that you brought me to the wonderful Saviour. I would never have it another way.” These two men exemplify the supernatural joy that can be experienced by believers who live on the edge.

A Prayer

O Jesus,
Please be in the hearts and lives of all those who are suffering.

Bring healing to those who are enduring pain.
Bring value to those who are disregarded.
Bring joy to those in great sorrow.
Bring hope to those that have nothing to live for.
Bring provision to those who are hungry.
Bring shelter to those without a home.
Bring community to those who are lonely.

Please use and prompt me to be your hands of love across a hurting world.

Amen.