Question submitted at 11.29 worship gathering.

Craig Sumey's response...

My personal experience with this is that the truly difficult part for me is having the faith in God’s goodness to believe that even suffering has a place in God’s higher purpose.  Once I take that step of faith, God provides the strength that I need to continue to walk in faith.

Believing in God in the midst of struggle and suffering is a conscious choice of abandoning and surrendering the self for the sake of placing my total trust in God’s power.  I have such a need to control, to have all the answers, to understand the “why,” and to grip the steering wheel more tightly when life goes out of control.  But Jesus asked “Why do you worry when God provides for the lilies of the field…and loves you so much more?  Seek first the Kingdom and God’s righteousness and everything you need will be given to you.”

The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, said that among the tangible evidence of God’s presence in our lives through the Spirit is hope, patience, and faithfulness. So, God DOES bless Jesus’ followers with the strength they need to endure and even praise God in the midst of suffering.

Why wouldn’t God equip us to do what he also calls us to do?