Christian, are you suffering?

"I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me. Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant." Psalm 119:75-76

Christian, are you suffering? Are you facing hardships and difficulties in your life? Do you know pain and heartache all too well?

As Christians, we learn from God's Word that His judgments are always right -- God makes no mistakes in His dealings with us. When He afflicts us and chastens us, He is being faithful to us, as a loving Father.

You need not feel that God has forgotten about you, or that you are suffering wrongfully. God has a purpose and a plan, and He is working for your good (cf. Rom. 8:28; Heb. 12:3-11). Peter writes: "Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator" (1 Pet. 4:19).

In our suffering, we can also find comfort! That comfort lies in the "merciful kindness" of our God. Even in our suffering, God has not dealt with us as we deserve. As the Scripture says, "He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us" (Psalm 103:10-12; cf. Lam. 3:21-23).

Instead of punishing us for our sins, God laid them upon His own Son, Jesus Christ, and punished Him in our stead. Our sins were punished upon Jesus' cross, and Jesus' resurrection on the third day proves that God's just wrath against our sins was satisfied (cf. Rom. 4:25).

So, dear Christian, believe and take comfort! God is being merciful and kind to you even in your suffering!

O faithful and merciful Father, comfort us in our affliction with the knowledge that You are doing what is good and right for us; and grant us the assurance promised us in Your Word that we have forgiveness and life through faith in Thy dear Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ. In His name we pray. Amen.

[Devotion by Randy Moll. Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]