Enough Grace in the Time of Tribulation

Romans 5:3-5 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Believers of Christ will also experience suffering. One of the privileges of true believers is glory in the sufferings. Do you have the time when you feel you are so hard to the point you have no hope and strength at all?

Actually we may have times of very difficult times though we have accepted Jesus as believers.

For those who follow Christ and run for the kingdom of God, the truth is we may experience sufferings and difficulties of various kinds.

Apostle Paul, as a servant of Christ, wrote his hard times in 2 Corinthians 11.

“I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. ”

I wonder how many people may have richer experiences of sufferings than Paul.

I think we believers all have our own stories of painful memories or the experience of going through the cross. One of the interesting things I am looking forward to do after going to heaven is listening to the stories of many martyrs and those ancestors who walk this path of faith in front of us.

There will be times we struggle with our faith. We taste the pain like the cross. We cannot see the hope for the future.

Paul describes his situation as “under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure”, “despair of life itself”, “receive the sentence of death”.His explains the reason for it is “this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.”

If we look at ourselves, we may feel we have no way out. We are like totally dead. Even when Jesus was on the cross, he couldn’t feel the presence of God and he cried out ‘why do you forsake me”.

In Philippians 3, Paul confessed “I want to know Christ-yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.”

Few days ago, I endured a suffering like the cross which I ran out of all my strength, capability and faith. When we suffered, we may be self-centered. And that’s what the enemy wants. We will be arrogant and lift up ourselves. We may become like this because we run out of love. But from my personal experiences of numerous cross and resurrection, God is alive. The Holy Spirit is with us. No matter what kind of situation you are in, no matter how deep the valley seems to be, no matter how much pain you are enduring yourself, God knows it all.

Jesus promised to Paul “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

He promised to Paul and he promised to all of us today when we follow him. We will taste his grace and his power of resurrection. We realize it is totally not by our own strength, but it is always him standing beside us, praying for us and caring for us. The Holy Spirit poured out his love to us to let us know that he loves us and he cares for us.

I couldn’t pray because of my suffering for about one or two week. After I recover some strength, I could pray again and I found my soul is missing him and longing for him. The voice of my soul is that I love you and I missed the time I was together with you. He is our best friend and he embraces our pain and suffering. He bears those things with us. I found myself couldn’t help but cry with tears with the most incredible grace he poured out during my suffering time. I believe he knows what you need spiritually. It is a feeling hard to express in specific words. It is comfort by the Holy Spirit. It tastes like honey and will be the most beautiful memory between you and him. You will realize again and again that nothing can separate his love for you. Death has been defeated. He resurrects to love you. And you can resurrect by the defeating death love of him.