10 things we should know about suffering 

              By Dave Furman, a pastor in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

1  Suffering is a result of the fall

     Just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, so death spread to all men because all sinned. - Romans 5:12

2  God uses suffering for good

     ...for those who love God all things work together for good. - Romans 8:28. God never tells us our pain is good, but He uses pain to work for our good in His mysterious way. God is in control. We need to see that our circumstances are taking us right to God.

3  We can't see what God is doing in our pain 

     Augustine wrote, "If you understand, it is not God you understand." Who can give Him counsel or criticize God's handiwork? We can trust that God is always doing more than we can fathom. 

4  God uses suffering to mature us in Christ 

     Count it all joy ... when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. - James 1:2-4  Trials can be counted as joy because God is persevering our faith.

5  Persevering through suffering allows us to comfort others

     Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ ... who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in affliction... - 2 Corinthians 1:3-4. 

~ points 6-10 tomorrow ~