Truth Matters-41

On today's Truth Matters, Dr. Cheryl Davis suggests that your present suffering may not be God's way of punishing you, but his way of saving you.

Hello, I'm Dr. Cheryl Davis. On my last broadcast on suffering, I spoke with you about the origin of suffering and how the sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve, brought suffering into the world. I further spoke with you about the consequences of sin and the high cost it has been for each of us and for our nation. Suffering is something that God never meant for us to face, but through our own disobedience of God and his Word, we suffer as a result. Today, I would like to continue to share the high cost that our nation faces annually to help prevent and relieve suffering.

The point of this is not to give you a financial report, but simply to point out the high cost we face when we disobey God and the consequences we must pay for our actions. Our current social support systems like DSS, housing and urban development, social work, therapy and psychiatry are all created around human suffering, trying to minimize the effects of suffering that occurs in human lives. Finally, our police and justice system have been charged to prevent suffering by enacting laws and to bring justice when suffering is committed and restitution to the victims of suffering. Suffering can occur in the physical, mental and emotional spaces. None of us are immune to suffering. Suffering can occur for any reason and for no reason. Suffering can occur because of our own poor decisions or to no fault of our own. Because we live in a fallen world, evil is the only force that needs no motion or energy input to continue. All evil needs is a starting point.

That starting point was the devil's pride when he wanted to be equal to God and fell from heaven. Today I want to talk to you about your suffering in particular. God knows about your suffering. God has seen your suffering. He is walking with you through your suffering. Some of you feel that you are all alone in all of this. I would go so far as to say that some of you are angry with God because of your suffering. Some of you are walking through your suffering and at times looking for the exit door out of your suffering, even if it means walking away from God or your own death.

Some of you are thinking in your mind that heaven must be better than this. God knows all that. He knows all our thoughts.

He knows all our feelings and still is closest to you now than he has ever been in your life. What you don't know is that this can be one of the most fruitful times of your life. As I said before, suffering can occur for any reason and for no reason. What if I told you that it may be the will of God for you to suffer? 1 Peter 3 verse 17 says, I am not saying that all of you who are suffering are suffering because of the will of God. Some suffering comes as a consequence of our own disobedience.

But what I am saying is this. Some of you are suffering or have suffered a reproach because of Christ and his righteousness and it is undeserved and no fault of your own. In 1 Timothy chapter 4 verse 10, we both labor and suffer reproach because we trust in a living God. Job is a prime example of a man who suffered massive and severe loss because God told Satan in Job chapter 1 verse 8, Have you considered my servant Job?

There is none like him in the land, for he is a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil. I don't know what in the description of being a one-of-a-kind, blameless and upright man made him deserve to lose all his children and material possessions. Job experienced God-appointed suffering.

Job experienced a real devil. Job was chosen and tested by God. Some of you have been chosen to be tested by God. Some of you are experiencing God-appointed suffering. Though you may not know it, God has found you worthy. God-appointed suffering can come in many forms. Some of you have experienced barrenness or are experiencing barrenness, marriage difficulty, financial difficulty, spiritual warfare in your family, wayward children, persecution at work, and rejection from those that you thought loved you.

I am here as a living witness who has walked through fire from my own personal indiscretions and came close to drowning in my own sins to tell you that God may be allowing the reproach, the rebuke you are currently facing or the obstacles and trials confronting you, not to harm you but to save you. Thanks for joining us for Truth Matters with Dr. Cheryl Davis. If you're struggling because of hurt in your life, Dr. Davis would like to help you. You can reach her by email at CherylDavis at ProjectTruthMatters.com or connect with her on Facebook at Truth Matters with Dr. Cheryl Davis. Truth Matters is a production of The Truth Project.