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Suffering Well: Remember the Gospel

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God Is Not A Stranger to Suffering

Where is the place where suffering, pain, sin, misery, and death all meet in one —and yet, this place is the center of God’s compassion, mercy, love, and goodness? The cross of Christ.

In suffering, we tend to wonder what God is doing or isn’t doing. Instead, we must remember what God has already done in Christ on the cross for sinners!

Jesus suffered an eternal wrath of God for undeserving sinners (Romans 5:8-10).

John Stott, “The real sting of suffering is … the apparent God-forsakenness of it … We think of Him as an armchair spectator, almost gloating over the world’s suffering, and enjoying His own insulation from it. It is this terrible caricature of God that the cross smashes to smithereens.

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God did not spare his own Son in order that we might receive the fullness of his love.

The Center of the Cross

The goodness, sovereignty, holiness, grace and love of God are all together at the cross where the most evil and sinful act took place in the murder of the Son of God.

How then should we count our crosses and losses in life? As God’s jewel of grace to increase our joy.

The cross is our ballast of assurance, it is the place where love was forever prove.

2 Corinthians 1:5, ESV, says, “For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.”

The fullness of the gospel includes all past, present, and future. We share in Christ’s sufferings and we shall share in his comfort, too. Christ is with us in suffering.

He will bring us to glory. He will complete his purpose. He will not smother our faith, but fan the flame to rise in love for him. And heaven will make amends for all.

When God bruises us we must see His appointing hand, sustaining grace, suffering Son, and His eternal glory.

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It's Time for Thinksgiving

William Cowper wrote in God Moves in a Mysterious Way:

You fearful saints, fresh courage take; the clouds you so much dread

Are big with mercy and shall break, In blessings on your head.

His purposes will ripen fast, unfolding ev’ry hour.

The bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flow’r.

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Cale is the pastor of Union Baptist Church in Orrick, MO. He is married to his wife Kelly and they have two children (third on the way!). Cale will be graduating with a Masters degree from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary this Fall and Spring 2023.
Cale is the pastor of Union Baptist Church in Orrick, MO. He is married to his wife Kelly and they have two children (third on the way!). Cale will be graduating with a Masters degree from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary this Fall and Spring 2023.




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