Suffering in Faith

Once upon a time, I got a terrible headache. I tried the faith way until I could no longer take it. I opted for panadol extra: a pain killer. I took the entire dosage and after a day, the pain returned. I was very frustrated.

I returned to the faith path: laying hands on my head and commanding the pain out. I spoke and spoke until it was established. My head would throb incessantly at some point, but I remembered that the medicine had already failed me.

Regardless, soon I had a breakthrough! I was healed, but I had to persevere a little suffering as you’ve seen.

Another time, I was at a low financially. I had a list of course; of names I knew could bail me out. I wanted to borrow! But O what sorrow! When the people you believed would never be financially low respond with, “I can’t help you out this time.”

Most of these in fact voiced their state after I heard — clearly — the Holy Spirit’s voice re-echo a command of yore, that says I’d lend to MANY nations and not borrow! (Deut 28:12)

Trust me, however badly off you might be, when such a reminder comes in your head, there are things you can’t go ahead to do.

So, I sat still and waited for God to bail me out, since like in the first case, my plan B had failed. Of course there’s a form of suffering that comes with this. You have to detain yourself from explaining your situation to potential bailers, and yes you have to act like everything is okay! Yes you might be dying inside — and I know this might offend many — but only faith pleases God.

His word is the standard, and it shouldn’t just be a reminder to tell us when not to borrow. It must become LAW. If it says ‘…and thou shall not borrow’, thou shall not! I shall not! Why? Because His law has positioned me to be on the superior side: the lender’s.

This is the same suffering that the woman who bled for twelve years went through. She could have as well remained home that day and prevented her uncleanliness from smearing itself off everyone. But she must have heard of Jesus before, and so with her stench, she bore that she’d inconvenience some people, with the bigger picture in mind.

I believe some discovered her and spat perhaps, as though they had seen a leper. Maybe she ran away from that side of the crowd and joined another, aiming for Jesus. Perhaps the pharisees had been called, and were coming with ‘security’ to drag her away … and when they marked her out, there she was: with Jesus! CLEAN! WHOLE! HEALED.

Perhaps you are being tempted to compromise on your integrity. Perhaps you feel like a loser at academics. And then you are caught in between believing that you’re a head and not the tail — above only and not beneath — or giving in! You see you’ll be considered a fool calling yourself a head, and yet you are scoring F’s. You’ll be called names when you don’t participate in that scandal at work. But that’s faith! It comes with that subtle suffering! And even the savior Himself went through it.

On His venture to fast in the wilderness, deep in between, the enemy tempted Him to turn stone to bread. Well, I believe Jesus would, but He had to suffer by chaining away the ability of turning the stones to cake, which same ability turned water to wine. It’s madness I tell you. Sometimes you’ll have that ability too. It might not be literal, but figurative. You’d have pains as well, and all your body is saying is to go for a check up or buy that expensive medicine. Like Jesus, you might have to suppress that option and apply what God says. For I experienced that option too, and it still failed!

The Bible says you’ll decree a thing and it shall be established. But will you hold fast the confession of your faith when what you decree is not manifesting? Will you continue to walk by faith and not by sight when you say, ‘let there be light’ and darkness continues to stare at you! Will you keep giving when it doesn’t seem to be returning in good measure? Will you keep tithing when you don’t see any window of heaven being opened to you?

It all may seem like a heavy affliction, for a moment, but, Habakkuk 3:17-18 provides consolation, for those who want to throw in the towel:

Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls— Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

Clearly, the writer is experiencing this suffering too. His business isn’t bringing in enough returns, and yet He still claims that kings come to his rising. His trees are fruitless yet He read somewhere that all He’d do would prosper! His cattle aren’t multiplying yet God said blessing He’d bless him.

However, He says, “YET I… I will rejoice in the Lord!”

Many of us rejoice in other ways. Some leave the faith claiming it has failed. Others give in and trust in their money or those that can bail them out. But the solution given here has boundaries. The writer rejoiced in the Lord and not anything else. Rejoicing is remembering what He did in the past and telling yourself off, “He’ll do this too!”

It is remembering that God’s hobby is sea splitting and telling yourself, “How can He not clear this rent! If He didn’t spare His very own son, how much more won’t He freely with Him give me all these things!”

I asked God why it was joy that the writer found as solution. He reminded me what Isaiah said. “With joy you’ll draw from the wells of salvation.” (12:3)

Joy is the authorized pail to get the water out of the well. This well contains patience; patience to help you wait on the promise like Abraham. To keep you sane as the seed transforms into a seedling. The promise is to come, perhaps its appointed time hasn’t come yet (Hab 2:2-3). You’d be growing impatient at 5 months, yet your baby is MEANT to arrive 4 months later!

In your faith journey, suffering will be inevitable. But joy will be that soothing agent to keep you going as you wait for your breakthrough. Joy has to remind you that God isn’t a man to lie; thus all that you’re believing for is bound to come to pass. All that He promised you will manifest!

Joy coupled with knowledge will do you good, for if you know that His promises are yea and amen, then there isn’t need to sulk. Hang in there! Your fellow believers all over the world suffer in faith too. (1 Pet 5:9) They all go through it just like every living thing breathes oxygen.

You’re not the first, neither shall you be the last to suffer. A far much exceeding glory awaits you at the end of that trial & longsuffering. For you might be hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; you might be perplexed, but not in despair; you might be persecuted, but not forsaken; you might be struck down, but you will not be destroyed!

This is all to sharpen your character and person. Only be of good cheer, for Jesus already overcame on your behalf.

It shall be well with you. You will be happy and you’ll eat of the fruit of your labor (suffering [patience in the testing, grit]). God won’t give you more than you can bear.

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Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we SUFFER with [Him,] that we may also be glorified together.