Strength in Suffering

"Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."~Isaiah 41:10 NLT


Families are very complex mini cultures. No two are alike, and the chemistry between family members isn't always congenial. A friend shares the stress she feels as she continues to try to live her Christian values by example in a family that mocks Christianity and degrades her time and time again. She struggles with the balance of being a disciple and peacemaker, as the pain and depression brought on by the family culture she was born into and dwells within, continues to pierce her heart. It seems the more effort she puts into the relationships within her family, the more broken and oppressed she feels. A grown adult, there are times she comes to me like a helpless child unable to move forward, seeking comfort and unconditional love. 


The stories in the Bible about suffering for our faith are many. Yet, often the stories of suffering lead us directly to God for guidance. Prayers are heard, and  God often sends His children to those suffering so that they may feel His love and comfort through those He dwells within. My friend knows that she can come to me and many other Christian friends in her life that will remind her that woven in this relentless suffering is this unique and mysterious gift of God's love that can sustain those who love Him through any storm. Sometimes it takes someone to listen, someone to share a hug, someone to pray with, or just someone to sit quietly with to get through the worst of the storm. After the storm, there are often difficult times ahead, but feeling God's intense love at these critical moments, that one feels the inability to go on, is their means of survival. 


I don't know why so much suffering exists. The only thing I cling to is understanding the above verse from Isaiah that tells us that God is with us and He will strengthen us. He doesn't just say that He will hold us up, but He says He will hold us up with His victorious hand. Victorious reminds me that after the suffering, there will be victory if our trust is placed in our living and loving God. At those critical moments when my friend feels like she can't go on because the pain is so immense, I'm humbled that God may use me to be the person she reaches out to at that time to help her feel His strength. I've seen her become stronger as the years pass, but on occasion, she shrinks into that little girl so alone and so afraid. She may never be able to entirely escape the suffering, but she trusts that as the storms of suffering arrive she will find her strength in the Lord.


Heavenly Father,


Sometimes as your children, we may feel like outcasts in society and even possibly in our own families. Thank You for the reminder that regardless of how dark the storm, You will provide the strength we need to move forward. Thank You for the people You send into our lives in those critical moments that mirror Your love for us. 
Amen