Love Hurts

God loves us oh ever so much more than we can even understand. He loves us so much He even allows us to suffer pain, sickness, trials, and temptations here on this earth! If God didn't love His children, He would let them live perfectly happy lives in sin, here on this earth, and we would never understand the need to turn to Him.

The pain and suffering we face after we turn to our Redeemer are, among other things, part of that refining fire that helps us to become more like Christ Jesus. Read the Psalms, in large part written by King David, called "a man after my own heart" by God! The very words most quoted by Lord Jesus during his earthly ministries. Oh, God knows suffering, and He takes no joy from it; but rather from the results.

Give glory to God and be thankful when times are tough. If you are suffering like Job, (and Job was never given an explanation!) then will you not be rewarded like Job? More importantly, if we suffer like Christ, He says to be glad as He has already defeated the enemy that makes us suffer and our rewards will be that much greater!