Reflections on Suffering

So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen. (1 Peter 5:6-11 NLT) I have been reminded lately the God who is present in our great joy and hopeful days is also present in our darker, painful days. It may seem at times that God is absent, but remember that the absence of God as Jesus cried out "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me, was necessary for the rejoicing of Resurrection Sunday to have any meaning for this life and the next. As Christians we are called to share in the suffering of Christ as well as his glory. This is not easy in the moment, in fact most of the time the natural reaction is to slip into despair and questioning. Perhaps that's where God wants us at times so that we can better see our need for him.