Why We Suffer: One Year Bible Reading for June 1

 Today we read these verses in the One Year Bible:

2 Samuel 18:1-19:10
John 20:1-31
Psalm 119:153-176
Proverbs 16:14-15

Let's look at Psalm 119. It's the longest chapter in the entire Bible, and it's the gift that keeps on giving. Today it says, "Look on my suffering and deliver me." And that is a good thing to do when we suffer. Share our suffering with God, and ask Him to fix the problem.

BUT.

We should realize that suffering is a big part of the human condition. Arguably the oldest book in the entire Bible is Job. And Job is ALL ABOUT what it means to suffer and why good people suffer. I'm sure you know of good examples in your life of good people going through terrible things. Just the word Uvalde brings that painfully to mind today.

And in the Old Testament days, there was one level of understanding. God told Job, "Who are you to question Me? Where were you when I created the universe?" In other words, God doesn't owe it to us to make our lives a rose garden. They WILL be difficult at times. But we're also told, at the end of Job, that God restored Job's fortunes. And that was our understanding of pain in the OT - we suffer, but we get rewarded. And that's true.

But in the life of Jesus, we come to a new understanding of suffering. Suffering as redemption. And if you really want a great book on what suffering means and how to deal with it in your life, read Story of a Soul by St. Therese of Lisieux. Here it is for free if you'd like to read it.  She helps you understand that to become a saint, you must suffer. And the more you suffer, the "bigger" saint you'll be. In heaven, we will all be completely full "cups". But some "cups" will be bigger than others. And suffering is the way we get "bigger". 

So if you're suffering today, learn from all of these people. Call out to God and share your pain. Ask Him to take it away. But in the meantime, realize that He doesn't owe you a rose garden. And allow that suffering to shape you into the saint that He wants you to be in heaven.

God, thanks for suffering - and for helping us grow from it.