most deserving of praise

Today in the One Year Bible, we read from Psalm 48:1-14. In this passage, the Psalmist tells us that God is "most worthy of praise."

And that, in case you wondered, is the meaning of suffering. How is that, you might ask? Well, we find the connection in the story in the New Testament where Jesus's disciples asked Him if the blind man was afflicted because of his own sin, or due to the sin of his parents. Jesus's reply makes the connection we all need to understand: what suffering is for. "Neither this man's sin nor his parents', but that God might be glorified."

God is worthy of all of our praise. When suffering happens in this life, we are given the opportunity to give God glory. As we learned last night, God comforts those who are downcast. He is close to those who suffer. And when we see that - when we really grasp how close He is to us when we suffer - we see that the purpose of suffering is to bring God the glory that He deserves.

So the next time you suffer - or if you're suffering now - give God glory. When we make that connection, our suffering becomes redemptive. It brings us closer to Him. God works it for our good.

God, thank You for using our suffering to bring us closer to You, and give You the glory that you deserve.