Today’s Devotion
Topic: Suffer For Good!
Text: 1 Peter 3:17
For it is better to suffer for doing good, if this should be God’s will, than for doing evil. Amen
The christian walk is not without suffering. We either suffer for good if it is God’s will or for our evil and selfish deeds.
We have often affiliated every misfortune to the devil and bitterly blamed God for allowing it to happen. Suffering for good however is permitted by God because it tests our faith, teaches us total reliance on God, refines our character, makes us responsible believers, produces endurance and patience.
However when an unrepented heart continues to sin, he/she may sooner than later be caught up with the consequence of their action. Should they repent, God will forgive them and cause their suffering to work together for their good. Otherwise, they are plagued by the enemy with terrible misfortunes here on earth and will later be condemned to eternal suffering if they remain unrepented.
The patriarchs of our faith, like our Lord Jesus, Joseph, Job, and the apostles suffered for good so the will of God may be perfected in their lives and generation at large. Having kept the faith and having endured to the end, these fathers reaped eternal benefits and now form a cloud of witnesses cheering us on.
Contrary to that, several others in the bible suffered for the evil they orchestrated for others… Haman, Absalom, Ahab , Judas, Herod. Many of them died unrepented and hence leave the big question on our minds whether their suffering will continue eternally.
Honestly, suffering has never been pleasant. Let us rather suffer for GOOD if it is the will of God. For we know that after we’ve endured for a short while, we will receive folds of blessings for all our loss and a victorious crown. Suffering for evil by the unrepented, on the other hand, only leads to more suffering in hell fire.
Why should we reject grace and continue in sin. Begin to pray now, repent from all evil and ask for grace to endure suffering for good if it is the will of God! We can make it a point to “also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Romans 5:3-4)
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