What Do I Know of Holy? {Suffering}

Hello again! I am thrilled to be back and am thankful that you decided to join us today. For those of you who are new, my name is Erin and you can "usually" find me blogging over at Worthy of the Prize.

I encourage you to grab a cup of coffee, pull up a seat, invite a friend and just "be still" for a few moments, allowing God to speak to you.

If you missed last week, go here to find out why we are calling our time together on Wednesday mornings {What Do I Know of Holy?}.

Now. I know that the topic of {suffering} seems a little heavy since we are just getting to know one another, however I simply cannot get it out of my mind these days. Why does our loving God allow us to suffer so?!

Because quite frankly. IT STINKS. to put it lightly.

Obviously, {suffering} has been around since Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, but it seems to be so prevalent in our world these days. From tornados and wildfires to death and disease, the past several months alone have been overwhelming. Not to mention the 10 year anniversary of 9/11, on which I shared my thoughts here.

Why God, why?! {as Joey likes to say, any "Friends" lovers out there or am I the only addict here?}

I am not even going to pretend that I come close to having all {or any} of the answers, but I do know what the bible has to say and here are a few of my favorite passages of scripture related to {suffering}:

And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; peserverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. {Romans 5:2-5}

Suffering makes us more like Christ. The more we become like Christ, the more we will suffer in this world.

Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. {Romans 8:17}

Suffering gives way to glory and prepares us for heaven.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. {2 Corinthians 4:16-18}

In the meantime, may our souls find rest in God alone.
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A few months ago, I asked my friend Mary Jo of 517 Creations to design this {Blessings} print and I want to share it with you today.

{click image to download/print}

The words are taken from Laura Story's incredible song Blessings. You really need to listen to this song if you have not already heard it. It is so powerful, and her perspective on {suffering} is amazing. It really makes you think.

Seriously, listen to it. And feel free to download the {free printable} to display in your home or on your computer. Please share it, tweet it, pin it, blog about it, etc. The words of this song/print have touched many lives and we have had the privilege of hearing some of these stories already.

By the way, you will begin to notice that I use music {alot} in my devotions. For some reason, God has always used music to speak to me and to draw me close to him. Maybe it is the "artist" in me. Can anyone relate? Must be why I married a Worship Pastor! ;)

Seriously though, what are you struggling with these days? How can we pray for you?

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. {Romans 15:13}

Sidenote: We have 790 fans on the Worthy of the Prize FB page! At 1000 fans, there will be a BIG giveaway including {but not limited to} Baby Be Blessed, Cap Creations and Pitter Patter Art. Plus, there will be a prize for the 1000th fan and the person who shared us with them. Please "like" our page to help our ministry grow!

Happy Wednesday, friends!


Linking Up With {Encouraging Words Wednesday}