"Suffering"

Nobody wants to suffer,

But somehow we all do,

It’s all a part of living,

Hard times that we go through.

I’ve seen lots of calamity,

Cattle sick and dead,

Drouth and rough old weather,

Getting bucked off on your head.

People who just can’t get well,

And some who don’t want to,

Not careful they will get you down,

Steal your joy, it’s true.

And we all know somebody,

Who went sour on it all,

Weaned on a dill pickle,

And grumpy when they call.

But I don’t want to be like that,

Though at times I whine,

Then I try to rein it in,

‘Cause every single time,

It seems there’s one who has it worse,

And ‘course one doing fine,

I try to pray and praise the Lord,

And wait and bide my time,

‘Cause it’s bound to get better,

Won’t always feel this way,

And since we walk by faith in Him,

We know we’ll be okay.

No, we’re not in heaven yet,

But someday we will be,

The curse and everything it brought,

Will be gone eternally.

“For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” (2 Corinthians 4:17, NLT)

Paul had the right perspective on suffering, and when it comes to real trouble, perspective is everything. The weight of tragedy can crush us, making us feel as though we can never overcome it. But this is simply not true. Paul says God’s glory outweighs it. Only those who have laid claim to grace in the face of unspeakable heartbreak and pain understand this. But those who do are changed. They typically are sweeter and complain less. They have learned to lean into the presence of the Lord and find there the comfort and peace He gives. Suffering is temporary and they know it. God’s plan is eternal.

Lord, help us to overcome our present troubles, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Clark Kelley Price, clarkkelleyprice.com, used by permission. Thanks, Clark, and God bless you.