Established Through Suffering

We need to stand firm and rest in our relationship with Him, and with each other, through prayer, study of His word and meeting together

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One of my daily readings, last week, was from Charles Spurgeon’s “Morning and Evening” based on 1 Peter 5 :10-11

…..And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen

This resonated with my spirit, and I believe has something to say to us, His church, as we approach ever stormier waters.

Spurgeon starts his commentary by asking readers to consider the rainbow; a thing of beauty arching over the world, a reminder of God’s promise in 

Genesis 9:13-16 “I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

He, Spurgeon, points out that the rainbow, in the natural, is simply the interaction of sunlight on water droplets and is transient and soon disappears. It disappears because it is not “established” or firmly rooted. It cannot possibly “abide” to use his phrase.

He compares the transitory nature of the rainbow, however beautiful, to the graces of the Christian character which must be by contrast, Established, Settled, and Abiding. He urges us as believers to ensure that every good thing we receive from the Lord should be an abiding blessing and our identity in Christ should be “inscribed upon the rock, not written in the sand.”

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His prayer, as ours should be, is that our faith may be no “baseless fabric of a vision,” but built of material that will withstand the fire which will consume the wood, hay and stubble quoted in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15

He further urges us to pray that:
We may be rooted and grounded in love.
Our convictions are deep.
Our love is real.
Our desires earnest.

We should seek that our whole life should be so settled and established in the spirit that “all the blasts of hell, and the storms of the earth” shall never be able to uproot us.

Having considered that “what” and the “why” of being established Spurgeon now turns to the “how” and this is where it gets a little uncomfortable.

He reminds us that Peter’s words clearly point to “suffering” as the means of being “established.”

He argues that it is no use hoping that we shall be well rooted if we are not tested by the rough winds of circumstance. He asks us to consider the oak, with its gnarly old roots and twisted branches, an indication of the many storms it has endured and of how deep the roots have gone to ensure survival. Thus we, as Christians are made strong by all the trials and storms of life.

He closes by urging us not to shrink from the trials we face but to take comfort from the fact that by rough discipline God is preparing us for a mighty blessing.

As we look at the world around us and study the news, it is no wonder that many in the world and even in the church see no hope and are seeking any means to “fix” things.

We know, through God’s word, that He is still in control and that His purposes for His people are for their good. 

We need to stand firm and rest in our relationship with Him, and with each other, through prayer, study of His word and meeting together. In doing so we will be better able to care for those around us as things deteriorate, as they surely will, bringing glory to God.

Have a blessed week and let’s be Overcomers, firmly rooted in the Lord.

Author: Alan Cameron

May God bless and enrich your life

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