Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I am Won KIM, voicing Pastor Caleb Soo Lee Chong. Shalom. Today, we’ll carry on with Lesson 16, the final segment in the Sufferings View.

Earlier on, we covered various possible origins where our sufferings may have come from, such as our own sins, desires, attacks from other people, frame-ups concocted by Evil and Satan, tests planned by God to temper us as well as other unknown mysteries. In the case of Job, it was an attack from Satan, but he faced such sufferings with a totally open heart.

How Job struggled through his sufferings

However, we would not be true to ourselves if we were to say that Job did not go into a state of disappointment, anguish and even despair as he lost his children, livestock, servants and wealth through natural and man-made calamities all within a single day. The fact, however, was that he went through struggles during every stage before he found total healing.  We see, therefore, that having the correct view of suffering would not suffice to help us deal with tragedies when such befall us; but we need God to steady our walk along the way.

Job began by cursing the day of his birth in chapter 3 verse 2 of the book of Job, saying, “May the day of my birth perish.” In doing so, he was indirectly blaming God. He also tried to rationalize and seek answers by asking why he had to go through these miseries. In chapter 21 verses 7 and then in 20, he asked: why do I have to suffer? I am clean in heart and hand, and do not turn even my head to look at beautiful girls walking past me. Why do I need to suffer?

By and by, in chapters 38-42, Job began to experience sudden epiphanies and gain acceptance in faith as God showed Himself to him. God asked Job dozens of questions that he had no answers to. He was floored by the wonders of God and admitted that the issue of sufferings is beyond his own wisdom and limits.

Take a good look at Job chapter 38 for yourself, and you will see the long list of questions posed by God: who sets the limits of the seas? Who sets the constellations in place across the skies? Who created the universe and everything in it? As Job could not give answers to these questions and more, he began to accept what God said through faith. He then shifted his attention to his friends and prayed for them. He began to show concern over others and discontinued drowning himself in self-pity. In other words, he began to overcome and move out of his own sufferings. He no longer indulged in self-grief or self-pity and began to bless others and pray for his friends instead in Job chapter 42 verse 10.

Today, many people find themselves trapped in deep suffering as they come face to face with seemingly intractable problems. They focus on their own sufferings to no end. By doing that, they are heaping more and more sufferings upon themselves! It is as though you were still crying in the middle of the night, and, seeing the rain outside your window as you lift up your eyes, you begin to whine, “Look, even the heavens are shedding tears for me!” You then looked at the mirror again, and feel that you are the most miserable creature in the whole, wide world. You feel condemned to the centre of the most bitter place ever!

However, when we tear ourselves from these sufferings and see the sufferings of needy people all around, look up to God and fix our eyes upon Him, you would begin to change all of a sudden. You would become a different person. As Job chapter 42 verse 10 says, the Lord has restored his fortunes, renewed his spirit completely, and he is now on a firm footing in wealth. And mind you, not just wealth; his health is now restored too. Or as the bible said, “the Lord … gave him twice as much as he had before.”

May God not let such sufferings overwhelm us. Keep these words deep inside your heart: you do not have the right to feel dismayed, much less throw in your towel. We are to take a leaf from the book of Job, how he went ahead in courage and leaned on God to fight the good fight. What’s more, we are cheered on by Paul in his epistles on the benefits that await us through these sufferings.

Blessed through sufferings

So, what benefits were Paul talking about here?

First, our benefits from these sufferings are spelled out in the books of 2 Corinthians chapter 1 verses 4-6，2 Corinthians chapter 12 verse 7, and Romans chapter 5 verses 3-5.

First, here is 2 Corinthians chapter 1 verses 4-6 (NIV)

“4 (God) who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.”

Next, 2 Corinthians chapter 12 verse 7 (NIV)

“7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.”

Finally, Romans chapter 5 verses 3-5

“3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

In the case of Paul, God comforted him after he went through much suffering. Many people out there have never experienced God before, as they have never believed in Him. These people did not rely on God because the going had been too good all along -- a smooth and upward journey with one promotion coming in quick succession after the last. Why does he need to look up to God? On the other hand, someone trapped in deep suffering will have to rely on God, and in doing so, will receive comfort from God Himself.  Paul knows that our God is not a concept, indeed even goes beyond being a sacred Name, but a Person who is true and living, full of love and able to understand us. Paul is aware of this, because he had personal experience in all of these, as well as in God Himself.

On the other hand, sufferings have helped to keep one from becoming conceited, as we saw in 2 Corinthians chapter 12 verse 7. After suffering through failures, we start to become cognizant of our own limitations and weaknesses. Many of us think of themselves as invincible beings, like supermen and superwomen. But the day will arrive when they have to face an insurmountable calamity. This is when he realizes that the situation is totally out of his control and starts to learn to eat humble pie. Suffering is a great teacher in our lives!

In addition, referencing back to Romans chapter 5 verses 3-5, “…we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame... All of us are familiar with the crushing process that olives have to go through before its precious oil can be extracted. Similarly, grapes have to go through a winepress before being put through the fermentation stage to be turned into wine. Aren’t our lives similarly mirrored here? May God help us and bless us as we go through similar pressures and requisite processes to receive His blessings!

Secondly, benefits to others from these sufferings.  As 2 Corinthians chapter 1 verses 4-6 showed earlier on, those who have been comforted in all their troubles can now comfort those in any trouble with the comfort they received from God, and do so with greater empathy, too.

My mind flashes back to a colleague who had gone through cancer. One day while speaking with a cancer patient, he uttered these words: “I had been through cancer like you. So, I can empathize with what you are going through now.” The patient sat up at once. Why? Because standing right in front of him is this man who had been there too! Of course, he would understand my situation perfectly!

Someone who had just been jilted is more suited to console another who finds himself in the same straits. His words carry greater weight than another who has never gone through a similar trauma.  For example, a pastor who has never had such experience would find it rather difficult to relate to the young man when he attempts to help him for similar reasons. Thus, one should not feel distressed if he, too, is going through a failed romance now.  Feel no distress, for this is a blessing from God: he wants you to comfort your fellowmen! Dear brothers and sisters, let us learn to lean on God, no matter how hopeless the current situation appears to be. Do not feel that you have lost everything, because you still have God.

Thirdly, the church may be blessed even as you and others are blessed. See the book of 2 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 11, “as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favour granted us in answer to the prayers of many.”

Dear brothers and sisters, inasmuch as suffering has brought the church together, it has spurred you to do your best to pray as a single entity, praying for others, for oneself, and for everyone. Isn’t this a blessing to the church as well?

What motivates Paul in his sufferings

We will now explore what motivated Paul as he faced the endless sufferings right before him.

Here are some verses from the book of 2 Corinthians.

First, chapter 1 verse 5, “For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.”

Next, chapter 12 verse 8, Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Next, chapter 4 verse 17, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”

Dear brothers and sisters. Some of us tend to simplify the reason and attribute to Paul’s positive thinking and a healthy state of mind the reasons why he could face sufferings with such joy. The true motivation behind him is underwritten by his experience of God’s comfort and power. God held him up with His Grace, and assured him saying, “My grace is sufficient for you...” Thus, he would continuously turn to these springs of grace, a free flow of strength emanating from God Himself.

（2 Cor 1:5，12:8-10）

At the same time, he says in chapter 4 verse 17: “… our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” Dear brothers and sisters, we have glory in the future; when we can see this glory, everything in this world would count as nothing!

What Moses experienced

Likewise, according to the book of Acts chapter 7 verse 23, Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action during the 40 years when he was in Egypt. Do you think that Moses would be a useful vessel for God at this stage? Why did he need to undergo further chastening for the next 40 years in the wilderness? The wisdom and knowledge that he had gained in Egypt as well as in the palaces were obviously inadequate, because all of those made him hot-blooded, and believe that “I am something.” He used what he possessed to ride roughshod on others. As such, there was no way that God could put him to good use. We saw how he had to go into the wilderness and tend to the sheep, and spend another 40 solitary years in the wilderness.   

One day, the angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in flames of fire from within a bush that did not burn up and sent him to Pharaoh to save the Israelites from the hands of the Egyptians. At this juncture, Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” In other words, Moses felt that he was nothing after spending 40 years going through the grind. By then, Moses had become a useful vessel in God’s hands.

Moses’ last 40 years was the climax in his life as he held God with regard in all that he was tasked to work on. When the Israelites made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf, bowed down to it and sacrificed to it, God’s anger burned against them. But Moses sought the favour of the Lord his God. “Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?” Moses sees now that God is everything. He said to God, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.”

Dear brothers and sisters, the story of Moses sets us thinking. Are the sufferings that we are going through today trying to tell us that our lives need to be cleaned so that we can be someone that God is pleased with and found to be suitable for His use? O, how we need the Grace of God! Let us vow not to give up, no matter how deep our sufferings we are going through.

Finally, let us read this poetry together – “Tears on Earth, Rainbow in the Sky”:

If you have never known

The state of love undone;

Neither can you comfort

the broken-hearted one.

If you think it’s tough,

To feel being lonely;

Wait till you enter

A time solitary!

If in the past,

You’ve never failed;

Never will you know,

How it feels to be frail!

Someone who has before

never fallen ill,

Heard the groans of those in pain---

I bet he never will!

One who had never heard

Harsh words to him spoken;

Will never get to feel

Deep wounds that rebukes open!

Anyone who has

Never shed a tear;

When he tries to soothe,

None would lend his ear.

He who has never been

Down to his last penny,

Could he ever sympathize,

With the poor and needy?

He who has not ever

Gone thro’ tough resistance,

Is not fit to claim with joy

The throne of full acceptance.

Only those who have caved in,

As he struggles against God;

Would become the right vessel

And earn His precious Nod.

If not for the rugged cross,

There’ll be no golden crown!

God Himself has ordained,

The arch of heavenly colours;

To come from the teardrops

Of fellow earthly sufferers!

Let’s pray

Dear Heavenly Father,

We vow never to give up, even though we are in the midst of great sufferings. Even as the saints and erudite ones have walked this way before, you too have granted us the strength and blessings for us to walk along the dark valley onto higher ground. Your comfort and strength move us on even as you continue to shield us, and allow us to experience your shepherding along the way. We shall not be afraid, as no harm shall come to us with you as our Protector. Preserve us, for we are your holy people, and shall obey you, follow you and glorify you for ever. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

Recommendations by Rev. Dr Caleb SOO Lee Chong

The three books “The Gospel for the Modern Man”, “Faith of the Modern Believer” and “Values for the Modern Disciple” by Rev. Dr Caleb SOO Lee Chong are worthy book to edify disciples. In order to minimize differences in the qualities amongst Christians, our churches need to set up basic courses to address these issues. In turn, this will enable all disciples to incorporate their faith into their lives and allow changes to take place through renewal of minds. May God make use of these basic courses to edify more disciples to strengthen His soldiers and claim victory on His battle-ground!

The three books “The Gospel for the Modern Man”, “Faith of the Modern Believer” and “Values for the Modern Disciple” are suitable course materials for anyone who wish to acquire understanding of the Christian faith in a more comprehensive manner. The contents are easy to grasp and relate to the real world that we are living in. They are written with an eye for the man-in-the-street and explore how to make our faith come alive in our daily social scenarios.

In particular, these are suitable if you  

1. are someone who wants to understand the Christian faith or

2. are someone who has just accepted the Christian faith or

3. have been a Christian for many years but still hungering for a firmer grounding in the faith or

4. are a pastor or co-worker who plans to use these materials for teaching purposes.

If you need to take up learning or use these materials in a systematic manner, please us contact at this email address：[email protected]