The Fellowship of His Sufferings

^'That I may know Him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, . . . .' Phil. 3:10

          There IS a fellowship in going through sufferings and difficulties together. It brings you even closer together. Minnie—by the strength of God's grace—went through the physical sufferings of pancreatic cancer but I shared in the enormous inward spiritual pain—and so did our four children and those dear grandchildren and our larger family, as well.

       'Suffering has no meaning in itself. Left to its own, it is a frustrating and bewildering burden. But given the context of relationship, suffering suddenly has meaning.” [Joni, When God Weeps, p. 127]

       When your children suffer, you suffer. And we are God's children! 'How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!' 1 Jn.3.1 “It is the love that you have for your child that quickens your step and buoys up your heart. Your relationship gives your burden meaning.' p.126

      “Intimacy happens as two souls share together. It's what we long for more than anything else. To know and be known. . . . God answers that ancient longing. A yearning that echoes with the message that we were made for Him.' 128

        The word for fellowship is koinonia meaning sharing something in common. And the esprit de corps of fellow sufferers is deep, but suffering shared with God is deeper still. To know God through the difficulties of life is to know why we trust Him. 'To know God is to be free of the incessant need to understand exactly what He is doing before you place your confidence in Him.' 131

         God will always have enough grace for you, strength for the journey and the difficulties. We know His mercy is limitless and His protection and peace through it all. He is the 'God of all comfort' and his compassion never fails. He can be counted on through all the difficulties and sufferings of life and then? Then 'I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever' for He will 'bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom.' Ps.23.6, 2 Tim.4.18