God uses the times of suffering in our lives to transform us more into the image of His Son Jesus. The process is not easy. It is full of pain, set backs, suffering, and struggle!
Look at the process in the natural. A caterpillar transforms into a butterfly. The process takes time. The process is full of struggle! But in the end – the caterpillar turns into a butterfly and is eventually free to fly!
Look at God’s Word (2 COR 5:17 – NKJV)
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
Once a person receives Christ as Savior (by faith, a FREE gift of God), that person is a new creation! The work of sanctification begins and the process takes time. It is a painful process and full of seasons of suffering. Only God knows how much suffering it takes for a person to become Christ-like. We must decrease and He must increase.
2 Tim 2:3 (ESV) says this when we experience suffering: “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.”
In my book I explain how it was God’s plan for me to suffer with a “thorn in my flesh.” It was a trial which lasted 37 years long!
Also in the book, I explain how endured the “Refiner’s Fire – the Furnace of Affliction.” I went through 11 years of unspeakable suffering as God healed me from childhood heart wounds (trauma).
I hope to help thousands of people in the rest of my life time.
God is good. God can be trusted. God sees our pain. God is faithful. Look to Him in times of suffering. He will carry you. When He deems best for the suffering (trial) to end – it will end.
God bless,
Rick