For the Jesus follower, there is a fellowship found in suffering that cannot be obtained any other way. Suffering has a way of connecting us to the Savior’s heart. Solidifying like cement. Tethering like a root system that reaches down deep and wide. There is a side of God’s nature that we can only know in the valley of the shadow. It’s a glory only available to those that suffer.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not advocating that we should search for suffering. Self-inflicted suffering is a miserable bedfellow. That is a difficulty of another kind. But there comes a time in each of our lives when we face a circumstance that we did not ask for, we did not seek, and we cannot change. Each of us will find ourselves in that valley at some point. We’ll find ourselves overcome by confusion, sadness, and hurt. Each of us will know the broken heart of it, but there is a blessing only available to those that walk in that place.
When we find that blessing, we find that even darkness cannot be dark in the light of God’s presence. We realize like new revelation that He is not afraid of the night. And then in the middle of the valley, we can find ourselves on a mountaintop; near Him like we’ve never been before. In an enlarged territory. In a spacious place with an infinite amount of room. With a well that never runs dry. Shaded under the wings of His protection. There is a place in the Father’s heart that can only be known in suffering.
But such blessing requires tenacity. There is a digging necessary in order to find it. It’s a treasure buried in a field. It will require all we’ve got. It will test our resilience. It will challenge our faith, and I’m grieved that most give up before they reach the hidden wealth.
There is an immense amount of suffering in this life. It deserves to be acknowledged and processed, and I think that God means for it to be. Loss is real and it’s hard and it’s common to man. I think God sent Jesus to show us that He understands. I think He wrote it in blood to remind us that we are destined for better. There is an oasis waiting for us in the middle of suffering, but it can only be reached by walking through it. The temptation is to camp in it or to run from it. Neither will unearth the treasure. We have to walk through it. We have to grab a shovel, work up a sweat, and get the dirt under our fingernails. We have to dig down below the surface to the deep places and press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of us. That’s the place where the wonderful paradox of the power of His resurrection and the participation of His sufferings converge. That’s where we find the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus.
Keep pressing on. The prize is worth it.