God’s Will Is Hidden Behind the Suffering—Have You Realized It?

At the end of the winter, the bitter north wind blows across the freezing ground like a knife. Snowflakes are flying and have coated everything. Only a few dazzling plum blossoms stand out, without the grace and luxury of peonies, the impressive temperament of lilies, or the brightness of roses. But in the winter of withered flowers, compared with gold-resistant woody plants, plum blossom is one of few hardy herbs. Its beautiful blooming shows its tenacious vitality. It has been people’s inspiration since ancient times.

As a matter of fact, our life is also full of challenges like plum blossoms resisting cold and striving to grow. It is said in the Bible, “The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD tries the hearts” (Proverbs 17:3). A tenacious life never comes from an easy and comfortable environment; God’s intention is always hidden behind suffering.

Moses lived in the wilderness alone. In that circumstance where ordinary people couldn’t survive, Moses lived for 40 years by relying on God. Life’s hardships enabled him to depend on God in everything, so his faith in God grew greatly. After he walked out of the wilderness, he accepted God’s commission: Even facing the pursuit of the Egyptian army, Moses was fearless. By relying on God, he led the Israelites out of Egypt and completed God’s commission.

If you are in a difficult situation, don’t complain or grieve or evade. Painful experiences offer us good chances to build our resilience. Actually, behind any adversity in life, there is God’s permission and good intention. God hopes that we can learn to pray to Him and rely on Him in suffering. As long as we obey God’s guidance and submit to His words, God will surely guide us to grow in hardships, so our humanity will mature, and our life will be strengthened. Finally, we can bear testimony for God and repay His salvation and at that time, our proper values will be realized, and we will have performed the duty of creatures of God.