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Charles Hadden Spurgeon was given the nickname “Prince of Preachers” for a reason. By the age of 22, he delivered sermons to audiences of over 100,000 people. Although he was a 19th century theologian, his influence still stands to this day. Most importantly, Spurgeon had a deep love and reverence for God. His work was drenched in wisdom and encouragement, and he humbly submitted his life to Christ. Undoubtedly, he has stirred many others to do the same.

Spurgeon, like many, has offered an abundance of helpful resources to the church. And while he’s not the only influential figure of his kind, in the Spurgeon Morning and Evening devotional, he wrote of something I believe all Christians would benefit from reading. The March 4 entry was rooted in 2 Corinthians 12:9a, “My grace is sufficient for you.” Spurgeon wrote: “If none of God’s saints were poor and tried, we should not know half so well the consolations of divine grace.”

He continued, “He who would glorify his God must set his account upon meeting with many trials. No man can be illustrious before the Lord unless his conflicts be many. If then, yours be a much-tried path, rejoice in it, because you will the better show forth the all-sufficient grace of God. As for His failing you, never dream of it — hate the thought. The God who has been sufficient until now, should be trusted to the end.”

There are three very important truths at play here.

1. Suffering is Often For Our Sanctification

No, I cannot explain all of why little children get sick with cancer. Nor do I have full understanding of why wars take the lives of so many innocent people. I couldn’t say all of what God’s reasonings are for allowing evil people to have power — especially power that they gruesomely abuse. Loneliness, depression, anxiety, and poverty seem to afflict all of us to some extent, and to pretend as though I know every reason for it would be an enormous lie. What is certain, however, is that this world is fallen. Sin flooded into the earth when Adam and Eve chose to rebel in the Garden of Eden. Death, pain, bitterness, and sorrow were added to the equation. To this day, no being is able to fully escape the effects of sin in this life.

Thankfully, there’s another certainty, and it’s that God uses suffering for our sanctification. In a way only He can, He does work things together for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28). Our Lord turns light into darkness, for not even darkness is dark to Him (Psalm 139:12). He allows pain to be the means by which we fall into the arms that bled for us. As Spurgeon duly noted, our trials put a spotlight on divine grace. It is when we are at our lowest that we can be reminded: “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).

Nothing is impossible for God. He’s the one who said, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you” (Isaiah 43:2). We may not be able to part the waters or put out the fires around us, but our God can — and He does. Though anguish often makes us feel the weight of the world is on our shoulders, those in Christ have been promised to “soar with wings like eagles” (Isaiah 40:31). Though pain makes it hard to hold onto hope, the Lord said, “I will be with you.” Our suffering often leads to sanctification, and sanctification leads us to Christ.

2. Our Sanctification Gives Way for Rejoicing

When we are sanctified, it means we’re being set apart for God’s use. We are becoming more Christ-like. This is not just important — it’s crucial. For the Christian, at the heart of this temporary earthly life ought to be a deep longing for our eternal heavenly life. Something the Lord often reminds me of is that, really, this life is not about me. Do I take time to enjoy the many blessings He has given me? Of course. And yet, I strive to pray daily that I do nothing apart from that which glorifies God. I fail, but I persist. I stumble, but He picks me up. And I rejoice in the many challenges that have forced me to rely wholly on Christ.

There is great joy in knowing that we are a part of God’s sovereign will and tools in the Creator’s hands. His perfect plan is unfolding before our eyes. Even if we may not fully understand it, our aim is not to know everything, but to trust the One who does. When reflecting on the past, it becomes clear rather quickly that the darkest moments have been where Christ light beams most brightly. The loudest moments are what often cause me to crave quietude, if only to hear Christ’s voice. And the quietist moment are frequently filled with the most soulful praise my heart has offered.

There’s such a beauty to being a sheep in the Shepherd’s fold. Here, there is eternal purpose, fixed value, and love that endures forever. These truths remain, regardless of our circumstances. And when all around feels too much to bear, I’ve always found immense comfort in this truth (perhaps you will too): If you’re alive, God is not done with you yet.

Hold on to hope and stand firm in truth, for His ways know no futility.

3. Christ Supplies All That We Need

As a refresher, Spurgeon wrote: “As for His failing you, never dream of it — hate the thought. The God who has been sufficient until now, should be trusted to the end.” Prior to experiencing trials, it’s far easier to believe that God uses evil for good. Conceptually, we understand that God is faithful and gives purpose to what we endure. The problem is not necessarily obvious when life is going well. It’s not until we face severity that we’re forced to ask ourselves: “Do I really believe there’s a reason for what I’m going through? Do I really believe God supplies my every need?”

We easily forget that our God is a God who never fails. Truth be told, it’s when we’re suffering that we think God has failed us. We think He’s walked away or given up. We assume He has a limit to how much grace He’s willing to give and that we’re capable of maxing it out. This, however, is simply not true.

Loneliness does not mean He’s absent. Depression does not mean He no longer wants to be our joy. Weakness by no means implies that He has chosen to no longer be our strength. Rather, through the lens of Scripture, all these albeit unpleasant emotions come with an opportunity to turn to Christ. Jesus said in John 6:37, “Whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” So, go to Him. In your pain, go to Him. Go to the Father who is always there; the God who’s always ready to tend to your needs. The God who is already doing so. The Psalmist put it this way: “Where shall I go from Your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, You are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me” (139:7-10).

My prayer for the church is that we would genuinely hate the thought that the Lord could ever fail us. Suffering can cause us to be tunnel-visioned and focus only on what ails us. But the Bible tells us that suffering points us to Christ — His love, peace, joy, comfort, and faithfulness. Our shortcomings remind us of our finitude, but they also demonstrate God’s infinite power. Our valleys may tempt us to hopelessness, but they can also be seen as a mere part of our journey to the mountain tops.

The God who has been sufficient for you before in times of need, as Spurgeon wrote, can be trusted to the end. Indeed, He must be trusted to the end. He hasn’t changed and He never will. To Him we cry: “You hold my right hand. You guide me with Your counsel, and afterward You will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:23-26).

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Republished with thanks to The Washington Stand. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.