“Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:11”

One of the more famous passages in the Bible is James 1:2-5, the passage that instructs us, when we are suffering in life, to ask God for wisdom to understand and profit by it. Sometimes the answer may come back, “I am allowing you to suffer in order to draw you closer. I am allowing you to hurt in order to heal you at a deeper level.”

The apostle Paul had that experience. In order to keep him from being prideful and boastful, God allowed him to suffer (2 Corinthians 12:1-10). And God also allowed some of His chosen people to suffer from 70 years in captivity in Babylon in order to teach them how to experience “the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” Paul writes that Israel, to this day, is dispersed throughout the world in order that she might become jealous enough to seek after her Messiah, Jesus Christ (Romans 11:11,23). We do not always suffer because we are unrighteous, but suffering always produces deeper righteousness in those who embrace it.

If you are experiencing trouble and pain, ask God to show you why. The very act of asking will draw you even closer to Him. It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness. Seneca