How does suffering bring one closer to God?

[Not of the World]

Thanks in advance.  

I can remember being so sick (intestinal infection) and I couldn't stop vomiting and I felt so awful that I was curled up on the floor, begging God to "take me".  He didn't, of course.  Instead, I was taken to the hospital and got put on antibiotics and recovered.  

I've been guilty many times of only reaching out to God when I needed something.  I have since strived to pray to God and to thank him for my many blessings when I am NOT in need of anything at all.  

Anyway, your thoughts, please?  

[AnOrangeCat]

I think you both managed to get to the heart of the issue and work toward correcting something. Like you said you reach out to God more often when you need something. That's the case for a lot of people and if you check out the first chapter of James it says we should count our trials as joy because of the impact it has on our faith. I try to thank God for certain things daily. It's good to practice thankfulness.

[Selah7]

I’ve had many heartaches and loss in my life, just as most of us have.  For me, these trials propelled me to call out to God and endless study in search for answers to my questions of, “why me, Lord?”  And I do understand now when He says to me, “My Grace is sufficient.”  Thank You, Father.

[com7fy8]

 

4 hours ago, Not of the World said:

I can remember being so sick (intestinal infection) and I couldn't stop vomiting and I felt so awful that I was curled up on the floor, begging God to "take me".  He didn't, of course.  Instead, I was taken to the hospital and got put on antibiotics and recovered.

So, I can see, God did take you . . . to the emergency room!  I am glad you're all right, so we have you to share with us now. 

What matters is we trust God more than all else. Ones might say, oh if we go to a doctor we are "depending on man". But . . . then . . . if we go to the store in order to buy food that man has grown and processed and put in the store for us to buy . . . or get in a car which man has designed and manufactured and claims all the parts of the car work and are safe . . . or if we use this Internet website to tell people not to depend what humans are able to do . . . lololololol > we could say any of this is depending on human means, instead of God. 

But our Father does include us and other humans in doing His good for us.

What matters is we trust God to guide us always . . . guiding if and when and how we trust and use people and things; and care about those people, more than we care about what we might use them to do for us.

People can be depending on their own selves, by making up a handful of theories about what is and what is not depending on God. And then they take it on their own selves to decide what is trusting God and what isn't . . . when instead we need to actually submit to God and how He personally guides us, all the time . . . in His peace >

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful." (Colossians 3:15)

But often I can catch myself in stuff that is not God's peace ruling me . . . in my heart, imagination, and how I am relating with another person. And what seems to work for me is to be quiet and trust and expect God to correct me so He has me being submissive the way He wants me to be submissive in His peace to Him. And so there are no theories of how I decide if and when I trust and depend on God, but there is discovering what at every moment He does with me. And pray this for others.

And if we are with God, He has us sharing as His family with one another who are obeying Him in this peace. And we help each other to grow in Jesus and love the way God's word means, this in submission to Him who has us doing this.

And "who has become His counselor?" (in Romans 11:34) We are not His counselor about if and when and how He desires to personally guide us, and what He will have us doing with Him. No one is smart enough or knowledgeable about God's word, even, to know what God at each moment will do with each of us  We are all equal, then. And every one of us can help any other person, simply by doing what God has us doing.

"'In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.'" (Genesis 22:18)

Abraham obeyed God who is all-loving; and so he has been getting all-loving results.

"As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." (1 Peter 4:10)

God's grace is all-loving. So, grace is not only God's favor for me myself. But He works things for the good of other people along with me. And most of all God favors Jesus and His purpose for us with Jesus.

So, our depending on God needs to not be self-centered, but Christ-centered - - not isolating us with caring only or mainly about our own selves  Stay attentive to God, then, trust Him to have us doing this.

 

[AdHoc]

5 hours ago, Not of the World said:

Thanks in advance.  

I can remember being so sick (intestinal infection) and I couldn't stop vomiting and I felt so awful that I was curled up on the floor, begging God to "take me".  He didn't, of course.  Instead, I was taken to the hospital and got put on antibiotics and recovered.  

I've been guilty many times of only reaching out to God when I needed something.  I have since strived to pray to God and to thank him for my many blessings when I am NOT in need of anything at all.  

Anyway, your thoughts, please?  

It is a very big subject. Let scripture answer 

Zech 13:9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God

It makes a man or woman turn to God

Deut.8:2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. 3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live

It reveals what is in you for you to see. It reveals the remedy for sin and weakness.

1 Pe 4:12–19; 12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. 16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. 17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? 19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

It makes you a companion of Christ. You walk the same road as He did.

[Figure of eighty]

When I read these comments  I feel like a lost cause. Trials make me incredibly angry and I do lash out at God. Idk what to do about it.

[Selah7]

4 hours ago, Figure of eighty said:

When I read these comments  I feel like a lost cause. Trials make me incredibly angry and I do lash out at God. Idk what to do about it.

God understands.  Just talk to Him about your anger, sister.  Pour out your heart to Him and remind Him of His promises.  See, it’s not that God has forgotten any of His promises to us, but He wants to know if we know them.  Just cry out to Him.  Praying something like, “Father, You promised You would always help me, so please, please help me. Take away this terrible anger and show me what I should do now!” would be reminding Him of His promise in Psalm 121:1-2.

Put Me in remembrance; Let us contend together; State your case, that you may be acquitted. 
- Isaiah 43:26 (NKJV)

A Song of Ascents. I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.

- Psalm 121:1-2 (NKJV)

[Figure of eighty]

2 hours ago, Selah7 said:

God understands.  Just talk to Him about your anger, sister.  Pour out your heart to Him and remind Him of His promises.  See, it’s not that God has forgotten any of His promises to us, but He wants to know if we know them.  Just cry out to Him.  Praying something like, “Father, You promised You would always help me, so please, please help me. Take away this terrible anger and show me what I should do now!” would be reminding Him of His promise in Psalm 121:1-2.

Put Me in remembrance; Let us contend together; State your case, that you may be acquitted. 
- Isaiah 43:26 (NKJV)

A Song of Ascents. I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.

- Psalm 121:1-2 (NKJV)

Thank you.

[Marathoner]

Suffering is often a hidden thing of God which proves to be a mystery to us all. This is likely to be another long one.

I think of a client of our program. Years ago, an assailant ambushed this fellow in the stairwell of his apartment building. His attacker pushed him out of a second-story window and when he collided with the pavement below, he sustained grievous injuries:

The left side of his body was virtually destroyed by the impact.

This man somehow made his way to the closest ER and when he arrived, he asked a nurse for some aspirin. He wasn't aware that his left shoulder was crushed all the way to his waist. 

This man knew the assailant well; his attacker was a local meth addict whom he helped out whenever he could. 

My friend sustained traumatic injury to the brain --- his brain was fragmented into six pieces inside of his skull --- and had to endure multiple surgeries to both save his life and restore the left side of his torso. Surgeons installed a titanium rib cage because the left side of his rib cage couldn't be saved. 

Not long after his recovery, this man was homeless and destitute for years until he came to us. He slept under interstate overpasses in a makeshift shelter. He has to sit and sleep in a specific position because if he doesn't, that titanium rib cage prevents his lungs from inflating properly. His heart had to be moved to the right side of his chest, and encased in a protective steel mesh cage. 

He is truly a delightful fellow, and the Lord has blessed me with the honor of knowing him. I have to be careful whenever we cross paths... I'll find myself swept away in conversation with our client! 

Someone else I know lost a wife and his only son within 48 hours of one another, and he struggles daily (it wasn't that long ago). The other day he asked me, "Why? Why does God take those who deserve to live? She was only 36. She had her entire life in front of her... and then my son!"

We don't know, I said to him, for unless the Lord is pleased to reveal a matter to us so we might understand, it remains hidden. Suffering is one of those hidden things, my friends. It's not always apparent to us why we suffer in this world.