The End of Our Present Suffering

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18)

“And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” (Revelation 22:7)

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It’s easy to see that there is great agony in our world. Trials, difficult times, pain, and suffering are everywhere and, frankly, are altogether unavoidable. And when (not if) suffering rears its ugly head, you can wonder why God permits it, and if it will ever stop.

But God shows us in His Word that through Him we are able to see past any current trial and trust that He knows exactly what He’s doing. You can believe with certainty that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18), and that a mishandling of his own authority in this world or the one to come is simply impossible.

Why? Because he willingly, lovingly laid down his life for you.

The Son of God reigns over every aspect of the entire universe and because he laid down his life, we can be sure that the control he has over every detail is perfectly right, carefully orchestrated, and divinely scripted for His glory and our good. Christ is the good, soon-to-return King, and because of that we can know He understands our sufferings, and will end them someday.

For the Christian, all hopelessness died on the third day when God the Son killed death itself and rose to life again. Victory and authority rest in the empty tomb of Jesus Christ, and because he holds the keys to life and death, we can trust that he knows exactly what he’s doing and that one day He will come again.

“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20)

Here are a couple of call to action points for you as you reflect on the difficulty that has been the year of 2020:

1. Make a list of the sufferings you are currently going through, and then through the lens of Scripture, list why Jesus understands each and every one of your sufferings.

2. Take some time to pray and thank God for the fact that He understands the suffering you’re going through, and that He will return one day to end all suffering forever.