Made Perfect by Suffering

FATHER, persevere with ____ as You teach (him/her) why suffering is necessary to procure (his/her) obedience to You. You brought situations that made Your Son suffer saying through those unpleasant circumstances He learned obedience (Heb 5:8).

CHRIST also suffered on ____’s behalf leaving behind for (him/her) a model to imitate. I pray that by close application (he/she) might follow in His Savior’s footprints (1 Pet 2:21).

“…there is one very comforting thought in the fact of Christ’s ‘being made perfect through suffering’—it is, that He can have complete sympathy with us. ‘He is not an high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities.’ In this sympathy of Christ we find a sustaining power” (ref#34, March 29th AM).

CHRIST was “made perfect” by suffering (Heb 5:9). And ____ must suffer also, so (he/she) might identify with Him (2 Tim 2:12). Affliction deflates the human ego. It is in opposition to what ____ naturally wants. In ____’s humanness (he/she) wants everything that inflates (his/her) ego. (He/She) would love to present (himself/herself) to You beautiful and fit for Your service but that attitude is only (his/her) old fleshly nature wanting to be righteous. Instead, the affliction You bring causes wounds and displays (his/her) weaknesses. Wounds take away (his/her) covering so dear to (him/her)—the veil of (his/her) own righteousness (ref#128, p457).

FATHER, plant the truth of being made perfect by suffering deep within ____ . Anchor (him/her) so (he/she) will not be moved by afflictions for (he/she) is destined for them (1 Thes 3:3). “Thinkest thou to espouse a God, covered with wounds, torn with nails and despoiled of everything without being treated in the same manner” (ref#128, p457)? Encourage ____ LORD, with all (his/her) tribulations for in them (he/she) is more the beautiful to You.