Can suffering produce positive results?

For sure it produces negative results. The scripture lesson from Exodus gives us evidence of this. The Israelites’ suffering is thirst. Their thirst led them to quarrel with Moses and even accuse him of bringing them up out of Egypt to die in the desert. If this is the only part of the story you know you might say that the Israelites have a point. But if you know the rest of the story you have to wonder what were they thinking?

They have just witnessed God afflict Pharaoh and his people Egypt with ten plagues, the last being that every firstborn Egyptian will die. They have just witnessed God part the Red Sea so they could escape from Egypt and then close the Red Sea on the Egyptian army that pursued them. Three days later at Marah the Israelites complained and quarreled with Moses saying,

“What are we to drink?”

A month and a half later the whole community of Israel grumbled against Moses saying,

"If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt!
There we sat around pots of meat
and ate all the food we wanted,
but you have brought us out into this desert
to starve this entire assembly to death.”

With each complaint God provided for their needs, water for their thirst and food for their hunger.

It was not long after that they came to Rephidim. Thirsty they quarreled with Moses,

“Give us water to drink…
Why did you bring us up out of Egypt
to make us and our children and live stock die of thirst?”

Each time the Israelites were challenged with suffering they responded by complaining and quarreling with Moses. They accused Moses of bringing them out into the desert to die. They longed to be back in Egypt where they were slaves.

How do you react when you are confronted with problems and suffering? Is your first reaction to complain? Or is your first reaction to pray? The Israelites’ reaction was to quarrel with Moses and to test God saying,

“Is the Lord among us or not?”

Does this describe you? Is your first reaction to strike out at God? Is your first reaction to complain and quarrel with others? OR is your first reaction to pray?

We should make a determined effort to pray when we feel like complaining. WHY, because complaining only raises our level of stress. Prayer quiets our thoughts and emotions and prepares us to listen. Prayer helps us focus on God, His Word and the power of His Holy Spirit. His Word says,

“Everything works for good with those who love God.”

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

“We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Not only so, but we also rejoice in our suffering,
because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
And hope does not disappoint us,
because God pours out His love into our hearts
by the Holy Spirit,
whom He has given to us.”

We are to rejoice in our suffering not because we like pain, but because we know God is using life’s difficulties to build our character. The problems that we run into will develop our perseverance, which in turn will strengthen our character, deepen our trust in God and find greater confidence about the future.

Paul said suffering can produce endurance, which in turn can produce character, which in turn can produce hope. This does not happen automatically, of course. For many people, their suffering produces anger, disillusionment, unbelief, and despair. Yes, suffering can have an upside or a downside, depending on our interaction with God. When experiencing suffering the questions is not

“Is the Lord among us or not?”

The question is do you trust the Lord who is among you?

When I was planning collegiate tennis I remember my coach who was a fitness nut. He had a physical training program that my teammates and I were sure was designed to kill us. Every practice ended with torturous drills. There were times your legs would burn like they were on fire. There were times when it felt like someone had stabbed me in the side with a knife. Our complaints were not heard by our coach. It was obvious he was not overly interested in how much we hurt that day.

What we learned was that the coach was not interested in preparing us for the first match of the season but the last match. Throughout the season, as our bodies became better conditioned, those once torturous drills weren't as painful. They were still difficult, but they weren't as painful. The pain of that day made us better prepared for the season ahead.

Sometimes we mistake God's promise not to harm us as His promise that we will have a pain-free life. In reality, mental and emotional pain is a part of our growing process. We watch a parent, grandparent or child die. A relationship comes to an end. We lose our place in the starting lineup. We fail a class. All of these are painful, but God knows that pain doesn't necessarily equal harm. It sometimes equals growth and conditioning.

Today's pain may be preparing us for tomorrow. That's where the part about "a hope and a future" comes into play. Although God has put each of us in the place where we are to do His work today, He's looking down the road to where we will be days, weeks and even years from now. He wants us to be ready not just for today or tomorrow, but also for our last day here. We just have to keep in mind that even though conditioning can be painful, it is beneficial.

What pain do you have in your life? Can you see how God can use it to make you stronger or better prepared for tomorrow? When you are tempted to deny, God’s goodness, love, and grace look to the cross of Calvary. It is there that Jesus took your place.

Today’s daily slice from Our Daily Bread that I email to many of you every day echoed these very truths. It read “The phrase “God is good, all the time; all the time, God is good” is repeated by many Christians almost like a mantra. I often wonder if they really believe it or even think about what they’re saying. I sometimes doubt God’s goodness—especially when it feels as though God isn’t hearing or answering my prayers. I assume that if others were more honest, they’d admit they feel the same way.

Do you feel as though God isn’t answering your prayers? Are you tempted to doubt His goodness? When I feel this way, I have to remind myself that my circumstances aren’t the barometer of God’s love and goodness—the cross is. He has shown how good He is by giving His only Son Jesus to die for our sin. We can’t rely on our feelings. But day by day as we choose to trust Him more, we learn to believe with confidence that God is good—all the time.”