Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered Hebrews 5:8 NIV

The teenager could see the lights of the clubhouse go out as his last coworker left the golf course. It was a school night but his work was not finished yet. He still had half of the driving range to cover in the small tractor that he was driving to pick up the range balls. He would have to wash them and take them to the clubhouse which also needed cleaning. He thought of his brother who swore he would never work like this. He would never clean toilets, or work for someone else. But as miserable as the boy felt out there in the cold, the Spirit of God was whispering to him, that somehow, someday, he would learn through his suffering. Have we?

It is easy for us to think that what we see is what we get. Another person has something that we want or has an easier go at life. We start feeling sorry for ourselves or jealous of the other person. But the Bible tries to lead us in another direction completely. We are told that things are not just as we see or feel them to be. There is a whole realm that we choose not to see when we focus only on ourselves. There is the realm where our God lives. There, He still reigns and is working out His master plan to bring us safely home with Him. Although nowhere near pleasant, our suffering can be an immense help in seeing our need to look away from us, and up to Christ. Shall we pray that we learn through our suffering, to seek out our Savior and keep Him here with us all throughout our day?

Dear Lord,

You ask us to set aside our ways and look up in reverence to You! Show us our need and help us learn through our suffering here, to seek You above all else, we pray!

Amen