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Power in Suffering

Written by ronda on . Posted in Phoebe Connections.

Isaiah 53:3

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering who knew what sickness was. He was like one people turned away from; He was despised, and we didn’t value Him.

Jesus knew rejection. He was the very Son of God, and we didn’t value Him. Many didn’t even recognize Him because He didn’t appear the way they thought the Son of God should be. They thought themselves better, so they rejected Him. They did not want to identify with a suffering Savior; they wanted to identify with what they perceived to be greater than themselves.

No one wants to identify with suffering because it isn’t what we want for ourselves. We want a powerful God – one who can lift us to new heights and take away our suffering. What we fail to see, however, is that power is the result of suffering. You can’t overcome something you never encounter. To overcome rejection, you must first be rejected. To overcome sickness, hurt, or anything negative, you must first experience it. Unfortunately, we, like many religious Jews, try to mask our pain or avoid it. In so doing, we reject the healing and freedom only Christ can bring, and we don’t value Him for who He really is – the suffering Servant who bore our sicknesses and sorrows.

Christ – the suffering Servant – died so we could be healed and free from the hurts and chains that hold us back from the abundant life He came to bring. He was despised and rejected so He could identify with us in our pain. Only when we surrender our pain – our insecurities, broken dreams, failures, weaknesses or anything that hinders us – do we find the power to overcome.

Our identity is found only in Christ. We are His and heirs with Him in His very inheritance from the Father. We cannot identify with Him, however, unless we first allow Him to identify with us and receive the healing and freedom we so desperately desire. Surrender to your pain to Him today, and allow the suffering Servant to heal you where you hurt most. Dare to overcome your hurt instead of simply masking it. In the process you will find the power to live victoriously and abundantly.

Have a blessed day!

PHOEBE Connections, Inc. is a 501(c)3 dedicated to enhancing the lives of widows by building relationships and helping them find new identity in Jesus Christ through serving others. We promote an atmosphere of fellowship, where the widow can connect with other widows to develop friendships and supportive relationships.