“Now is My soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose, I have come to this hour.” John 12:27 ESV¹

Read John 12:20-37

If you are reading this, you are either one of my faithful followers who reads nearly everything I write or you are going through a difficult time right now and you desperately want the powerful working of God in it. What I have to say here is Biblical but it may not be easy to swallow. I am not going to wallow with you in self-pity, feed your doubts, or allow you to blame God. But I will walk with you through a process that actually works. If I had not in the past and if I were not currently going through a difficult situation in this way, I would have no right to tell you what to do. But since I have and am traveling along a challenging path, I can offer you a helping hand. If you are ready to traverse this trail, let’s both get on our spiritual hiking boots and climb this mountain together.

Step 1—Go to Jesus

One of Jesus’ closest disciples, Philip, had a perplexing problem.

“Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So, these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus’” (John12:20-21).

These Greeks may or may not have known that Philip was one of The Twelve with direct access to Jesus but somehow it was obvious to them that he was a Galilean. It was a well-known fact that Jesus did most of His ministry in Galilee. Who better to point them to the popular Figure who taught and did miraculous works in Galilee than a Galilean?

Whether or not to introduce some Greeks to Jesus may not seem like a significant issue or bewildering problem to us but that is because we are not first-century Jews. Religious Jews had no dealings with Gentiles. For centuries they had been taught that non-Jews were unclean. Furthermore, Israelites had been instructed by God Himself to keep away from the pagan gods of the surrounding nations; Greeks had many false gods. Philip had to wonder if he should even be conversing with Greeks, let alone invite them to talk to Jesus.

Philip needed help figuring out what to do so he took his concerns to his friend and fellow disciple, Andrew. Only a few years ago, at this same time of year, during the Feeding of the 5000,² Philip had learned a little bit about his tendency to see the problem and Andrew’s ability to at least perceive a partial solution.

“Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.  Lifting up His eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward Him, Jesus said to Philip, ‘Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?’ He said this to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. Philip answered Him, ‘Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.’ One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, ‘There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many’” (John 6:4-9)?

At this same time, Andrew had learned a valuable lesson:

“[When Andrew] said to [Jesus], ‘We have only five loaves here and two fish.’ … He said, ‘Bring them here to Me’” (Matthew 14:17-18).

When Andrew gave the boy’s lunch to Jesus, it was miraculously turned into more than enough to feed 5000-plus hungry people. Andrew didn’t know how to solve the dilemma with the Greeks but he did know to Whom to take it.

 “Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus” (John 12:22).

When we have problems, we shouldn’t begin by running to doctors. It is not wise to try to solve difficult situations by turning to the internet. It is ignorant to ignore what troubles us by burying ourselves in addictions. Likewise, we shouldn’t turn to friends or loved ones unless they are going to point us to Jesus. If we go anywhere other than Jesus, we are only going to prolong the problem and add to our sufferings.

Step 2—Let Go of Your Agenda

Philip and Andrew came to Jesus with a simple yes-or-no question: Do you want to meet these Greeks or not? And Jesus seemed to give them a completely irrelevant answer:

 “And Jesus answered them, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there will My servant be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him’” (John 12:23-26).

How often have you come to Jesus with a request that should be so simple for Him to address but He has responded in a manner that doesn’t seem to fit or only adds more confusion to the situation? In my life, that very scenario has happened many times. This is the point at which we want to walk away complaining to ourselves, “This is ridiculous! A lot of good it did to come to Jesus. He could do something but He doesn’t seem to want to!”

But let’s take a closer look at Jesus’ comment. Actually, He did answer Philip and Andrew’s questions. And Jesus did give the Greeks an opportunity to see Him. If we read between the lines, we realize that Jesus answered, “Absolutely, the Greeks can see Me. Soon, the whole known world is going to see Me like they have never seen Me before. And not only that, but I am going to allow anyone who wants to go beyond seeing Me the opportunity to get to know Me intimately and My Father, as well. I am inviting you to set aside your desires, your preferences, and your prejudices to enter with Me into a world that is beyond anything you have dreamed.”

If you or I hadn’t walked away after Jesus’ seemingly unrelated answer or His perceived indifference, we would have heard Him beckon gently, “Let go of that to which you are holding so tightly and let Me work in your situation. Allow Me to give you something far better than you can imagine right now.”

The Greeks, having a desire to worship the True God, had, to some extent, already rejected their false gods. Otherwise, why would they have been in Jerusalem for the Passover feast? Philip and Andrew had already left their families, homes, and jobs when Jesus asked them to follow Him. Now, Jesus was calling them into a deeper relationship with Him and a more aligned position with God’s will. But would they be willing to let go of what made sense to them?

As Believers, we should already be practicing the kind of release Jesus explained here. This isn’t the first time Jesus detailed that self-denial was a requirement, not an option, for following Him³:

“And calling the crowd to Him with His disciples, He said to them, ‘If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the Gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul’” (Mark 8:34-37)?

 

“‘Whoever does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it’” (Matthew 10:38-39).

 

“‘If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple … So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be My disciple’” (Luke 14:26-27, 33).

If self-sacrifice hasn’t been a priority in our relationships with Christ, now, in our current situations is the perfect place to start. We don’t want to stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ and realize we didn’t pass the primary test. Right now, let’s submit to the Lord’s quiet, non-negotiable request. Let’s place our hopes and dreams, our loved ones, our situations, and ourselves on the altar. Allow God to burn up that which He doesn’t want us to have and sanctify and hand back to us that which He does.

When the fire gets hot, we will have to resist the temptation to pull off the altar what we have placed on it. I won’t lie to you; this is one of the hardest steps in the whole process. But, believe me, if we refuse to participate in this step, we will never find the peace and joy God wishes to give us in the difficult situations He has allowed into our lives. And we will miss the intimacy we could have with Christ that will carry us through whatever lies before us.

Step 3—Realize This Has Purpose

God wouldn’t have allowed these difficult circumstances in our lives if He didn’t intend to use them for our good and the good of others. God wouldn’t have permitted these troubles to come upon us if He didn’t intend to manifest Himself in them. God has something much bigger and better planned than we can imagine. And we are not alone in experiencing the pain of participating in a God-ordained plan that is bigger than us.

Do you think that Jochebed was excited to lay her infant, Moses, in a basket and send him floating down the Nile? Though his life was spared, do you think she enjoyed watching her precious child being raised by her oppressors and being subjected to the worship of false gods? But it is because she did what she did that her children and grandchildren were released from slavery and her great-grandchildren entered the Promised Land. Moses may have never become Israel’s deliverer without his mother’s sacrifice.

Consider Joseph. What do you think was going on in his mind when his brothers sold him into slavery? He had to be doubting every single one of the dreams the LORD had given him. Also, how could he imagine those visions being fulfilled when he sat in a prison cell serving a sentence for a crime he never committed? But Joseph was exactly where he needed to be. When the time was right, God raised him to be second in command in Egypt and gave him the wisdom to keep the people of that kingdom and his family from starving to death.

And think about pretty, little, orphan Esther. What a shock it must have been for her to be ripped from her relative, Mordecai’s, home and, along with a whole group of other young women, herded into a king’s harem. And what about after she was raped by the sex-crazed, pagan king, what do you think became of her dreams to marry the boy down the street, have some children, and have a normal life? She must have been screaming inside, “Haven’t I lost enough already? My parents are gone. I never even got to have a mother figure. I don’t care that I am the queen and surrounded by luxury; my life is in danger! And I will never be loved.” But God redeemed all the evil in Esther’s life. Because she fearlessly faced trouble, knew how to communicate with a man, and understood how the government worked, she was able to singlehandedly save her people from annihilation.

And what about Daniel? He was an intelligent young man with noble blood running through his veins. His future was bright and he had a world of possibilities in front of him. That was until he was rounded up with all the other young men of great potential and hauled off in chains to the conquering kingdom of Babylon. With a whip to his back, he walked nearly 1000 miles (1600 km) to the foreign land, where he was likely castrated and forced to participate in a program for developing leaders to benefit this wicked, godless society. What do you think happened to all his plans for the future? Yet, Daniel never lost his faith even amidst severe persecution. And God came through for him again and again and shared with him secrets concerning future events. Daniel ended up serving in high positions in two world kingdoms and his prophecies still encourage people today.

What is more, Jesus understands our turmoil:

“‘Now is My soul troubled. And what shall I say? “Father, save Me from this hour”? But for this purpose, I have come to this hour. Father, glorify Your name’” (John 12:27-28).

Jesus wasn’t excited about going to the cross and bearing the punishment of all the sins of all the world for all time. He wasn’t looking forward to the wrath of God resting on His shoulders while those whose souls He was saving reviled and mocked Him. But He was willing to go through the torture because He knew it was for a purpose. Experiencing the fruition of God’s plan was worth the pain.

“‘Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself.’ He said this to show by what kind of death He was going to die” (John12:31-33).

The very things you and I are going through right now that we wish were different may be the exact things that help us achieve the purposes for which we were created. Likely these troubles won’t be used to preserve a nation or influence people thousands of years from now. And they definitely won’t save the whole world from the power of Satan and sin and open up the doors to eternal life. But these difficulties are for God’s good, pleasing, and perfect purpose. The intended reasons and the desired results are bigger than us. God is asking us to trust Him and be willing to participate in the wonderful things He is trying to accomplish.

Step 4—Remember God’s Promises

Originally, Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist. He began following Jesus when John declared that Jesus was the Savior of the World.

“[John the Baptist] saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’ … Two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus … One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother” (John 1:29, 37 & 40).

From the beginning of his association with Jesus, Andrew knew Jesus came to save the whole world. Yet, when some Greeks wanted to meet Jesus, he forgot that salvation was for everyone.

Behind fear not, I have heard that, remember is the most commonly repeated command in Scripture. We as humans are so apt to forget what we need exactly when we most need it. No wonder God continues to admonish us to keep remembering.

It was partially through this problem involving the Greeks that Andrew remembered what he believed at first. This experience helped prepare him for his future. Tradition holds that Andrew was crucified and it took him three days to die. The whole time he hung there, he preached the Gospel to anyone within earshot. By the end of his life, Andrew knew that he knew that he knew that Jesus provided salvation for everyone.

God is using our troublesome experiences to solidify the truths that He has previously shared with us. What we are being taught and led to remember are the things that will help us valiantly rise to future challenges.

In Jesus’ upcoming difficult assignment, Jesus asked the Father to glorify His name.

“Then a Voice came from Heaven: ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again’” (John 12:28b).

When we were struggling with particular circumstances, we may think it would be nice if a voice came from Heaven in answer to our prayers. But, even if that were to happen, we might not understand what God said. And we would likely write it off as a coincidence or interpret it as a natural occurrence.

“The crowd that stood there and heard [the Voice from Heaven] said that it had thundered. Others said, ‘An angel has spoken to Him.’ Jesus answered, ‘This Voice has come for your sake, not Mine’” (John 12:29-30).

Those who were around Jesus at the moment at which God spoke included the Greeks who wanted to see Jesus and Philip and Andrew who wanted an answer from Him. Yet, when they got more than they asked for, they didn’t seem to be satisfied. When Jesus pointed out that His Father had spoken for their benefit, it didn’t seem to register with them. Therefore, they missed a potential faith-building experience.

Even if we know God has spoken to us in the past and believe He will speak to us now, we often don’t take the time to hear Him. Every day, God gives us opportunities to hear His voice, remember His promises, and rediscover those we have forgotten. It is essential we not neglect our time in the Word and prayer, especially when we are going through difficult times. There are hundreds of God-spoken promises in the Bible that He wishes us to apply to our present situations. But we have to lean our ears to Heaven and open God’s Word to hear what He has to say.

The Lord will work in our current problems because He has worked in our past ones. God is the same God He has always been. He has not changed even if our situations have. Let’s take time to reflect on what God has done for us in the past. Don’t forget His former guidance. Remember His love.

Step 5—Hold on to God’s Promises

I am still learning how to maintain a firm grasp on the promises of God when what I see in my current circumstances seems to contradict what the Lord told me in the past. It is as if His assurances that everything was going to work out for good are running through my fingers like oil or disappearing into the air like water vapor. It is easy to fall into doubt that I even heard God correctly when what I thought He previously said concerning my difficult situation seems to no longer apply. I am sure you can relate. But when we are tempted to throw away everything God led us to believe and sink into despair is the exact time to hold on for dear life to the commitments God made to us.

The Greeks and others who came seeking Jesus that day were having trouble reconciling what they believed with what Jesus was currently saying. They were even beginning to doubt that Jesus was the Messiah.

“So, the crowd answered Him, ‘We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man’” (John 12:34)?

Again, Jesus’ answer was not plain but His response included everything they would need to know to settle their hearts over this question and help them navigate through other such perceived contradictions in the future.

“So, Jesus said to them, ‘The Light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the Light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the Light, believe in the Light, that you may become sons of Light’” (John 12:35-36a).

We can maneuver through our homes in the dark because we know that the bed, the dresser, the sink, and the toilet are all in the same place they were when we went to sleep. God’s Word is even more stable than the furniture and fixtures in our homes. Jesus proclaimed:

“‘For truly, I say to you, until Heaven and Earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished’” (Matthew 5:18).

 

“‘Heaven and Earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away’” (Matthew 24:35).

If Jesus’ audience was having a hard time understanding Him when He was in their presence, when He was gone, it was going to be much harder.

If we make a habit of listening to God and believing what He says when difficult circumstances haven’t clouded our paths, we will be much more likely to remember what He has said when we find ourselves in the dark and agree with God even when what He says is confusing. But let’s not be too proud to ask for a nightlight.

When my path has been especially dark for an unusually long time and I begin to forget God’s promises and His past workings, I have prayed something like, “Father God, I can’t see and understand what You are doing in this difficult situation but I believe You still love me and answer prayer. Please give me the best yes You can in the other areas of my life so I know You are still working for good in my life and my troubling circumstances.” It is then that my eyes are opened to the many other blessings He is arranging in my life. My hope is then restored; if God cares about these small and less important areas of my life, surely He is working in the huge thing that is hanging over my head.

Step 6—Let Faith be Your Sight

I can easily stand on one foot but, when I close my eyes, I begin to lose my balance. I don’t worry about driving in the rain but, when the showers turn into a torrential downpour, I get scared because I can only see a short distance in front of me. And I don’t mind walking through difficult circumstances if I can see where God is leading me. But when the path forward becomes unclear, I begin to have doubts. I am sure you can relate.

Doubt is like a gigantic monster that is fed by our fretting and fear. It grows bigger and bigger blocking out more and more of the Light. It attempts to grab the promises of God out of our hands and stomp on every truth in which we were putting our hopes. But, in Christ, we have everything we need to overcome the monster of doubt. It is faith that kills doubt.

“Every time you venture out in your life of faith, you will find something in your circumstances that, from a commonsense standpoint, will flatly contradict your faith. But common sense is not faith, and faith is not common sense. In fact, they are as different as the natural life and the spiritual. Can you trust Jesus Christ where your common sense cannot trust Him? Can you venture out with courage on the words of Jesus Christ, while the realities of your commonsense life continue to shout, ‘It’s all a lie’? When you are on the mountaintop, it’s easy to say, ‘Oh yes, I believe God can do it,’ but you have to come down from the mountain to the demon-possessed valley and face the realities that scoff at your Mount-of-Transfiguration belief (see Luke 9:28-42).”⁴

Doubt tempts us to process what is happening in our lives logically. When we succumb to doubt, faith seems elusive and fear seems reasonable. But when we stop fretting and, instead, put our confidence in God and what He has said, we realize our doubts are nothing more than smoke and mirrors. What we feared is not reality. God is real and what He promised before doubt entered the picture is what is true. Remembering that truth and standing on it when everything appears the opposite will help us access the Power that overcomes.

“Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrew 11:1).

The Greeks had the desire to see Jesus. Philip and Andrew wanted guidance from Him. But, likely, before either of them felt they got that for which they came, Jesus pulled away.

“When Jesus had said these things, He departed and hid Himself from them” (John 12:36b).

There is nothing that tempts us to doubt more than when we desire to see Jesus or be guided by Him and He seems to have disappeared. The truth is that Christ has not left us. The Scriptures testify to this truth. If you don’t believe me, check out Deuteronomy 31:6-8, Isaiah 40:10 & 43:2, and Zephaniah 3:17.

In actuality, it is a compliment to be in a position where we feel Jesus has hidden Himself from us. When we find ourselves seemingly deserted, it is as if the Lord is saying to us, “You have been faithful in little. Now, I can trust you with more. Your faith does not yet match My plans for you. I have hidden Myself for a little while to strengthen your faith. Even though the path is darkened and you seem alone, step out where I have previously directed you and you will find solid ground beneath your feet. Believe Me, I am not far away—in fact, I am close enough to catch you if you fall—and I will reveal Myself again soon.”

“Faith must be tested because it can only become your intimate possession through conflict. What is challenging your faith right now? The test will either prove your faith right, or it will kill it. Jesus said, ‘Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me’ (Matthew 11:6). The ultimate thing is confidence in Jesus. ‘We have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end…’ (Hebrews 3:14). Believe steadfastly on Him and everything that challenges you will strengthen your faith. There is continual testing in the life of faith up to the point of our physical death, which is the last great test. Faith is absolute trust in God— trust that could never imagine that He would forsake us (see Hebrews 13:5-6).”⁴

Faith has night vision. It has eyes to see into the future. Faith can cut through the fog and reveal a path forward. Faith helps us remember all God has done in the past and gives us the confidence that He will continue to lead us along His good, pleasing, and perfect way.

Out of His great mercy, God provides tests to strengthen our faith.

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4).

Faith must be tested. Every test refocuses faith’s night vision glasses to see more and more clearly in the dark. If we submit to the tests our loving God provides, we will eventually be able to traverse the trail marked out for us in the dim, green glow of faith’s night vision.

Step 7: Strengthen Your Faith

Faith that has been tested and proven enlightens our trails and gives us the confidence to step out into areas we never could have if we relied on our natural vision. But there is a way to not only clarify the path set before us but to shine a spotlight on where God would have us go. This way of illuminating the way is counter to our human nature but that is what makes it so powerful. We need the grace of God to enable us but, if we are willing, we can actually participate in multiplying the effectiveness of the faith-building tests that God has designed for us. This super-charged, Spirit-enabled, accelerated grower of faith is called thanksgiving.

The Scriptures challenge us:

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

We tend to have tunnel vision—a singular focus—on our problems. Where it appears there is nothing that merits thanksgiving, it is almost impossible to express gratitude. We must ask God to increase and widen our field of vision to notice what is in the periphery. In every situation, there is always something for which to be thankful. We will be amazed at how easily those things can be found if we begin to seek out them.

Ultimately, our faith isn’t adequately strengthened by gratefulness in all circumstances, but it is in thankfulness for every difficulty that real faith growth happens. That is why God also commanded:

“[Give] thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20).

By submitting to God’s enabling Power and rising to the challenge of thanking the Lord for everything, even suffering, we come to know God in ways we otherwise would never have experienced. Peter, one of Jesus’ closest disciples, wrote:

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed …  You are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you … If anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name” (1 Peter 4:12-13, 14b, 16).

If we truly believe God is perfect and powerful having arranged or allowed our difficult circumstances ultimately for our good, thanking God for the terrible things that have invaded our lives should be easy. It should be easy but it often is not because what we say we believe doesn’t match our actual faith.

Because God wants to expand our little faith may be one of the primary purposes for His allowing our previously peaceful lives to be upset by our current difficulties. We have no idea what the future holds. We cannot fathom what will be required of us in what is yet to come. But God sees tomorrow and into eternity. If we trust Him and allow Him to build our faith through our troubling circumstances now, we will have what we need to victoriously thrive in what is forthcoming.

Thankfulness feeds faith like nothing else. Nourished faith assures us of the hope we have in God to bring good out of any difficulty.

“We rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:2b-5).

So, even if it is difficult, let’s thank God for our problems. And let’s thank Him in advance for His solutions. Though God’s resolutions may not look like we currently hope or imagine, eventually, we will understand that His way was right all along.

Step 8: Experience the Glory

All of the seeing, saying, sacrifice, and suffering of which this passage speaks culminates in something called glory. Since glory is mentioned several times, let’s focus on what this word means. The word translated glory here is the Greek word, doxazō. It means to:

“praise, extol, magnify, celebrate; … to honor; … to make glorious, render it excellent; to make renowned; … to cause the dignity and worth of some person or thing to become manifest and acknowledged.”⁵

Graciously and gratefully accepting the suffering that comes from the Lord connects us with Christ and brings glory to God. In the hands of God, suffering always leads to glory.

In this passage, Jesus said that it was time for Him to be glorified (verse 23). Jesus asked that the Father’s name be glorified (verse 28). The Father declared He would glorify His name (verse 28). Jesus promised that those who served Him with self-sacrifice would be honored by His Father (verse 26).  And John, the recorder of this incident, mentioned that those who did not believe Jesus “loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God” (John 12:43).

When we, with the help of the Holy Spirit, travel the road of difficulty in the way God intended for us, God is most definitely glorified. But the glory doesn’t stop there. Since we are in Christ, the result of God-ordained suffering brings glory to God’s children, as well.

Peter explained it like this:

“Therefore, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good … Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time, He may exalt you … And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (1 Peter 4:19, 5:6, 10).

And Paul clarified this truth by this:

“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him. 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 8:16-18)

Just as the sun comes up in the east and goes down in the west, bringing glory out of difficulty is God’s pattern. As the Father did with the suffering of His Only Begotten Son, He will continue to do with His adopted children. This kind of redemption is God’s goal in allowing trouble into our lives. To bring good out of all that is awful is His promise. Therefore, our most trying difficulties are ultimately our greatest blessings.

“We know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the Firstborn among many brothers. And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called, He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified” (Romans 8:28-30).

As His children, God has plans and purposes for our lives. As we, by His power, navigate through all the Lord has prepared for us, God is honored. And He is also delighted. God wishes to reward all those who are faithful to Him.⁶ In light of that, suffering is no different than anything else we walk through. Suffering according to God’s will results in glory now and into eternity.

But after we have gone through any great difficulty the way the Lord intended, our idea of glory becomes quite different than it was previously. Before trouble entered our lives, we were selfish and prideful. We wanted glory so that people would see us. After we endure suffering, we have a much different idea of what is glorious. If during our trials we come to see Jesus, we realize the greatest reward of all is the deepening of our relationship with Him. As we seek to see Christ in our difficult circumstances, God begins to see His reflection in us. Like a refiner of gold who carefully watches the fire and extinguishes it as soon as the metal is purified, God will only allow suffering in our lives until it draws us to Him and makes us more like Him.

The Greeks who approached Philip would have been delighted to share a handshake with Jesus. Philip and Andrew would have been happy if He gave them a quick and easy answer. Often, we would be satisfied if God just took away our problems. But all those years ago in Jerusalem, Jesus had so much more planned for those who came to Him with such small requests. Jesus wanted to share Himself with the Greeks. Jesus wanted Philip and Andrew to know Him well enough that they could perceive His answer when He was no longer in their presence. And Jesus has abundantly more planned for us amid our current difficulties. We have been asking to see Jesus in our circumstances; Jesus wants us to know Him through them! God knows we will never ultimately be satisfied until we intimately know Jesus.

 

¹ Scripture quotations marked with ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All Scriptures are taken from the ESV unless otherwise noted. To aid in understanding, I have capitalized references to God.

² For my commentary on this event, check out https://blueturtletrails.com/rest-assured/

³ For my commentary on this concept, check out https://blueturtletrails.com/taking-up-our-crosses/

⁴ https://utmost.org/the-unsurpassed-intimacy-of-tested-faith/

⁵ https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1392/kjv/tr/0-1/

⁶ For my commentary on this truth, check out https://blueturtletrails.com/there-are-points-in-heaven-for-that/