Suffering

"If we put up with suffering for doing what is right, this is acceptable in God's eyes." 1 Peter 2:20

We don't hear about many verses on suffering, because they don't become favorites. We don't quote them, and we never put them on plaques and sell them in our stores. I doubt if people would want it up on their walls! But the truth is God's word is peppered with truths about suffering, and if we're part of God's people, it's inevitable. 

I am reading about the underground church in China and there is one man's testimony that is well known and verified by many church leaders there. His name is Enoch Wang, and he is one of the pastors that was spawned out of Watchman Nee's missionary zeal. Enoch spent more than 16 years in prison for the sake of the gospel. If that is not suffering, I don't know what is.

In 1997, when Enoch along with other church leaders were released from prison, they were going to hold a very important unity meeting so that the different house churches would be of one mind and heart. God revealed that was essential if they wanted to advance the gospel.  At that time, his family was being hunted by the police and they were in hiding. On the morning Enoch was to travel to the meeting his 15 months old baby fell from the 4th floor balcony! Enoch could see that his baby was dead, her head was smashed, and he could not bring her to the hospital or they would all get arrested. In desperation, he cried out to the Lord against what he felt was a demonic attack. "Lord, if it is your will for the church in China to be unified, then I pray you will put the breath of life back in her body. But if it is not Your will, I will hide myself and never preach again."

He then attended the meeting in defiance of the enemy. During the meeting, he fasted. When he returned home, his weeping wife was holding the lifeless body of their baby. When he prayed over the body, they heard a burping sound, and they continued to pray the whole night. The next day he left for the unity meeting again. For 4 days, Enoch continued to meet with the other leaders and each time he went home, the baby showed signs of improvement! In Enoch's testimony, he shares that his baby Sheng Ling was so smart, suffered no long-term damage and he invited everyone to visit them and see! 

Lord, You are a God who withholds no good thing. But it is also true that suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope (Romans 5:3-5). May we learn from whatever hardship You allow in our life. Teach us to be more than conquerors. After we have suffered a little while, You who have called us to Your eternal glory in Christ, will be the one to restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish us (1 Peter 5:10).