I know the title seems like a very odd statement.  How can suffering lead to comfort? Suffering is a bad thing in the eyes of man, something we would choose to avoid at all costs, we would rather do without our entire lives.  Unfortunately it is not possible for us to go without suffering.  All of us have and will experience suffering to some degree in our lives, and some of us are experiencing it at this very moment.  But the idea that it can lead to comfort might seem like a rather bold statement until we look at what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 1.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."  (2 Cor. 1:3-4 )

God comforts us in all our troubles.  So in our troubles we receive comfort.  In addition to that we can receive comfort from others who have received that same comfort in their troubles.  Once we have received comfort in our troubles from God, we are to be sharing that comfort with others.  So available to us in our troubles is comfort from two sources.  God, the God of comfort, and others who have known this comfort.  The passage goes on to say "For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows." (2 Cor 1:5 )

When we suffer we recieve comfort in the same measure through Chirst.  God is a God of comfort.  He wants to comfort us in all our troubles.  He is able to do so because He has compassion that is immeasurable.  We have seen this demonstrated when He sent Christ, and we can recieve the comfort we need when we open our hearts fully to Him. Go to God in prayer, allow Him to give you your comfort in your time of trouble.

A blacksmith uses fire to heat the rod to soften it for the hammer to shape it.  That might work well for a rod and a hammer, but fire doesn’t work so well when a person is involved, we get burned far too easily!  Unfortunately however we often feel like we are standing in the middle of the fire when we are going through a trial, because the pressure builds causing what feels like intense heat.   Sure, our trials don’t physically burn us, but far too often we allow them to emotionally and spiritually burn us because we forget how to cool the fire.

When a blacksmith pounds on the rod and nears the shape he intends, he then sticks the rod into water, and the result is steam-a lot of steam.  The heat is absorbed by the water, and the result is that the water evaporates rising as steam leaving the rod cooled.  Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just jump into a pool of water when the fire of a trial seems too hot to bear and allow the water to absorb the heat and rise as steam?  We do have a pool of water available to us that makes this possible.  God supplied us with living water, a refreshing stream that restores our soul in a way water cannot.  In John 7:37 Christ says "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink." (John 7:37 NIV )  Christ is telling everyone that He is available to all who can admit "I am thirsty, I need to drink of living water, not of water that only quenches for a time then leaves me thirsty again".  This living water is the forgiving grace of Christ that is given to all who admit their need for a savior, believe that Christ died for them, confess their sins, and trust Christ as their Savior.

For those who have trusted Christ there is a refreshing stream that restores the soul when the trial seems so hot.  Often we feel this heat because we are longing for something.  We are longing for refreshment.  Psalm 42:1-2 says this:

"As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?"

Our soul is built to long for God, to desire Him, to want to meet Him.  Though there is coming a time when those who have trusted Christ will be with Him (Rev 21:3 ), right we now need to be seeking Him to find refreshment while we wait for that day.  In Jeremiah 31:25 the Lord says "I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint".  The answer to the longing and the thirst.  The refreshment we seek.  Now we need to act.  We need to be a people who seek the Lord.  Again in Jeremiah the Lord says "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart". (Jer 29:13 )   If we seek Him we will find Him, and He will refresh us when we our weary.  The fire will not seem so hot if we are refreshed by the one who is capable of giving us more then a simple drink of water.  Go to the Lord in prayer, let Him know you feel hot in the fire of the trial, lifting your needs to Him like steam rises when the rod cools.  He will refresh you and satisfy you in a way that only He can.

When I was swimming competitively I swam long distance swims.  We used a lap marker at the end of the pool to remind us what lap we were on so we didn’t have to count our laps.  We did this because it would be very easy to get confused while swimming 20 laps of the pool and lose track of what lap you were on and either swim too many, or worse then that, stop too soon!  There were other things going on while were in the pool that could easily distract us from counting correctly.  Things like the people screaming when we reached the end of the lap, the pool noise, or even our own inner talk that distracted us if we were not fully engaged in the race.  While we are running the race we are on for Christ, we can sometimes get distracted as well.

Galatians 5:7-10 says  "You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. "A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough." I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be" (Gal 5:7-10 NIV )  When we are running our race in a manner worthy of being called good we need to be aware that confusion can occur.  When trials come our way we need to be especially on our guard so that we are not distracted from the race we are running.  The enemy is going to search for ways to distract us by lieing to us about who we are, what God is doing, and what we should be doing.  We know that because the scriptures call him a liar (John 8:44 ) who is seeking to devour us (1 Pet 5:8 ).  During times of trial we are especially vunerable to this because it becomes more difficult for us to see what God is doing in the trial.

What we need to be careful of is that we don’t allow ourselves to get distracted by the persuasion of the enemy because He throws us into confusion.  If we look carefully at Galatians 5:7-10 again, it tells us that "the one who is throwing us into confusion will pay the penalty".  It is not our job to determine that penalty, simply to remember that "that kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you."  To put our focus back on the race, away from the screaming people, the noise around us, and the inner talk that doesn’t match our goal.  In order to do this we need to be a people absorbed in God’s Word, the Bible.  In order to know what God is doing and to understand His purpose for what we are experiencing we need to also be spending time with Him in prayer.  It is easier to be distracted in a race we are not fully engaged in.  Don’t make it easier for the enemy to throw you into confusion because you are not fully engaged in the race.

Darts are a curious game.  You have a pointed sharp object you throw across the room in an attempt to have it stick in a small circle in the center of a larger circle, hitting the bullseye.  Now that in theory is the way to win the game.  All around this are varying point value areas when you miss the bullseye, some of which are double value, or even triple value.  The hardest thing in darts may be getting the first dart to hit the bulls eye, but harder yet is getting the next one and so on to hit the bullseye with the other ones are in the way!  There is something blocking the path and obstructing the target that might veer the next dart off to the side.  So you might purposefully try to hit the triple or double areas as a second or last resort!

In life we, in a way, are trying to hit a "bulleyes".  We are attempting to remain on course so that our eyes are constantly fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. (Heb 12:1-2 )  If that is our "bullseye", then we need to ensure that nothing obstructs our path on our way to get there.  Part of Hebrews 12:1 says "let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles".  We need to a people who seek to remove those things by keeping our focus on Christ, and through listening to the Holy Spirit.   Though some of the things around may seem appealing, like those double and triple points on the dart board, they are in no way equal to the prize we receive when we focus on the bullseye!

Hebrews 11:6 says "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (Heb 11:6 NIV )   To know and believe that He rewards us for seeking Him is not only necessary for us to keep our eyes focused on the bullseye, it is also remembering a promise.  "He rewards those who earnestly seek him."  God promises to reward those who seek Him, to credit as righteousness the faith of those who trust Him (Rom 4:4-5 ).

Hitting the target is about getting our focus right, on Jesus.  It is  about keeping the obstacles out of our way, and about believing that God rewards those who seek Him.  Hitting the target in darts may be fun, but missing in darts doesn’t have much of a consequence.  When we lose our focus on Christ and veer off course we may began finding obstacles in our path.  That is when we need to be willing to stay upon Gods Anvil and not run from what He is doing in the molding process.  All of us have times we lose focus, but by earnestly seeking Him we can get back on course and start hitting the target again.

When was last time you really listened for quiet?  You know the absolute absence of any noise.  It is nearly impossible anymore to find that.  Try to think of one place where you could go to find absolute quiet.  No noise at all.  No hum, no buzz, no ticking, nothing.  Even now I bet there is noise around you where you are.  I can hear the fan on my computer going!  It is hard to find a place of quiet in our world.  Sometimes it gets so noisy it becomes hard to hear the very thing we are trying to hear!  How many times a day do we say or have someone say to us "what did you say?" because other noise was to loud around.

In our life noise can be a problem in more ways then one.  When we are experiencing a trial we often start discovering that very thing.  We discover how much noise in our life distracts us from hearing what God is trying to tell us and what He is doing in our life.  During a time of trial we want to hear His voice,we want to know what He is up to, and we may find out how much "noise" is preventing us from hearing the very voice we want so desperately to hear.  We begin to fear that God is not with us because we do not hear Him, because we think He is distant.  However Isaiah 41:10 says in part "So do not fear, for I am with you". (Is 41:10 NIV )  He has not left, we just need to be listening.  However part of what happens is we let a lot of noise get in the way.

What kind of noise?  The noise of the situation for one thing.  When life seems at it worst it can be an easy trap for us to focus on the temporal situation rather then our eternal goal and prize.   In 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 Paul says  "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Cor 4:17-18 NIV )  We need to remember that God promises us an eternal glory that is far better then that which we are temporarily experiencing now, that which He is now preparing us for.  We cannot let the noise of the situation interfere with that promise.  Yes the reality exists and must be dealt with, but we must not allow that to block out what we know to be true of God and His promises.

Another kind of noise that gets in the way is the noise we create all on our own.  The noise that we decide somehow takes precedence over listening to what God is telling us.  It might be some priority in our life that is important, some mundane task, something fun, something meaningless.  The question is how much of the noise are you creating yourself by placing more importance on other things in your life over God?  When we have so much going on in our life that we squeeze out God, we are creating too much noise.  When our schedules are crammed, and our life is hectic, when our time is so under demand, and everything seems behind, do we listen to all that noise?  What happens when we create enough noise in our lives that we think God is silent?  He is still there, right where He was.  Isaiah 41:10 says it.  We need just to remember that though noise is constant, so is God.  Yes there is always noise, but when we are creating it ourselves we cannot expect that we are going to hear God through it all unless we make a different choice.

We need to people who are listening.  People who are willing and ready to hear.  God does not force His voice upon us.  He asks that we listen and tells us we will know His voice if we do.  Like sheep who know their shepherd’s voice, we will know His for He is our shepherd.  Christ tells us this very thing in John 10:1-5 when He tells us about the Shepherd and His flock.  We need to be people who stop listening to all the wrong noise around us, stop creating noise of our own, and start listening for the shepherd’s voice.  We will know it, and when we hear it we will be able to focus more easily on what is unseen, the eternal glory that outweighs what we are expierencing now.

Everything changes right?  Isn’t that what everyone says, bands sing about, and books get written about?   There are at least 6 artists who have named a song or album "Everything Changes".   Do a book search on Amazon.com for "Everything Changes" and you get over 10,000 results for books!  I think people generally agree that things change.  It is a constant theme and people talk about it on a constant basis.  When was that last time you got together with a group of people and didn’t hear someone ask "whats new?"  We ask because we know things change.

So why then with God does it surprise us when He wants us to change?  We know that we are changing from our former selfs to our new selfs (Eph 4:22-24 ).  This is a time consuming process, not like changing our clothes or getting a haircut to change our appearance.  He is going to mold us for our entire lives, that is quite a long time.  We know He is going to keep molding us and He gave us a helper to remind us of what He said.  John 14:26 says "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." (John 14:26 NIV )   Part of the Holy Spirits very purpose is to abide in us, teach us, and guide us. (John 14:16 , John 14:26 , John 16:13 )

The Holy Spirit was given to us to help us see what in our life needs to change.  The Holy Spirit allows us to distinguish our old self from the new self, that which God wants to mold out of us so that we can be molded into what He wants us to be.  This is not always a very comfortable process.  We don’t always want to be molded.  There are sometimes parts of our lives that we would rather not have change.  We would rather believe not everything changes, and not everything needs to change!  There is only one issue with that thought, if God wants to change it, it needs to be on His Anvil.  I believe that God knows what is best for His creation (Gen 1:27 ).  We sometimes think God can’t change some part of us, yet He is capable of more then we can imagine because He is God, and He has given us the power of the Holy Spirit  (Eph 3:20 ).  At times we think God doesn’t know about that area–yet we fool ourselves (Heb 4:13 ).  We may believe that God is not big enough for some issue in our life.  God is big enough, bigger then we can fathom, for He is infinite (1 Kings 8:27 ).

Is there something in your life that you know is like your old self self and not your new self?  Is there something you know God wants to change but you are not letting Him?  Is it for one of these reasons, or some other reason you have come up with?  Well God is big enough, He does know whats best, and He is capable of changing us into our new selfs just as He promises.  Fool yourself no longer into thinking it doesn’t need to change.  As the Holy Spirit guides us through the process of molding we need to be listening.  I challenge you to drag whatever the Holy Spirit has made you aware needs changing unto Gods Anvil for Him to mold.  In prayer we can go to God and ask Him to change us, and He is faithful to do so.  After all, change is something we are in a constant process of with God, the process of constantly changing to be more like Him (Eph4:23-24 ).

My son just got some silly putty, that moldable putty that you can transfer a picture onto, stretch out to make the picture look different, and then squish it all up again to transfer a new picture on it again.  This kind even glows in the dark!  He is fascinated by it.  Moldable putty that can be changed on the surface, with a different picture at any given moment.  That picture will remain there and can be stretched and changed, but it still remains until it is squished up.  Then underneath it is still the same old silly putty.  Silly putty was designed to be this way, always the same putty no matter how you change its surface appearance.

Unfortunately this sometimes happens with people to.  Same person on the inside no matter how you change the appearance on the outside.  Silly putty can’t change its insides no matter how many pictures you put on its surface.  The reality is people can not truly change just by putting a new picture on the outside either.  There is a danger in not allowing God to change us beyond the surface.  Ephesians 4:22-24 says "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." (Eph 4:22-24 NIV )  When we don’t allow God to mold us, we are not going to be able to put on this new self.  It is impossible to do that without Him, since it is He we are being changed to be more like.

When we are in danger of not allowing ourselves to be molded by God, it may be because there is something we don’t want God to mold.  It may be because we think we can handle things just the way they are.  Well look at that silly putty again.  What happens to it after the surface is changed and stretched, but it eventually gets squished?  It is the same old silly putty underneath.  That is the danger in not being molded on the inside.  When we don’t allow God to mold us, and something comes along that squishes us so to speak, we become corrupted again by our old self and our deceitful desires, and we don’t act like our new self.  We all do it.  We all have moments where our old self shines through-like that glow in the dark silly putty.  What we need to do is be sure that when that small part starts to glow we allow God to mold into something new, not just cover it up with something so it doesn’t show for a little whole longer.  Eventually it will show again, and then what.

When we are going through trail one of the unfortunate things that happens is many of those old self moments glow through because we are being squished.  We may react like our old self.  Our emotional reaction may reflect our old self.  We might revert to an old behavior we thought we defeated.  It matters not what that old self part is that is glowing through, it only matters that we don’t just cover it up, and that we allow God once again to mold us, to change us, and to teach us we are no longer that person.  It certainly doesn’t hurt to be reminded that we are a new creation because we are in Christ. (2 Cor 5:17 )