scars

In 2 Corinthians 12:9 - 10, Paul the apostle writes that he delights in weakness, insults, hardships, persecution and difficulties, because the power of God is perfected in weakness. 'For when I am weak, then I am strong.' In verse 7 and 8, Paul writes of a thorn in his flesh that torments him, which he prayed that God would take away. But God said to him, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.'

In Hebrews 12:7 - 11, we read: 'Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children.....God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.'

These verses encourage me as I go through my own challenges. When we face difficulties, we tend to think that something is wrong - that it shouldn't be like this. But the message of the Bible is that, no, when we suffer, it's for a reason. It has meaning. It's not just wasted time. We aren't cursed and abandoned.