We have all endured suffering. At times it comes upon us in short, intense storms, threatening to swamp our souls as the stormy sea of Galilee did with the boat bearing Jesus and his disciples. Then there are seasons of prolonged suffering, when each day brings dark tidings of some new wave of woe, which adds its own peculiar weight of misery to an already accumulated burden, until the anguish tempts us, like poor Job, to 'curse God and die'.

Our natural inclination is to avoid all suffering. The theme of our prayerful petitions is relief from suffering once we are in it, and we pray in our intercessions likewise for others amidst their trials. That we should seek a speedy end to our sufferings is not only natural, but it is consistent with a legitimate spirituality which grasps the truth that our gracious and loving heavenly Father delights to bless us with joy and peace. That we should cry out to the Lord for the relief of our suffering brethren is a true manifestation of sanctified sympathy and love.

Yet there are times when, like the apostle Paul with his 'thorn in the flesh' (2 Corinthians 12:7-10), it becomes clear that our prayers must shift from asking for relief to asking for ability to appropriate the grace he has attached to our suffering. Such grace not only enables us to endure trial, but positively transforms our 'thorns' into instruments which help produce our crown of glory.

There are misapprehensions we tend to form when either we or our beloved brethren encounter suffering. The most common is when we think that our troubles have come upon us because of our own sin and failure. Indeed, frequently suffering does result from our waywardness. But not always. The Bible makes clear that it is more often the righteous, like Job and other godly men and women, who encounter the most bitter trials in this life (2 Timothy 3:12).

Even if our suffering does result from our sin, it is crucial for us to bear in mind that such suffering is not, for the Christian, ever a punishment, but rather an instructive chastisement. The motive behind punishment is retribution; but the motive behind chastisement is correction. The former is an expression of justice; the latter of love. One thing we never do have in our beloved Redeemer is condemnation, even in the slightest measure (Romans 8:1). Thus, while we need not necessarily conclude that suffering results from our sin, we must never conclude that it bespeaks the least diminishment of our Father's love for us.

In fact, though we would never choose to enroll in it, the school of suffering is most instructive and edifying. Through its sobering lessons our heads are frequently cleared to see things not so much as they appear, or as we wish them to be, but as they truly are. It is a common but true saying that trial reveals one's true friends. Through our own caprice we can dote on certain people and refuse to see that their love and loyalty are not as deep and true as we make ourselves believe them to be. At the same time, we may be failing to cultivate relationships with those who are choice trophies of grace, but who may not strike our natural fancy. Suffering can teach us who our true friends are, as those in the first category often prove sorry comforters, while those in the second draw near to us, showing themselves to be like those sticking 'closer than a brother'. Thus sanctified realignments take place in our associations and affections.

The truth and depth of our convictions is also tested in the furnace of affliction. There we discover whether we have made the great and precious promises of God's Word distant objects over which we marvel and converse with others, or the ingested and assimilated substance of holy, preserving power. Our Lord loves us too much to allow us to remain mere doctrinal theorists. It is ever the actual impartation of and development within us of his blessed virtues, strengths and sensitivities with which he is concerned. Suffering can act as fertilizer for the soul in this process. But here again, the object is not to punish us with bitter applications of pain, but rather to stimulate us with most effective tools to discover and appropriate those deep treasures of God's grace which we, when distracted by the trinkets of earthly pleasure, can easily overlook.

Trial is one of the best and most practical guides to our true home. When we suffer, the glories of this world pale, and sin's nature and consequences are seen in their most intense and awful colours. We are, accordingly, acutely aware of the Almighty's curse upon this earth, and we begin to pant after that relief and refreshment which only the new haven and earth can provide. This accelerated and intensified quest for our true home is no irresponsible escape-attempt from this life. For our heavenly home, that 'city which has foundations' laid by God himself (Hebrews 11:10), is the true destination and goal of our lives. Even now we are to be preoccupied with thoughts of it. The Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul commands us specifically not to set our minds on earthly things, but rather on things above, where Christ and our new life are hidden in God (Colossians 3:2, 3).

C.S. Lewis, in his book The Problem of Pain, says that pain is God's megaphone to remind us of this high, blessed calling.

Therefore, trial serves our ultimate good. It drives us to cast ourselves utterly upon all that is true, good, real and lasting. It impels us to grasp and apply the eternal, unfailing, great and precious promises of God's Word. It forces us to rely with increasing completeness upon the enlightening, sustaining, empowering Comforter. It thrusts us, finally, not into the cold, outer darkness towards which we feel and fear we are heading, but into the caring arms of Jesus, the true Lover of our souls.

Surely our knowing this should affect how we pray when we or our dear ones suffer. Rather than our simply praying for quick relief, we should ask the Lord to make effectual those grim instruments he has wisely and lovingly ordained to be applied to us. Through such prayer we shall not fail to suck grace, which the Puritans rightly called 'young glory' from the poisonous plant of pain, just as our Saviour drew glorious blessing for us from the cursed tree of his cross.