Life in the SpiritSample

Day 2: Strength in Suffering

Begin

Quiet your heart and ask God to take all your worries and distractions, trusting him to teach and encourage you through his Word. Pray and ask him to open your eyes to the lessons he has for you today!

Reflect

How does life in the Spirit change the way we endure suffering?

Paul doesn’t deny the reality of present suffering. He led a life marked by pain and persecution, but his response is to point us to the Holy Spirit as our source of strength and comfort in our darkest moments.

Our whole world is marked by the brokenness Paul describes in Romans 8. We see creation groaning as it waits for redemption God has promised (verse 22). But we also feel that brokenness in our own hearts and lives. We, like Paul, may endure a “thorn in the flesh”—something that causes us continuous suffering. We may experience deep emotional turmoil: the deaths of loved ones; the heavy burden of unsaved friends and family members; the loneliness of a broken relationship. Or we might feel overwhelmed by the sum of suffering in our world that we see playing across our phone screens and TVs. In these moments, when your heart breaks and your soul longs for everything to be made right, you might feel like groaning, too. You might ask God, “How long?” And sometimes, it feels like you’ll wait forever for an answer.

This is where Paul reminds us that we do not wait or suffer alone. During his earthly ministry, Jesus promised that a Comforter would come to his people (John 14:16). His presence in our lives is a guarantee from God of all that is to come (2 Corinthians 5:5).

With this confidence, Paul encourages us to adopt a new perspective in our suffering. First, he tells us to weigh our suffering with God’s promise of glory in Christ Jesus (verse 18). Paul does not say this lightly or to dismiss the burden of pain and heartbreak we endure. Instead, he reminds us that suffering is not the end of our story. And when the fullness of Christ’s glory is revealed, even unspeakable suffering will seem like distant shadows.

Second, Paul highlights the Spirit’s role in our suffering. When we are at our weakest, his Spirit translates our wordless cries to our loving heavenly Father (verse 26). Even when we don’t know what to say, God understands our pain. He draws near to us with the promise of ever-present comfort and invites us to pour out our hearts to him.

Finally, Paul refocuses our attention on the God who can turn our hardest experiences into monuments to his grace (verse 28). In this world, suffering is guaranteed. We won’t experience this life without it. But the wonderful truth is that God can use even suffering to grow us in faith and make us more like Jesus. Not one moment of our lives is wasted in our Father’s ultimate plan for us.

With this fresh perspective, we can walk through valleys of suffering with confidence, knowing that the Spirit is with us, that God can redeem our pain for his purposes, and that our journey ends with glory that will outshine even our darkest moments.

Consider

Consider Romans 8:26–27. How does the knowledge that God searches your heart and that the Spirit intercedes for your wordless prayers change the way you will approach prayer in difficult moments?

Read Romans 8:28 again. Consider the word “good” from an eternal perspective. What “good” things have you seen come from your most difficult moments? Has God grown you in grace, faith, patience, love, or kindness? Have you had the opportunity to share the gospel with others? Make a list of ways God used suffering to work his purposes in your life.

Meditate

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. —Romans 15:13 NIV