Dark Days of Suffering
Basilea Schlink teaches that through faith and prayer, believers can find divine comfort and joy even in the darkest days of suffering, as God’s loving presence transforms pain into spiritual blessing.
In this devotional sermon, Basilea Schlink shares her profound personal testimony of faith amid suffering, encouraging believers to trust in Jesus’ love and find comfort in His presence. She emphasizes that even the darkest days have a divine purpose and that through prayer and faith, God transforms pain into peace and heavenly joy. Listeners are inspired to bravely bear their crosses, knowing that God’s ways are ultimately good and loving.
Full Transcript
God lives and works today, and when his ways are painful, difficult, and hard to understand, it is then especially that our Heavenly Father has something glorious in mind. Today's meditation by Basilea Schlink shares what this is. Who can measure the great pleasure, suffering, and hunger for the good that pain has brought? Value suffering, such joy bringing, and the cross of Jesus' love.
Let us bravely bear our crosses and inherit counsel. All of us are acquainted with dark days of suffering. Perhaps a loved one has been taken from us.
Perhaps we've been greatly disappointed. Perhaps we have to suffer emotionally or spiritually, owing to sickness or loneliness. Mother Basilea testifies from her own life.
She writes, In my five decades of walking with Jesus, I've experienced how decisive it is to really believe Jesus is greater than my suffering. Yes, I must believe that his love will help me now, whatever the cost might be. He wants to let balsam flow into my comfortless, wounded heart.
Jesus stands by everyone who bears sorrow. He is there as the eternal, divine life. He lets some of this divine life, which is peace and heavenly joy, flow into us.
Through this, everything is transformed. My comfortless heart becomes filled with comfort, peace, and heavenly joy. This is a truth to which I can bear witness.
In periods of loneliness and sorrow, I've experienced that Jesus Christ is all-sufficient. Through his love, he can bring great joy into our hearts. In physical sickness and pain, in spiritual sufferings and temptations, I've experienced that the presence of Jesus is triumphant.
It's especially in such times that I'm led into a deeper fellowship with him. When loved ones were taken from me, I experienced that Jesus' comfort was greater than all the suffering in my heart. Therefore, in dark days of suffering, if you have faith and pray, I commit my ways to the Lord, he will do everything right.
You will experience that he does do everything right, and that he will comfort you. God's will is goodness, and loving kindness, and good the ways he leads us on. Pain is rewarding, sleep is rewarding, this be my song.
Praise the suffering forever. You have been listening to a program written by Basilea Schlink of the Little Land of Canaan. To learn more about how God lives and works today, visit us at our website, www.canaan.org. That's K-A-N-A-A-N dot org.
If you contact us, we would be happy to send you a free inspirational booklet. If you do not have access to the web, please contact this radio station for our postal address. God bless you.
Sermon Outline
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I
- God’s presence in painful and difficult times
- Suffering has a divine purpose and brings spiritual growth
- The cross of Jesus as the ultimate example of love in suffering
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II
- Personal testimony of faith through decades of suffering
- Believing Jesus is greater than all pain and sorrow
- Jesus as the source of peace and heavenly joy
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III
- Experiencing Jesus’ comfort in loneliness, sickness, and loss
- Faith and prayer as keys to receiving divine comfort
- God’s will is always good, even in hardship
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IV
- Encouragement to bravely bear crosses
- Trusting God to do everything right
- Praise and gratitude for the refining power of suffering
Key Quotes
“In my five decades of walking with Jesus, I've experienced how decisive it is to really believe Jesus is greater than my suffering.” — Basilea Schlink
“Jesus stands by everyone who bears sorrow. He is there as the eternal, divine life.” — Basilea Schlink
“God's will is goodness, and loving kindness, and good the ways he leads us on.” — Basilea Schlink
Application Points
- When facing hardship, commit your ways to the Lord in prayer and trust His loving plan.
- Remember that Jesus’ presence can bring peace and joy even in times of loneliness and pain.
- Embrace suffering as an opportunity for spiritual growth and deeper fellowship with God.