Suffering and Deliverance (Part 6) - Why God Allows Us to Suffer (Part E)

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r. Paul was in weariness (v.27). (i) Weariness n. - 1. Weary condition; extreme tiredness or fatigue resulting from exertion, continued endurance of pain, or want of sleep. (ii) Weary adj. - I. 1. a. Having the feeling of loss of strength, languor, and need for rest, produced by continued exertion (physical or mental), endurance of severe pain, or wakefulness; tired, fatigued. Now with stronger sense: Intensely tired, worn out with fatigue. (iii) Paul was extremely and intensely tired due to many things such as his much studying (Ecc 12:12), long journeys, spiritual warfare, preaching the gospel, contending for the faith, and caring for the churches (2Co 11:28-29). (iv) Some pastors have killed themselves or nearly killed themselves doing the work of the ministry (Php 2:30; 2Co 12:15). (v) Doing the right thing can be wearying, but we must not let it stop us (Gal 6:9; 2Th 3:13). 1. It's worth being weary to do the Lord's work. 2. God will satiate the weary soul and fill the sorrowful soul (Jer 31:25). 3. God is never weary, and He has plenty of strength to give to the weary so that they will finish running their course (Isa 40:28-31). 4. God's strength is made perfect in our weakness (2Co 12:9-10). (vi) If you are weary from doing things God never told you to do, or, worse yet, from doing things which God told you not to do in His word, then come unto Jesus, live your life under His easy and light yoke, and you will find rest (Mat 11:28-30). (vii) Paul suffered weariness as an example to us of how to do so. s. Paul was in painfulness (v.27). (i) Painfulness n. - 1. The quality of being fraught or attended with pain; distressingness. Also in passive aspect: The condition of suffering pain; distress, affliction. (ii) The stoning, beatings, the imprisonments, and all of the stress and mental anguish Paul endured was very painful. (iii) As the old saying goes though, "no pain, no gain." (iv) The pain Paul endured facilitated his growth as a Christian and a minister. t. Paul was in watchings often (v.27). (i) Watching n. - 1. The action of the verb watch in various senses. lit. and fig. 2. The state or condition of being awake, wakefulness; often, wakefulness from disinclination or incapacity for sleep; an instance of this. (ii) Watch n. - I. Wakefulness, vigil. 1. a. The state of being awake; voluntary or involuntary going without sleep; wakefulness. (iii) Watch v. - 1. a. To be or remain awake. (iv) Often adv. - 1. a. Many times; at many times, on numerous occasions; frequently. Opposed to seldom. (v) Paul was awake at night frequently. (vi) This was likely because of all of the perils he faced which either kept his mind racing at night, or required that he stay up to watch for danger. u. Paul was in hunger and thirst (v.27). (i) He suffered the lack of his most basic needs of food and drink. (ii) God allows His people to suffer hunger at times to prove them and make them rely on Him (Deut 8:3, 16). (iii) Despite allowing Paul to suffer hunger and thirst for a time, God supplied all his need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Php 4:19). v. Paul was in fastings often (v.27). (i) Fasting n. - 1. The action of the vb. fast; abstinence from food; an instance of this. 2. A season of abstinence from food, a fast. (ii) Paul afflicted his soul and chastened himself with fasting often as well (Dan 9:3 c/w Dan 10:12; Psa 69:10). w. Paul was in cold and nakedness (v.27). (i) Nakedness n. - 1. The state or condition of being unclothed or destitute of clothing. (ii) It was common for prisoners to be stripped of their clothes before being beaten (Act 16:22-23). (iii) Paul was in prison without his cloak (a loose outer garment) and asked Timothy to bring it to him before winter (2Ti 4:13, 21). (iv) He no doubt suffered many a cold night in a cold prison. v. All that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution (2Ti 3:12). vi. A pastor is to be an example to the church in all areas of life (1Ti 4:12). a. Therefore, it follows that a pastor will suffer persecution and affliction as an example to the flock. b. Pastors should expect to suffer more than others since they are supposed to be examples. D. Paul and Silas were falsely accused, beaten, and cast into prison for casting a spirit of divination out of a young woman (Act 16:16-24). i. In prison they prayed and sang praises to God (Act 16:25). ii. What a wonderful example of suffering patiently they were for us! E. Paul himself was comforted by the faithful suffering of the Thessalonian saints (1Th 3:3-4, 6-7). i. Paul gloried in the Thessalonian saints in the other churches for how they patiently and faithfully endured persecutions and tribulations (2Th 1:4-5). ii. Their patient suffering was a source of inspiration and encouragement to the apostles and the other churches. 6. learning to trust in God instead of ourselves A. God will sometimes brings such intense suffering into our lives that we cannot possible bear by our own strength which makes us trust in Him instead of ourselves (2Co 1:8-9). i. Pressed ppl. - 1. Subjected to pressure; forced or squeezed into a smaller volume or denser consistence than the ordinary. ii. Measure n. - 1. a. The action or process of measuring, measurement. 12. a. An extent not to be exceeded; a limit. Now only in certain phrases, as to set measures to, to know no measure (see also b and c). b. In advb. phr. beyond (above, without, over) measure, also out of measure, out of all measure (arch.): beyond all bounds, excessively. Formerly (esp. Sc.) used also predicatively = boundless, unlimited, excessive. iii. Above adv. - 7. Higher in degree; surpassing in quality; in excess of, beyond; more than. above all: beyond everything; first of all; chiefly. above measure: beyond or more than what is meet; in excess of moderation; excessively. iv. Strength n. - 1. The quality or condition of being strong. a. Power of action in body or limbs; ability to exert muscular force. b. Bodily vigour in general; efficiency of the bodily powers; esp. in contrast with the weakness due to illness, fatigue, age, immaturity, etc. c. Power in general, whether physical, mental, or due to the possession of resources; ability for effective action; efficiency, vigour (of mental faculties, etc.). d. Capacity for moral effort or endurance; firmness (of mind, character, will, purpose); power to resist temptation or fulfil a difficult duty; †fortitude as one of the cardinal virtues. Freq. in phr. strength of character. in one's own strength: in reliance on oneself and not on divine grace. v. Despair v. - 1. intr. To lose or give up hope; to be without hope. Const. of (with indirect passive to be despaired of) vi. Substituting the definitions, Paul was under excessive pressure which was beyond all bounds surpassing what he was able to endure mentally and physically to the point where he had given up hope that he would even live. vii. In that condition all self-trust and self-reliance is gone, and we are forced to trust in God alone for deliverance. B. By suffering great troubles, fightings, and fears we learn to rely on God's comfort which only He can provide (2Co 7:5-6). i. Comfort v. - 1. trans. To strengthen (morally or spiritually); to encourage, hearten, inspirit, incite. ii. God strengthens us by sending others to encourage us in our time of trial. iii. When I was enduring the greatest trouble I have ever faced as a minister, the God comforted me by sending my best friend to visit me who had no idea that anything was going on. C. When David was greatly distressed he encouraged himself in the LORD his God (1Sa 30:6). i. Greatly adv. - 1. To a great extent, in a great degree; extensively, exceedingly; highly; much, very. ii. Distressed ppl. - Afflicted with pain or trouble; sorely troubled; in sore straits. Applied spec. to a person living in impoverished circumstances. iii. Strait n. - II. Strict, rigorous. 6. a. Of conditions, sufferings, punishment, etc.: Pressing hardly, severe, rigorous. iv. Were he not in such dire straits he might not have looked to the LORD for help (Psa 30:6). v. We must follow David's example and look to the LORD from whence cometh our help (Psa 121:1-2). D. God will put us in trying situations which we have no ability to get ourselves out of, nor do we even know what to do, so that we will set our eyes upon Him for deliverance (2Ch 20:12).