Thankful for Suffering???

So this week is different. There is no in-person Bible study this week, but God provided me with a different and important lesson to share with you. I gave you a bit of a sneak peak the other day. I copied that post and put it below.

"Ok so this may sound strange but I'm thankful for suffering. Yes you read it correctly, I'm thankful for suffering!!! This life here was never meant to be  easy. If it were easy though, what would we REALLY learn? For me, in my times of suffering, I truly appreciate all of the good times. I truly learn to take time to pray which leads to time spent with God. For me, this is how I learned to get in His Word which also leads to spending time with Him. In my times of suffering, this is when I do my most learning, make my big discoveries, have BIG spiritual growth spurts, grown my personal relationship with God!!! Thank you, God, for being firm and putting these sufferings on my path!!!"

When things are not as we'd like, and that storm has hit, I know I sure miss my better times and have learned to appreciate them. You just never know how long this time of suffering will be, so smile and think about your good times and take comfort in knowing this suffering will come to pass so you can even think about good times yet to come. In all of this I have also now learned how to be confident and content in my present suffering!!! We will not always be happy but we can decide to not let Satan steal our peace, joy, or contentment!!! This is hard but when practiced on a regular basis, it does get easier. You just have to have your mind made up. If you think it's going to be one of those days, put up your fists, stomp your feet, and you shout, "No, not today Satan! You are not stealing from me!!! You WILL NOT steal my peace OR my joy for my Lord, God gave them to ME!!! In Jesus name, amen!"

Hey look, a prayer was just said, or SHOUTED! Which brings me to my next thing I've been taught-praying. My suffering times have taught me to simply open up to God. Just put it all out there, words, feelings/emotions, tears/sobbing. My brokenness-I had to learn how to lay it down at His feet before the healing could begin. This has led me to spend time with God when I was down so I could be lifted up. That led me to spend time with God when I was feeling better. Now I'm spending time with God not just to ask him to feel better, not to just say I'm feeling better, but to praise him, give Him glory, and to say, "hey I'm here, use me." Sometimes I'm with God and I don't say anything. Just enjoy soaking Him up.

Another thing I've learned is to turn to the Word in my times of suffering. It has been proven to me time and time again that His Word is the medicine for our soul. His Word IS the manual for LIFE. It has everything we need!!!

Learning this (spending time in His Word) has also led me into spending more time with Him too.  In doing so, I not only learned so much more about who I really am, but have also learned how to hear from God, have made life discoveries, and grown so much spiritually!!! My spirit eyes and ears are more than just present, they have now been opened!!!

One of the other big things I have learned from my sufferings is patience. It's quite typical for us to want things "our" way and in "our" time. When this doesn't happen, we can get quite impatient. When you're going through a time of suffering, it's even more difficult to have patience. It was for me until I got educated on this. Now I have learned to just keep breathing (or simply take deep breathes), just keep praying, and don't REact (if you have any questions about this, let me know).

Yet another thing I more realized than learned was the firmness of God. He sticks to His plan. He doesn't just let up because we cry and "throw fits" because we don't like the way things are at that moment. He stays firm and doesn't give in since He does everything for a reason. This has also taught me to be a better parent as well.

There you have it, some of the biggest things I've learned from my sufferings which is why I'm so thankful for my sufferings!!! I'm a much better person now because of them. I also have a better relationship with God too!!! Who would have thought that awful things were actually blessings???

Session 5

Opening prayer
 Thank you father God for bringing us together so that we may praise and worship you and learn more about what your word does for us. I pray that you open our hearts and our minds so that we gain more knowledge and wisdom from your word and that we share this knowledge with others and bless others with it. In Jesus' name we pray amen

17. God’s Word makes me wiser than my enemies. (Psalm 119:98) 

NIV version 
“Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies.”
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18. The Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. (Psalm 119:105) 

NIV version 
“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”
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19. When we are afflicted, God’s Word quickens us and gives us life. (Psalm 119:107) 

NIV version 
“I have suffered much; preserve my life, LORD, according to your word.”
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20. God’s Word gives us hope. (Psalm 119:114) 

NIV version 
“You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.”
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Closing prayer

Thank you father God for allowing us to come together and in this time I ask that blessings be poured upon these people. In Jesus' name, amen!