"He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering...Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities: the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed...Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer..." (Isaiah 53:2-5;10)
Why so much talk lately on trials, trouble, and suffering?! Sometimes we minister best when it is ourselves that are experiencing these things. Doesn't the Bible say in II. Corinthians 1:4 that "God is the Father of compassion and who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have recieved from God."?
The Bible said that Jesus was a man "familiar with sufferings". Do you feel sometimes "familiar with sufferings?" The Bible is full of stories of great men and women of the word who were "familiar with sufferings." Think of Moses, Joseph, Daniel, Elijah, John the Baptist, John the Revelator, and of course...Jesus!
So many times we go through trails or sufferings in our lives and we quickly begin to rebuke the devil. Did it ever occur to us our trials may not be stimming from the devil but...Jesus? In Isaiah it says, it was the Lords will to "crush him and cause him to suffer." But why would God allow that? Remember in Matthew it says, "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness...for great is your reward in heaven." I believe if we follow Jesus (regardless of popular teachings) we will suffer and go through trials. Wait, then why should I follow Jesus, that doesn't sound too fun! Remember, we came to Jesus in pursuit of forgiveness, not happiness!
I believe when we are "crushed and experience suffering" God himself is trying to strain the "us out of us". We trully can't be used to the capacity the Father wants to use us in unless..."we die" as Paul would put it. I believe out of intense suffering the man or woman of God is trully manifested.
Back in the day, the way to get the oil out of the grapes was to "crush them". I believe its the same today, the way to get the oil (annointing) out of us is that we be "crushed". Get the us out of us, the me out of me, the flesh to submit, and allow the will of the Father to come forth!
If you are going through it I encourage you to be faithful! The most important thing is our obedience to the Father, even through trials and suffering!
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