The Sufferings of This Present Time

The Sufferings of This Present Time

Temptations, tribulations, adversities, injustice, and burdens have never been and hereafter never will be greater than we can bear. They will never be greater than that we can go through them victoriously, i.e., without a grating noise, without a discordant sound.

If the temptation and the suffering are great, then grace—help—will be still greater; and if the sufferings are unusually great, grace and power will be even greater so that the scales will always be able to tip in the desired direction. God Himself is the guarantor for it.

This is the apostle’s precious and credible declaration. 1 Cor. 10:13. Besides, this is the Scriptures’ ancient assurance: “As your days [with its difficulties and its resulting temptations], so shall your strength be.” Deut. 33:25.

The words of faith and the doctrine are very precious!

We have even stronger words than the above-mentioned: “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment . . . .” 2 Cor. 4:17 and 18.

Who has experienced it like this? It is the person who believes and has the things that cannot be seen in mind—the glory of eternal life! However, if you are unbelieving and have only the visible and earthly things before your eyes, then tribulations are both long and burdensome. All of us have sufficient experience with the latter, but now it is vital to gain the experience that all this world’s outrageous acts are light and but for a moment!

Indeed, in Romans 8:18, Paul goes so far as to maintain that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us.1 They are therefore not at all worthy of being taken into consideration. Glory to God!