And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” 1 Peter 3:13-14
You would think that, since everything was created through Jesus and He has a name above every name and all things are under His feet and He has all authority in heaven and on earth, that following Him would keep you in a protective bubble of sorts. Kind of like going through your daily life with a heavenly force field all around you. But in reality, we see plenty of verses of Scripture referring to suffering.
Before Peter wrote these words, he seemed to still be learning this truth. Jesus had told His disciples time and again that the Son of Man would suffer many things and eventually be crucified. One of these occasions is recorded in the eight chapter of the book of Mark where Peter begins to rebuke Jesus for saying such things. As a side note, it’s never a good idea to rebuke the Lord; you can be sure it will not end well for you! So, as Peter is rebuking Jesus, he gets rebuked in front of the other disciples as Jesus tells him to “get behind me, Satan”.
God is good and every good thing and every good gift comes to you from the Lord. The world in which we live is full of evil, however, and we are here for a purpose. Just like Jesus suffered even though He did not deserve it, so you may find yourself at times dealing with the effects of evil all around you. Jesus could have had the Father deliver Him from the suffering He experienced while on the earth as a man, yet He endured the suffering to fulfill the Father’s plan of redemption for mankind.
Likewise, your Heavenly Father is able to deliver you from all of your troubles, but sometimes He may bring you through them instead of taking you out of them. Where would you be today if Jesus had chosen to avoid all trouble and instead exited earth before finishing what He came here to do? There would be no salvation without Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. If you are suffering through a situation, rest assured that God is able to deliver you out of it, so if for some reason you are still going through it, God has a purpose that can only be accomplished on the other side of suffering.
Trust the Lord and His faithfulness and love for you. Be willing to endure whatever comes your way knowing that God has a plan that you cannot see or understand. Like those three young men taken captive to Babylon who were being told they must bow down and worship an image because it was commanded by the pagan king but instead chose to be faithful to God, you have choices every day — go along with the world to get along with the world, or be willing to take a stand for the Lord.
The real key is what follows: God is able to deliver you from all trouble, but even if He chooses not to deliver you for a purpose only He knows, you choose to trust Him. God will deliver you every time; either out of the situation or through it. He will never abandon you. Hold on to the Lord even if He doesn’t do it your way. There is a blessing waiting on the other side of suffering! So tell Him now, “Lord, I will trust You, even if …”