Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

Today let’s look at Christ being the first to show how God turns suffering shame into glorious gain.

Today’s scripture, Romans 8:28‭-‬30 (ERV), says…
We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him. These are the people God chose, because that was his plan. God knew them before he made the world. And he decided that they would be like his Son. Then Jesus would be the firstborn of many brothers and sisters. God planned for them to be like his Son. He chose them and made them right with him. And after he made them right, he gave them his glory.

Consider…
There are some verses in the Bible that are used as encouragement for faith. Romans 8:28 is one of those verses. It’s encouraging and reassuring to know that God works for the good of us who love Him. Yet, notice He didn’t say that makes everything good. In fact a few verses earlier, Paul wrote…
If we are God’s children, we will get the blessings God has for his people. He will give us all that he has given Christ. But we must suffer like Christ suffered. Then we will be able to share his glory. – Romans 8:17 ERV

Fact is, everyone suffers, but we’re not the first, nor have we suffered the most. Hebrews 12:3‭-‬4 (NLT) tells us to…
Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.

We must suffer like Christ to share in His glory.

You see Christ’s suffering was worked for good according to Hebrews 12:2‭-‬3 (ERV). Look at what we’re told to focus on…
We must never stop looking to Jesus. He is the leader of our faith, and he is the one who makes our faith complete. He suffered death on a cross. But he accepted the shame of the cross as if it were nothing because of the joy he could see waiting for him. And now he is sitting at the right side of God’s throne. Think about Jesus. He patiently endured the angry insults that sinful people were shouting at him. Think about him so that you won’t get discouraged and stop trying.

I have read these verses many times, but just now I saw how Jesus modeled faith. Let’s look at two points in the first verse…

• Jesus is the leader of our faith
• Jesus suffered and accepted the shame of the cross for the joy He could see waiting. That’s faith.

…Jesus endured the suffering and shame here on earth in anticipation of the glory awaiting Him in Heaven.

This makes me hear Romans 8:18 (NLT) streaming in my mind…
Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.

The Hebrew writer who told us to focus on Jesus, was also telling us to view suffering the way He did.

1 Peter 4:1 (NLT) exhorts…
So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin.

Christ defeated sin and death by excruciatingly dying on the cross. And Galatians 5:24 (NLT) instructs us…
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.

Christ suffered and died to be raised to live forever. He showed us the key to living eternally, which is suffering and dying temporarily. That aligns with 2 Corinthians 4:17 (NLT), which encourages…
For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!

The Holy Spirit is encouraging us that Christ was the first to show us that what may seem like a suffering shame is really a setup for a glorious gain. Philippians 2:8‭-‬11 (NLT) testifies…
he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

So, yes Romans 8:28 is true, but in a much more profound way. The scripture encourages us to trust God in our suffering, because Christ suffered first. And suffering is part of His glory transformation plan.

This brings me to the inspiration for today’s title. God explained His plan, referenced at the end of Romans 8:28, in the very next verse. It says…
He decided that they would be like his Son. Then Jesus would be the firstborn of many brothers and sisters. God planned for them to be like his Son.

God planned for us to be His children like His firstborn Son! Romans 8:15‭-‬17 (NLT) declares…
So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

This means we have to be like God’s suffering Son, to joint heir with His glorified one.

So today, as you continue through your suffering story, remember it’s temporary and endure it like Christ. He endured by fixing His eyes on the eternal glory that was waiting for Him.

Always remember, there’s no eternal glory without a suffering story.

Hopefully this inspires you to change your response to suffering from, ‘why me’ to ‘why not me’.

Today’s song is…
Why Not Me

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)