January 23

That is why we boast among God’s churches about your perseverance and faith in the face of all the persecution and affliction you are enduring. All this is clear evidence of God’s righteous judgment. And so you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. — 2 Thess 1:4-5 BSB

God has chosen that His people must pass through deep and painful afflictions, for it is “through many tribulations” that we enter into the kingdom of God, both in this life and the next (Acts 14:22). But this truth is hard for anyone to accept unless God has personally led them through such experiences. The path is rough and difficult, contrary to our natural desires. Prideful, rebellious man—whether in the church or out of it—will resist the idea that tribulation is necessary for entering the kingdom. This is why so many try to find an easier way to glory than the one God has appointed for His saints.

But can the Head take one path, and the members another? Shall the Bridegroom wade through seas of sorrow, while the bride escapes without so much as wetting her feet? Can the Bridegroom be crucified in weakness and suffering, while His beloved bride avoids all inward or outward suffering? No, “bastards may escape the rod,” but not the true-born children of God.

Some may say, “I understand this, but my cowardly flesh shrinks from it. I know that if I am to reach heaven, I must pass through tribulation, but my flesh recoils.” Indeed, it does. None of us would willingly seek out suffering. Thankfully, the Lord doesn’t leave this decision in our hands. He has already determined the measure of tribulation each of His people must endure. These trials will come in God’s own time and way, and He will not only bring us into them, but He will also bring us through them and out of them. As Scripture says, the third part is not merely brought into the fire but through the fire, causing them to call on His name.

What is our mercy, then? Our mercy lies in asking the Lord to give us faith and patience under tribulation, to strengthen us to endure the storm, and to mold us according to His will. We ask Him to guide us through this valley of tears and to ultimately bring us into His eternal rest above.