The human soul does not mature without hardship; the testing of soul muscle comes through difficulty. Character is never built in a vacuum. Obedience that is learned through suffering develops fiber in one’s being. We would like to follow a Christ without the difficulties associated with suffering. “The Christ does not suffer”, Peter discovered, was a satanic message (Mark 8:31-33). Following the Suffering One without suffering is a mirage conjured up by Satan.
“In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.”
You are reading from the devotional book “Growing Toward Maturity”, by H. Lamar Smith.
