I think you missed the entire point of Elisabeth Elliot’s devotional. Our ability to know Him IS only through suffering- HIS suffering on the cross made the way for us. Also, there are many verses discussing the topic of suffering as believers. God uses our suffering for His glory-that’s not the same thing as INFLICTING suffering like some cruel abusive father. Suffering in this human body and this world is inevitable, but when we surrender our suffering for His glory-He does marvelous things with and through our sufferings.
But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 1 Peter 5:10
Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 2 Tim 3:12
Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. Psalm 34:19
So, God wants you to suffer? Really? It's His will for people to be sick? It's His will for people victimized by other people's sin to suffer? No. Suffering is not God's idea. It's ours. Our first parents chose to disobey, breaking the world and God's heart. God in His infinite mercy made a way so that we would not suffer eternally, that we could know Him, and that our lives could be blessed through obedience and fellowship with Him. As a parent, the idea of inflicting pain on my child so he could know me better is abhorrent. What are you really saying? Everything that happens is NOT God's will. He allows for our free will choices and unintended consequences, and is sovereignly able to make all things work together for the good of those that love Him and are called according to His purpose. That is the beauty for ashes. His will is that none should perish, and when He came, He looked with compassion on the people, and healed them. If suffering was required for knowing Him, He would have left them as they were, left us all without redemption with death and hell. Suffering is a fact of life, but it is not God's original intent, and He is going to remove it one glad morning, because He is good.
I think you missed the entire point of Elisabeth Elliot’s devotional. Our ability to know Him IS only through suffering- HIS suffering on the cross made the way for us. Also, there are many verses discussing the topic of suffering as believers. God uses our suffering for His glory-that’s not the same thing as INFLICTING suffering like some cruel abusive father. Suffering in this human body and this world is inevitable, but when we surrender our suffering for His glory-He does marvelous things with and through our sufferings.
But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 1 Peter 5:10
Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 2 Tim 3:12
Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. Psalm 34:19
So, God wants you to suffer? Really? It's His will for people to be sick? It's His will for people victimized by other people's sin to suffer? No. Suffering is not God's idea. It's ours. Our first parents chose to disobey, breaking the world and God's heart. God in His infinite mercy made a way so that we would not suffer eternally, that we could know Him, and that our lives could be blessed through obedience and fellowship with Him. As a parent, the idea of inflicting pain on my child so he could know me better is abhorrent. What are you really saying? Everything that happens is NOT God's will. He allows for our free will choices and unintended consequences, and is sovereignly able to make all things work together for the good of those that love Him and are called according to His purpose. That is the beauty for ashes. His will is that none should perish, and when He came, He looked with compassion on the people, and healed them. If suffering was required for knowing Him, He would have left them as they were, left us all without redemption with death and hell. Suffering is a fact of life, but it is not God's original intent, and He is going to remove it one glad morning, because He is good.