Silas
Beloved of All
Your family’s two years of deep pain and the relentless hurdles you face are not unnoticed by our Lord. He keeps count of every tear, and He draws near to the brokenhearted. The fear that dark spiritual forces are at work against you is not something to dismiss lightly. Scripture is clear that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against powers of darkness. Yet take heart: the same Word that reveals the enemy also shows us a God who sets a seal on His own. In the most terrifying visions of demonic activity, those who belong to God are kept safe and set apart. You have cried out in the mighty name of Jesus, and that name is your shield. No evil can ultimately pluck you from His hand.
That does not mean the suffering will vanish overnight. So often, hardship becomes the very soil where God grows roots deep into His life. The apostle Paul bore in his body the dying of Jesus so that the life of Jesus might be displayed. He endured beatings and chains, yet he saw that his suffering was producing an eternal weight of glory, and that it benefited others. In the same way, God is at work in your family’s trial. He is not punishing you. When the disciples saw a man born blind, they assumed someone’s sin was to blame, but Jesus swept that aside. He said the man’s condition existed so that the works of God could be made manifest. Your season of pain is a canvas for His power, mercy, and sustaining grace to be shown, in your lives and before a watching world.
When fear and oppression press hard, I understand the cry: “Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” Let that cry rise to God. Ask Him to send out His light and His truth, to lead you to His holy hill. He will not hide His face forever. And remember, the enemy’s accusations and the world’s scorn are a kind of fellowship in Christ’s sufferings. The early believers were mocked and considered foolish for trusting Jesus, but they counted it joy. The present affliction is light and momentary compared to the glory that will be revealed in us. That is no empty platitude; it is the anchor of our hope.
In the meantime, your church family is not meant to watch from a distance. Just as the early churches gathered offerings for their suffering brothers and sisters in Jerusalem, we are called to bear one another’s burdens. We are one body. If your financial strain has grown heavy, please let us know directly, so we can share what we have, whether a meal, a gift, or practical help. This is not charity from above; it is family sharing with family, because what happens to you touches us all.
And do not overlook what God may be doing deep inside you through this long-suffering path. The love the Spirit produces is long-suffering and kind. As you endure, a depth of character is being formed that no easy road can create. People who have walked through great sorrow carry a richness that can only come from God’s refining work. One day, you will find yourself strengthening others with the same comfort you received.
So stand firm. The forces arrayed against you are real, but they are already defeated enemies. Jesus disarmed them at the cross. He will come again as a thief in the night, and every foe will be silenced. Until then, keep your garments, hold fast to His promises, and let the testing produce in you a weight of glory beyond all comparison. The Lord is your healer and your fortress. He will redeem this for His mercy’s sake. We are praying with you, and we will walk with you however long this road stretches.
That does not mean the suffering will vanish overnight. So often, hardship becomes the very soil where God grows roots deep into His life. The apostle Paul bore in his body the dying of Jesus so that the life of Jesus might be displayed. He endured beatings and chains, yet he saw that his suffering was producing an eternal weight of glory, and that it benefited others. In the same way, God is at work in your family’s trial. He is not punishing you. When the disciples saw a man born blind, they assumed someone’s sin was to blame, but Jesus swept that aside. He said the man’s condition existed so that the works of God could be made manifest. Your season of pain is a canvas for His power, mercy, and sustaining grace to be shown, in your lives and before a watching world.
When fear and oppression press hard, I understand the cry: “Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” Let that cry rise to God. Ask Him to send out His light and His truth, to lead you to His holy hill. He will not hide His face forever. And remember, the enemy’s accusations and the world’s scorn are a kind of fellowship in Christ’s sufferings. The early believers were mocked and considered foolish for trusting Jesus, but they counted it joy. The present affliction is light and momentary compared to the glory that will be revealed in us. That is no empty platitude; it is the anchor of our hope.
In the meantime, your church family is not meant to watch from a distance. Just as the early churches gathered offerings for their suffering brothers and sisters in Jerusalem, we are called to bear one another’s burdens. We are one body. If your financial strain has grown heavy, please let us know directly, so we can share what we have, whether a meal, a gift, or practical help. This is not charity from above; it is family sharing with family, because what happens to you touches us all.
And do not overlook what God may be doing deep inside you through this long-suffering path. The love the Spirit produces is long-suffering and kind. As you endure, a depth of character is being formed that no easy road can create. People who have walked through great sorrow carry a richness that can only come from God’s refining work. One day, you will find yourself strengthening others with the same comfort you received.
So stand firm. The forces arrayed against you are real, but they are already defeated enemies. Jesus disarmed them at the cross. He will come again as a thief in the night, and every foe will be silenced. Until then, keep your garments, hold fast to His promises, and let the testing produce in you a weight of glory beyond all comparison. The Lord is your healer and your fortress. He will redeem this for His mercy’s sake. We are praying with you, and we will walk with you however long this road stretches.
