Paradox of Suffering Savior

Shelter.  Shepherd.  Protector. Refuge. Shield. Savior.

Sufferer.

God promises protection…as well as suffering.  He says to expect suffering because it is inevitable.  So, what is God shielding me from, then?  What exactly does this protection of His look like?  Is He the rest and shield away from the suffering?  Or in the suffering? His divine understanding of suffering is a shelter I quickly and desperately seek when I am feeling misunderstood and alone.  A place of Truth in a world full of untruths.  I do this because Jesus knows suffering.  He knows suffering more intimately and intensely than I ever will…or am even capable of.

“Christ did not sin or ever tell a lie.  Although he was abused, he never tried to get even.  And when he suffered he made no threats.  Instead, he had faith in God, who judges fairly…by His cuts and bruises you are healed…” (1 Peter 2:22-24)

Christ never did anything to warrant ridicule, betrayal, punishment, torture or death.  And it was not just his enemies that causes Jesus pain, He was denied by those closest to Him in the moment He needed them the most.  Jesus Christ knows suffering.  He knows betrayal.  He can intimately relate to the pain and suffering I encounter in this life, regardless of the suffering’s origin…because He lived it, and triumphed over it.

“God chose you to suffer as you follow in the footsteps of Christ, who set an example by suffering for you.” (1 Peter 2:12)

So, as I reflect on the suffering that has seemed utterly senseless, I choose to turn my eyes to Jesus.  The one who understands.  The one who knows.  The one who gives me the strength to let go of my pride, my defenses, my ego and my expectations in order accept the suffering.  To stop fighting or avoiding it.  To sit in it.  To wait in it.  It is only when I stop and stay in one place that I am able to see my critical need for “shelter.” Only then, and there…in my waiting and accepting…am I able to understand God’s promise of being my safe refuge and protective shield.