Inseparable…

​We often view suffering or the silence of God as a mark of His disapproval or the presence of sin in our lives. But as we consider the life of John the Baptist, we know this is not the case because of God’s grace. 

Jesus thought that John was a great man and knew that he was full of faith and faithfulness, but still allowed him to suffer just like Job (who God offered up to Satan in Job 1:8 and 2:3). In His great grace and for His good reasons, God allowed both of them to suffer in this life and seemed silent in their suffering. And yet, there was a time when He told both of them the same thing amid their suffering: “I AM who I AM.”

That is the answer to the suffering we endure in this earthly life. God is who He said He is. He is gracious. His grace has more to do with who He is and who we are in Him. If God wants to allow a season of earthly suffering so that He can perfect something precious and eternal in you, wouldn’t you desire that, too?

Probably not—but God does not ask for our permission. He gives us the Scriptures so that while suffering, we can be assured of His character and continue to learn the secret of being content in any and every situation. It comes down to who He is and who we are in Him. Nothing we endure in this earthly life could ever separate us from that eternal and immutable truth. 

If you are an adopted son or daughter of the King, settle in your heart who God is and who you are in Him. Knowing His identity and your identity in Him is essential so that you can stand knowing that the wind and waves will never move you from who you are forever in Him. 

In Him, you are greater than even John the Baptist. In Him, you are His son, His daughter. He loves you as much as He loves His Son, Jesus. When the wind blows strong, the waves crash all around, and a season of suffering starts to sway you—remember who God is and who you are forever in Him: inseparable!