Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” (Matthew 16:22 NIV)

“I’m sure it couldn’t be God’s will for Debbie to have another operation on her back,” my friend insisted. “It can’t be His will for her to suffer like that.”

How easy it is for us to decide we know God’s will in a given situation. If it involves someone we love, we’re quick to assume, as Peter did in the scripture above, that it can’t be God’s will for them to suffer. Yet as we look at scripture, we find that Jesus and those who followed Him experienced much suffering. God did not remove all difficulties from their path, even when they were doing exactly what He had asked them to do;  nor will He always remove them from ours or from those we love.

God promises He will never leave us or forsake us, but He doesn’t paint a picture of a life without suffering for His followers. We need to be careful to follow His example so that we don’t create unrealistic expectations in our children and in others to whom we witness about Christ.

Father, forgive us for assuming we know your will and for our unwillingness to suffer. Amen.

(Devotional adapted from Homespun Faith, Reflections from the Seasons of Life, copyright 2014 Daisy Beiler Townsend. Available as paperback or ebook: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Xulon Press. There are Links on this website on the Where to Buy Homespun Faith and Sarah’s Legacy page.  Locally at Fresh Grounds, M & M Grocery, Penn Alps in Grantsville, Maryland, or from me 724-373-8445.)