Without a doubt, one of the most vexing questions we all face in life (if not the greatest of all) is, ‘Why do we suffer?’

This gnawing perplexity confronts the believer and unbeliever alike. Why are our lives, and the lives of those we dearly love, so often characterized by affliction and pain in both body and soul? Why do some of the most dedicated Christians we know seem to suffer the most? Does our suffering indicate that we have committed a sin and are now enduring the punishment that fits the crime? Has our Father forsaken us, forgotten us, or withdrawn His love?

Every generation of Christians has raised these same questions. This is why the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews addresses the subject of affliction in such detailed fashion in Hebrews 12:1-11.

On Sunday we will begin our journey through these verses, and we will seek to understand what we might call ‘The Blessed Paradox of Affliction.’ I encourage you to prayerfully mediate upon this passage, and pray that our Father will bless the proclamation of His Word as we gather before Him in worship.