Are your hard days becoming hard years of a hard life? As we both look ahead, let’s find courage as we pray together, for God is redeeming our suffering.
God’s redeeming work of grace
Father, I continually cherish Your rescuing gift of saving grace. My blessed Redeemer gave Himself for me, cleansing me from all sin to purify me for His own possession (Titus 2:14).
You’ve redeemed me from my spiritual deadness as a sinner (Eph. 1:7-8). I was…
Instead, in Your great love for me, You saved me, justifying me through Jesus Christ’s payment of every debt I will ever owe You as a sinner. Every eternal promise to me as Your beloved child is certain!
Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it!
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
redeemed thro’ his infinite mercy,
his child and forever I am.
(“Redeemed, How I Love to Proclaim It!” by Crosby, F., 1882)
Courage in Your redeeming today’s suffering, purified gold
So, this earthly suffering must be part of Your redeeming work of sanctifying grace and love toward me…and in me. In Your perfect love for me, You promise that You will sanctify me as Your beloved child, purifying me by Your Spirit as I believe in the truth (2 Thess. 2:13).
Oh Lord, this purifying, refining, melting away of my remaining sin nature feels so painful. It’s like fire. And fire hurts. Suffering hurts.
But I can see that You’re rescuing me ongoing, through this fire…to desire sin even less and Your righteous ways more and more, because You’re gradually giving me even newer desires (Phil. 2:12-13).
Give me courage as I remember Your infinite compassion for me and presence with me…in the fire.
Redeemed, redeemed,
redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
redeemed thro’ his infinite mercy,
his child and forever I am.
Courage in Your promised sanctifying, renewing, delivering grace
I need Jesus more as I suffer, I love Him more as I suffer, and I want to be conformed more and more to His image (Rom. 8:29). I want to love You and others with whatever time You’ve given me on earth, rid of my many idolatries, as humbly loving as Jesus is.
God, I see Your redeeming work in me! For this suffering is Your gift to help me walk steadfastly (James 1:2-4).
Your strong and tested, “gold-like” gift of faith is Your rescuing and delivering grace, until I’m glorified!
“Gold” is its outcome!
Courage in Your promised glorification, fully purified as gold
So, in the hardest moments, when it feels anything but light and momentary, help me cling to Your promised outcome of perfecting work in me…
“that I may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 2:14 ESV).
Because You promise my glorification (Romans 8:16-17, 30)!
Give me joyful courage as I sing, for my beloved Redeemer is with me today and every day
This joyful “lacking nothing” end can become my current “courageous joy” when I remember my suffering is Your redeeming work in me, as Your beloved child.
You are redeeming this suffering!
As I suffer, though I haven’t seen Christ Jesus, I do love Him. Though I don’t physically see Him right now, I believe in Him. So I can rejoice with inexpressible joy that’s filled with glory. Because of Your grace-filled promise, I’m obtaining the outcome of my faith as I suffer…
the salvation of my soul (1 Peter 1:8-9)!
Redeemed, and so happy in Jesus,
no language my rapture can tell;
I know that the light of his presence
with me doth continually dwell.
In the name of my blessed Redeemer, Jesus Christ, amen.
Material adapted from Praying God’s Promises Into Suffering: A Devotional Bible Study Prayer Journal, Lauri A. Hogle, © 2023
Singing to our Redeemer—don’t give up!
I think of my blessed Redeemer,
I think of him all the day long;
I sing, for I cannot be silent;
his love is the theme of my song.
Singing to Jesus has been critical for me in over thirty hard years of (mostly invisible) chronic illness and pain. I’ve had the darkest of moments, wanting to give up.
I need to ask Him for courage, daily. Some days? Hourly.
Oh sister in Christ, I know…this suffering is so hard.
But, like this week’s blind hymn-writer, His gift of courage to keep going happens when I sing of His love for me. That love is on display in His redeeming work on the cross for both of us.
Yes, suffering feels like fire…don’t give up, precious sister in Christ. He’s purifying you too, into His most beautiful gold!
This week’s playlist gift sings to our Redeemer, of His love, and our love back to Him. Perhaps it will help you hang in there, as you remember He is redeeming your suffering too.
With love, see below for the current resources available as we walk this fiery-beautifying road together.
For weekly prayer and playlist of Scriptural songs to sing, with access to resource library, sign up here:
Scripture and music therapy-inspired podcast for chronic illness and pain symptoms
Devotional Bible study prayer journals, available on Amazon. Click for details.
Singing the Gospel to Job: Finding Hope in Suffering
Near to God: A Devotional Bible Study of God’s Character in Our Suffering
To hear Scripture devotional with calming hymn playing, click here for YouTube podcast.
2 Comments
Julie Weilage · August 6, 2024 at 7:59 am
I just want to thank you again for your posts, your ministry, and love for the Lord, Linda. I cried through this one as well as this “Morning’s Blessing.” I’ve been struggling so much with seizures and the after-effects of a viral infection for close to 20 years now. The Lord has been using it so powerfully recently though to help me give comfort to sweet sisters of mine. A close childhood friend of mine has been battling rectal cancer over this past year and I shared your posts with her. When I did, I told her, “What a blessing it’s been to see our Lord work through me to give you any help or healing, Jen. 🥹😍🙏🙌 It’s all been Him 🤗 I love you so much! I’ve walked a hard road but it’s been worth it if I can offer any comfort to those I love 🙌❤️🤗” God bless you, Lauri, and thank you again for sharing the truth of His Word 🙏🙌
Lauri Hogle · August 6, 2024 at 8:14 am
Oh precious sister, you are so welcome. What a Redeemer! For both of us, our suffering has become 2 Corinthians 1 in action. So what can we sing? Blessed be our Father, our Redeemer Jesus Christ, the Spirit our Comforter! Oh Julie, the road is so difficult but here we are on earth, sharing the comfort He’s given us in the midst. Uniquely called and loved and loving Him and others, in it all. God bless you too…glory, glory, glory to God for redeeming every bit of our suffering, not a bit wasted. Gold, dear sister, gold! 🙏🏼❤️🙌🏼✝️🎁
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