James 5;1-20

Sooner or later everyone faces suffering.  James teaches us that it is far better to suffer sooner than later.  Those who suffer now will face comfort in eternity, whereas those who suffer later will never find relief from their suffering for it will be everlasting.  The problem is that we do not like to suffer now and we end up valuing our comfort over the character that God wants to build in our lives.  God wants us to know that comfort is a very passing thing while the rewards for obedience are forever and ever.  We must change our views of suffering.
PROSPERITY RESULTS IN ETERNAL SUFFERING: One of man’s greatest goals in this world is to attain prosperity.  The problem is not really with prosperity in and of itself.  The problem is with what we do in order to attain prosperity.  Many times compromises with character are made in order to achieve the prosperity that is so desired.  The money that is made through sinful means will soon be all burned up, but the consequences of those sins will eternal.  James tells the wealthy to morn because all of their pleasures from prosperity were passed because their purchases had been eaten by moths or rusted away and now these piles of rust are testifying against the rich man along with all of the people who were taken advantage of through the process of accumulating possessions. 
PERSEVERENCE RELIEVES PRESENT SUFFERING: When we are suffering God calls us to persevere under that suffering.  He calls us to do so by reminding us that suffering for those who are just is only a temporary condition.  In a sinful world those who are just will end up suffering because of doing right and because of the sinfulness of others.  God just tells us to hang on and wait a little bit longer because He is going to make it all right.  We must never become tired in obedience or be tricked into thinking that obedience is not worth the price that needs to be paid.  If we can only fix our eyes upon the promises of God that hope will make our suffering much easier to bear.
PRAYER RLEASES FROM THE POWER OF SUFFERING: The key to being able to stand up in times of suffering is to take our burdens, cares and concerns to the Lord in prayer.  God has the power to take away the circumstances that cause our suffering, but more significantly, God is able to give us the strength to hold up under the difficult circumstances that we face.  Suffering should be a constant call for us to go to the Lord in prayer.  He can change us through the suffering that we face and He can equip us for the hard times that we must endure.  These blessings are available to us if we will only ask Him.  Prayer is a powerful tool in our battle with suffering and we should use it frequently when God calls us to suffer for His glory. 

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