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Why, God, must I suffer? Why am I going through this? What is the purpose of this test? I am so tired, Lord.

If these sentiments resonate with you, chances are you have been through the fiery furnace of affliction. You may even be there now. If so, God is sending you this message today to remind you that this fiery trial will not consume you, it will conform you into the image of Christ, refine you, and position you to bring God even greater glory. Something good is coming out of this.

Our youngest son, 17-year-old Kaleb, is an animal lover. He is fascinated and absolutely enthralled by the animal kingdom. Though there aren’t currently any pets in the Hobbs household, our animal-loving teen says that once he lives on his own, he most certainly will have one or more pets.

Our aspiring pet owner, however, will never own his favorite animal because doing so is totally impractical and illegal in the United States. He most loves harp seals! Particularly baby harp seals which are covered in long white fur. And I must admit, they are the absolute cutest little things ever.

Since harp seals are protected under various wildlife conservation laws and international agreements due to their vulnerability, owning one is out of the question. So, Kaleb, my Chinese-speaking animal lover, tells me that his goal is obviously not ownership of a harp seal, but he is determined to travel to the places where they live, and see them in their natural habitats. I know that would be a whole lot of fun for him.

A few nights ago, we were researching baby harp seals together when I learned an interesting fact about them. These fuzzy cuties are nursed by their mothers when they are born. Mother seals have rich and fatty milk. It’s so fatty, in fact, harp seal pups can gain an astonishing four to five pounds per day. Talk about a growth spurt, right? But here is what is so interesting. Baby harp seals have one of the shortest nursing periods among all mammals. It lasts about 12 days—two weeks max.

Then, after their brief, intense nursing period, the baby harp seals are abruptly weaned and won’t grow their teeth until their mother weans them. I nursed all four of the Hobbs babies, and I can tell you that those sharp teeth grow in whether they are weaned or not! I nursed up to a year, but a mother seal, after nursing the pup for about two weeks, leaves her pup on the ice and returns to the sea. And the pup, now plump and healthy, is left to fend for itself.

That might seem a little harsh to us humans, but it's just another day in the marine animal kingdom. This tough love approach might seem brutal, but it's actually an important part of their survival training. During pups’ period of solitude when their mom leaves them, they learn to swim and hunt which are skills that are essential for their survival. Then they begin growing their teeth, essential for consuming their fishy diet.

As you can see, in the grand scheme of things, the seemingly cruel nature of this quick process of going from nursing to independence is what prepares these adorable creatures for the harsh realities they must face.

Natural processes can teach us spiritual principles. And since we are examining the life path of the baby harp seal, what can we learn? Here’s what: the preparation process can seem cruel if we view it in the context of comfort. However, it we shift our perspective, we will see that discomfort builds character, stimulates growth, and positions us to flourish.

Somebody is in a season of discomfort, and God told me to tell you that He’s just positioning you to flourish. Don’t let discouragement overtake you. This struggle is producing something good. Just like in the animal kingdom, in the Kingdom of God, there are harrowing circumstances and hardships we endure—not to break us but to make us into who and what we need to be to survive and thrive.

James 1:3-4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (NIV).

The writer of this passage, believed to be James, the half-brother of Jesus and son of Mary and Joseph, was trying to help Jewish Christians see that their struggle was producing something good. In these verses, he skillfully re-contextualizes the harshness and hardness of their suffering by not focusing on the pain but on the beneficial outcomes the pain produces. If you go through, he explained, you will be complete, mature, and lacking nothing.

I find in this walk of faith that most people are eager and anxious to get to the “lacking nothing” part of the process. They want to chase the glory and skip the suffering, but in the Kingdom of God suffering is the way to glorification. It is the intense heat in the fiery furnace of affliction that leaves us purified, making it possible for God to be glorified in us.

2 Timothy 2:12 teaches us that in our walk with God, “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him.”

So then, without rain, there can be no reign. Without humiliation, there can be no elevation. Jesus, our ultimate example, was humiliated during crucifixion. Philippians 2:8 teaches us that “He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” But that’s not the end of the story. In the following verse it says, “Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names” (v. 9).

See Jesus’s trajectory? Death to resurrection. Resurrection to exaltation. Exaltation to multiplication. In John 12:24, Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”

Friend, this trial will not kill you; it will make you more fruitful. In other words, you won’t die, you’ll multiply. God is just setting you up for increase, greater levels of favor, and positioning you to reach the next dimension of purpose.

I know no one wants to walk through low, dark, rocky, intimidating places. But God will only leave you there long enough to develop your character and get you ready for what’s next. If you can just see and believe that greater is coming after this test and that it’s working for you, you’ll make it. You’re headed toward a bigger purpose. This struggle is producing something good.

2 Corinthians 4:18 says, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (NKJV). God is saying, He has allowed this momentary affliction to recondition and reposition you. This is working for you. God is growing your teeth so you can handle more. He is making you wiser, bolder, more confident and assured. Everything is changing in your life. Soon you will look back on this moment and say, thank You, Jesus. It was necessary.

The tears were necessary. The pain was necessary. The loss was necessary. The humiliation was necessary. The betrayal was necessary. The uncertainty was necessary. The isolation was necessary. The separation was necessary. The rejection was necessary. The closed door was necessary. The abandonment was necessary. The disappointment was necessary. The mistreatment was necessary. The injustice was necessary.

It made your skin thicker. It made you more independent. You’re no longer easily intimidated. You can now stand on your own two feet. You know who you are in Christ. You have learned to be just fine by yourself because you know the Lord is with you. You no longer seek to fit in. You don’t try to force relationships, opportunities, and connections. You’re more prayerful. You’re more alert and aware. You’re more anointed, equipped, and powerful. You are now ready for elevation.

See all the good things that can come from seemingly bad things? And guess what, friend? God’s not through with you yet, because in your suffering, you have remained committed to Him. You have loved Him, honored Him, worshiped Him, trusted Him, and remained steadfast in Him despite the period of hardship you have endured. Therefore, He is lifting you out of your lowly place and exalting you for the glory of His name. God is commanding things to shift in your favor.

The reason He is doing that is found in Psalm 91:14, which is the sweetener I’m stirring into your cup of inspiration, that says, “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name” (NKJV).

As you drink down the contents of your cup, God is saying, because you have endured great hardship, you’re about to receive a greater harvest. Because you have remained faithful to God, He will show His faithfulness to you. Get ready to be amazed by just how good things are about to get for you!

Now, let’s pray.

God, thank You for reminding me that my affliction is not without cause. You are preparing me for something greater that will ultimately bring glory to Your name. In times of discouragement when my flesh tries to introduce fear, feelings of failure, depression, anxiety, and distress, thank You for reminding me of Your promise in 1 Peter 5:10 that after I have suffered a little while, You will strengthen me, restore me, and establish me. I believe with all my heart and declare by faith that something good is coming out of this season of struggle. Thank You for it in advance! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you desire prayer, please allow me, along with my intercessory prayer team, to stand in faith with you for breakthrough. We would be so honored. We have seen God work over and over again. There is power in agreement. Click here to request prayer now.

As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!