As I said yesterday, I hate hearing my baby cry. It rips my heart out. I want to run into her room and be the "hero dad", who comforts her, soothes her, and rocks her to sleep. But I don't usually do this. Why? Because it's not the best thing for her. We want her to learn how to fall asleep without being rocked by one of us, and so we let her cry. Sometimes she falls asleep quickly, other times it seems like she's playing games with us. We do our best not to cave. When she's crying, every fiber in my body is screaming at me, telling me to get in to her room and do something. A million thoughts are bouncing around in in my head: she's hot, she's cold, she spit up, she needs a new diaper, I should rock her, I should sing to her, I should tell her a joke, etc. But I know that we just changed her and fed her, so I let her cry. Why? Because I know what's best for her.

There are times in life when God allows us to cry as well, because He knows what's best for us. He sees the beginning and the end, and He knows what we need most. So He allows us to suffer for a time that we might be shaped into the image of Jesus Christ. He allows us to shed tears for a season that we might some day reap a harvest of great joy. The Apostle Paul knew something of this when He said in 2 Corinthians 1:9 -

There are times when God presses His hand heavy upon us so that we are forced to press into Him. He allows our strength to be stripped away so that we might cling to the God of all strength. He takes away earthly comforts so that we might know Him, the God of all comfort. Why does He do this? Why does He allow His children, whom He loves so intensely, to suffer? Because He knows what's best for them. Doctors often prescribe bitter pills, knowing that they will cure the disease. At times God prescribes the bitter pill of suffering for us, knowing that it will work a mighty good in the end.

Are you tasting the bitter pill of suffering right now? Be comforted, for God has prescribed this for you out of love. Every trial and pain comes from the hands of God, the hands that were pierced by nails to save you. Doctors don't love their patients, unless the patient happens to be one of their children. We are God's children, and that is a great comfort for our souls.