Will You Walk The Road Of Suffering?

Pamela JoyousNJesus McDonald

I was listening to Elder Poonen and he was sharing a true story of a man that loved the LORD Jesus so very much that his prayers never ceased in praying to be more like Jesus.

That is all he desired, which was to be more like His LORD and Savior. This man was Catholic, but God does not see denominations He sees the heart.

All of us should have this same prayer. But the truth is not many of us want it bad enough to die to our flesh. To be mocked laughed at, lied on, talked about and remain silent as Jesus did. So when things come our way to prove us, we fail.

Dying is a painful process, it hurts so bad to keep your mouth shut and not defend yourself. I know, trust me I know. I have failed at this more than once, and I believe this is why the story of this man’s life hit me so hard that I had to choke back the tears.

The man’s name was Henry Suso, and he prayed to be like Jesus. He lived in a modest little house on a cramped street, makes me think of Turkey and how they live. Anyway one night there was a knock on his door and he answered it. There was a woman there shoving a little baby into his arms yelling, ” Here is the product of your sin!” She then let go of the baby and ran away.

Well everyone heard this woman yelling, and everyone of course was so eager to make sure if someone did not hear, then they would tell them, how unholy the Holy man was.

He went into his home and prayed and asked the LORD what to do. He was shattered, he cried out to the LORD and said, “LORD you know the truth I don’t even know who that woman is. What do I do?”

Jesus spoke to him and said, “Do what I did, and suffer for the sins of others.” That is a heavy trial indeed, but Jesus suffered for the sins of others, and sometimes we will be called to do the same thing. Not in the same fashion, Jesus endured the wrath of God for our punishment of sin. But we in the natural realm can suffer other’s sins by simple keeping our mouth shut and not pointing fingers back.

Instead of justifying ourselves before men trying to prove we are so holy. God wants us to just remain silent and be as Jesus, don’t defend yourself or your character God will in His time.

Well, Henry raised that little baby as if it was his very own, he never defended himself against those who whispered, pointed fingers or mocked. He went about doing as the LORD told him. Years passed by and when the child was older the LORD visited the child’s mother and she was convicted of her sins, she went back to that street Henry lived on. She began shouting out she lied that baby was not Henry’s she lied on him!

But in those years Henry grew into what the LORD desired which was also the answer to his prayers, to be made more like Jesus!

So the question is do you really want to be more like Jesus? You do not get to pick and choose which part. You must go through the temptations and the death of the flesh, as well as not defend when people verbally attack.

Be careful what you ask for, think it out completely. Will you walk the road of suffering and self-denial.