…if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
—Romans 8:17 

Not long ago I awoke early one morning after dreaming about a painful encounter I had with some family members. The situation made me feel like an outsider to my own relatives, and in this dream I was reliving that episode and all the rejection and humiliation associated with it. I had been praying about the situation for close to two years, so when I woke up feeling the sting of the experience, I was unsettled and wondering why I was still dealing with the hurt. 

Knowing I wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep, I went to my prayer room and started talking to the Lord: “Father God, why am I still dealing with this pain? Help me through this. Let me know there’s victory on the other side.” Later that day, a friend texted me Romans 8:17, which tells us that we’ve been called to suffer with Christ and be glorified with Him. As I read the verse, I knew God was right with me in my pain, and I felt Him assuring me, “You’re suffering because of Me, and You’re going to receive My reward for it.” 

God is faithful. As He strengthened me during my moment of pain, so He will do for you. And in the end, you’ll be glorified in the One who was raised from the dead and crowned King.

Rabbi Kirt A. Schneider, Entering His Presence (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2023), Used by permission.