Union with Christ: The Way to Know and Enjoy God

by Rankin Wilbourne

The Bible is filled with calls to “not lose heart” (2 Cor. 4:1; Eph. 3:13; Ps. 27:14), which implies that we will sometimes feel as though we’re about to or maybe that we already have (Ps. 40:12). And nothing can cause you to lose heart like suffering. But neither can anything lead you into God’s heart like suffering can. If you let it, suffering can drive you “like a nail” into the heart of God. 1 To return to our sailboat image, a storm, though terrifying, can propel you further and faster along than you ever imagined. You were totally disoriented and felt like you were going to die, but you woke up and discovered you had moved hundreds of miles in the night, far swifter than sunny days and smooth sailing could have ever propelled you. In the same way, the storms of life can lead you where you want to go, as long as communion with God is your horizon. Suffering can be a shortcut toward this destination. It’s a shortcut no one would ever choose, but looking back, few would trade it for where it has brought them.