Hey there, y’all! Before beginning today’s Bible Study Companion, let’s first take a moment to reflect on this quote from Wendy Blight in Chapter 4 of Hidden Joy:
“Our suffering is not meaningless…”
While our stories may be different, we all experience times in our lives when we just don’t understand. But to know that meaning can come from our suffering is HUGE!
Consider Isaiah 45:3 (NIV), the verse that kicks off Chapter 4:
“I will give you hidden treasures,
riches stored in secret places,
so that you may know that I am the LORD,
the God of Israel, who summons you by name.”
This verse speaks of a king named Cyrus who would come on the scene some 200 years later to recapture and rebuild the holy city of Jerusalem that had previously been destroyed by the Babylonians. In this verse, Isaiah prophesied God would give Cyrus the Babylonian treasures earlier kings had amassed and tucked away in secret places.
While this verse may have been specifically referring to physical treasures, it’s also applicable to us, as there are spiritual treasures tucked away just waiting to be found in our dark times.
Sometimes these treasures come in the form of lessons learned, and that’s just what we’ll be focusing on in today’s Bible Study Companion.
Are you ready to begin?
BIBLE STUDY COMPANION
Excited to dive in with you!
Stacy
Reflect and Respond:
What is a lesson you’ve learned from a time of suffering? Share it with us below!
P.S. As a reminder, each Bible Study Companion is designed as a standalone lesson, meaning it’s not necessary to complete the previous weeks before doing this one. If you’d like to catch up, though, you can access them below.