The Fruit of Affliction

How many like affliction? It is not pleasant to go through adversity or adversities. It is a part of the human experience. Yet, we find inspiration in those who suffered and persevered. Bible characters like Joseph, Moses, David, Jesus and Paul have helped many people through difficult seasons.

Few people I've ever met want to  go through affliction. Truth is most people will do anything necessary to avoid such seasons. Should they ever find themselves there, they will fixate on doing everything in their power to get out of the misery. That has been my experience over the years.

I think about missionary David Brainerd. Brainerd worked among native Americans in the 1700's. He mostly worked alone. We would not even know the name David Brainerd except for the fruit of affliction. Brainerd got expelled from college for criticizing a professor publicly. Without formal education, Brainerd would never live out his dream to pastor a church. Therefore, he went down the missionary path.

Brainerd also suffered from Tuberculosis. He suffered excruciatingly painful afflictions in his service for the Lord. He often had long coughing spells where he spit up blood. Yet he labored tirelessly for the salvation of native Americans in the Delaware area. He battled the heat and brutal winters in his tent with none to attend to his needs. He never married and labored alone. He had few missionary friends who lived nearby forcing him to live and labor alone. He also suffered from bouts of what he called melancholy. We would call it depression.

In the fertile ground of these afflictions God brought fruit from Brainerd. God used Brainerd to reach several Indians for Jesus. The reason we know this is because Brainerd kept a diary. Brainerd recorded the agonizing physical and mental afflictions he endured in his service. He also recorded the devotion to prayer and fasting for the salvation of those who lived in his mission field. He wrote down the difficult days of affliction too.

The reason we even know Brainerd's name, is that he came to the house of Jonathan Edwards where he died at age 29. Edwards read Brainerd's journals and published them into a book. That book has been read by scores of missionaries and pastors to inspire them to endure in affliction. I have read The Life And Diaries Of  David Brainerd and received much spiritual help and encouragement from those pages.

It was out of Brainerd's afflictions that God brought some beautiful fruit from his life. It is during the difficult seasons that we grow the most and where some of the best fruit is harvested. I have no doubt someone reading this today is in one of those seasons of affliction. If you cling to faith in the Lord, He can still use you mightily to touch others for Him.

Many years ago I went through what I called, "The long dark season of the soul." It was the hardest four year stretch of my life and ministry. I felt affliction on all sides. I fought in faith to maintain hope and at times my sanity. Preaching through that season was challenging. I mainly preached to myself. Week after week for four years God would lead me to texts that ministered to me and then I would preach them to the people. In hindsight I cannot remember hardly any of them. They are in my files, but I doubt I could preach them the same way now.

One man in our church had major afflictions going in his business. One day he told me about some of his struggles. He asked if I knew what helped him get through? I did not. He said it was those sermons I preached during those four years when I could barely muster the strength to enter the pulpit.  Seasons where I preached to me more than to the people. God brought fruit out of the affliction.

Press on friend. God is not done. The frown of your present circumstances may indeed conceal the hidden smile of God in providence. You can still bear fruit in affliction. You can still bring glory to God like Brainerd did and a host of others through the ages. Today, I thank God for the fruit of affliction in my life over the years. I hope God will move you to do the same.