Daily Devotion

“Do not view the diseases, scarcity, and misunderstandings we encounter in foreign lands as obstacles. Rather, they are sandpaper used by God to wear away our natural pride. Without this painful friction, the gospel we bring to this nation would be like rusty iron, hard and cold with metallic edge. Suffering softens the truth, making it easier to penetrate people's hearts.”

William Milne · A Letter of Encouragement from Milne to Colleagues of the London Missionary Society (LMS)

Scripture

2 Corinthians 1:4-5 He comforts us in all our troubles, so that we might comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. Just as we share abound in the sufferings of Christ, so too do we abound in his comfort.

Reflection

Milne likens the hardships of a foreign land to "sandpaper," profoundly revealing the spiritual function of suffering: it is meant to wear away the "chill" of our natural pride and elitism. Paul further points out in the passage that the comfort we receive in our suffering is transformed into the ability to serve others. A servant who has never been "crushed" by life often speaks words as cold as rusty iron. Only through experiencing scarcity and misunderstanding can our lives become soft and warm. Only when we are comforted by the Lord first can the cup we offer truly quench the thirst and suffering souls, allowing the truth to penetrate to the very marrow of our being.