受苦的意義
出埃及記一章8至14節
8有不認識約瑟的新王起來，治理埃及，
9對他的百姓說：看哪，這以色列民比我們還多，又比我們強盛。
10來罷，我們不如用巧計待他們，恐怕他們多起來，日後若遇甚麼爭戰的事，就連合我們的仇敵攻擊我們，離開這地去了。
11於是埃及人派督工的轄制他們，加重擔苦害他們。他們為法老建造兩座積貨城，就是比東和蘭塞。
12只是越發苦害他們，他們越發多起來，越發蔓延；埃及人就因以色列人愁煩。
13埃及人嚴嚴的使以色列人做工，
14使他們因做苦工覺得命苦；無論是和泥，是作磚，是作田間各樣的工，在一切的工上都嚴嚴的待他們。
信息分享
自從以色列人在埃及安居樂業之後，他們便不斷繁衍，儼然一個大國。許多以色列人都與埃及人通婚。他們在安舒豐富的生活中，已逐漸忘記那不是神為他們預備的安居之地。除此以外，埃及一直是一個拜偶像的國家，並非神的百姓長久居留的理想地。可是，神怎能令到百姓自願離開埃及呢？
法老王認為自己想出一個非常好的計謀，神卻利用他的計謀來成就祂的計劃。法老的計謀不單令以色列的百姓吃盡苦頭，更令他們呼求神的幫助和拯救，這正是神期望達到的結果。神正是等候這個機會來帶領他們離開埃及。
當某些人向神呼求救助的時候，當然會有另一些人開口埋怨神。人所面對的處境雖然相同，但反應卻各異。
當我們遇到試煉的時候，我們會有甚麼反應呢？我們會否容讓神在我們生命中成就祂的計劃？在危難中更靠緊神？抑或對神產生懷疑或怨懟？
我們是否太看重物質？神要怎樣做，才能打破我們對物質的依賴，和物質對我們的綑綁？神說過：「我已經救贖了你，你是屬於我的」；這句話有時雖然成了我們的責難，但它卻永遠是我們的鼓勵和安慰。
神可能要藉著不同的境況，來成就祂在我們身上的計劃；問題在於我們是否願意追求神的心意，讓神的旨意得以成就。
GOD'S PLAN IN ALLOWING SUFFERING
Exodus 1: 8 - 14
8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.
9 And he said to his people, “Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we;
10 come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land.”
11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses.
12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel.
13 So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor.
14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage—in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.
Message
Israel had become a great nation while they were comfortably settled in Egypt. Many had married Egyptians. Ease, plenty and pleasure had made them almost forget this was not God's final place for them. Besides everything else, Egypt has always been a type of the world and that was not the place for God's people to remain indefinitely. What could God do to make them want to move out?
Pharaoh thought he had a very good plan, but God used that plan to do what he wanted done. The result of Pharaoh's plan was not just slavery and hardship. It made the people cry unto God for help and deliverance. That was exactly what God wanted them to do. That gave him the opportunity he was looking for, to take them out of Egypt.
Probably some of the Israelites turned bitter against God while others cried to him for help. Circumstances were the same for all but the effects were different.
What effect does testing have in your life and mine? Are we allowing it to do what God wants in our lives? Is it being allowed to draw us closer to him or turn us away in doubt and bitterness?
Are the things of this world becoming too precious to us? What will God have to do to break our grip on them and their grip on us? God's great words still remain as a challenge, sometimes as a rebuke and always as a comfort, 'I have redeemed you, you are mine'.
Why not let God's purposes in the circumstances of our lives do what God really wants them to do?