受苦的意义
出埃及记一章8至14节
8有不认识约瑟的新王起来，治理埃及，
9对他的百姓说：看哪，这以色列民比我们还多，又比我们强盛。
10来罢，我们不如用巧计待他们，恐怕他们多起来，日后若遇甚么争战的事，就连合我们的仇敌攻击我们，离开这地去了。
11于是埃及人派督工的辖制他们，加重担苦害他们。他们为法老建造两座积货城，就是比东和兰塞。
12只是越发苦害他们，他们越发多起来，越发蔓延；埃及人就因以色列人愁烦。
13埃及人严严的使以色列人做工，
14使他们因做苦工觉得命苦；无论是和泥，是作砖，是作田间各样的工，在一切的工上都严严的待他们。
信息分享
自从以色列人在埃及安居乐业之后，他们便不断繁衍，俨然一个大国。许多以色列人都与埃及人通婚。他们在安舒丰富的生活中，已逐渐忘记那不是神为他们预备的安居之地。除此以外，埃及一直是一个拜偶像的国家，并非神的百姓长久居留的理想地。可是，神怎能令到百姓自愿离开埃及呢？
法老王认为自己想出一个非常好的计谋，神却利用他的计谋来成就祂的计划。法老的计谋不单令以色列的百姓吃尽苦头，更令他们呼求神的帮助和拯救，这正是神期望达到的结果。神正是等候这个机会来带领他们离开埃及。
当某些人向神呼求救助的时候，当然会有另一些人开口埋怨神。人所面对的处境虽然相同，但反应却各异。
当我们遇到试炼的时候，我们会有甚么反应呢？我们会否容让神在我们生命中成就祂的计划？在危难中更靠紧神？抑或对神产生怀疑或怨怼？
我们是否太看重物质？神要怎样做，才能打破我们对物质的依赖，和物质对我们的捆绑？神说过：「我已经救赎了你，你是属于我的」；这句话有时虽然成了我们的责难，但它却永远是我们的鼓励和安慰。
神可能要借着不同的境况，来成就祂在我们身上的计划；问题在于我们是否愿意追求神的心意，让神的旨意得以成就。
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?