Often mankind has a distorted sense of pleasure, glorifying athletic ability, power, or satisfying tissue needs, anything which gratifies the senses or the mind. When they look upon God the Father's taking pleasure in bruising His son, offering a sacrifice for humanity, they are shocked at this seeming "lack of sensitivity." Our Heavenly Father struck the Being He loved most to add multiple members to His family. Ironically, the price of this sublime sense of pleasure is pain and sorrow. Because Jesus was obedient to death, the Father resurrected Him with glory and eternal life, serving as our high priest to save us from our fatal carnal nature. God the Father does not desire the death of the wicked, but He will not budge an inch for sin, but is angry with anyone who violates His holy law. Grace- or unmerited pardon- requires faith in Christ's sacrifice coupled with a determine to internalize His holy law. Many of us are so focused on comfort and ease that we don't realize when God uses a trial to steer us away from sin and onto repentance. God's top priority is not in our physical healing, but our spiritual healing. Suffering may lead to developing compassion for others suffering the same afflictions as we are. We have certainly endured less that the heroes of faith ( Hebrews 11) or our Lord and Savior Christ. Like the heroes of faith, we are temporary pilgrims. Jesus was not a martyr; He willingly gave His life. The sufferings He went through show the justice and mercy of God. Christ's sufferings was the instrument of mankind's pardon. God's desire for all of us is to repent of sin and internalize His laws in the recesses of our nervous systems. We have God's assurances that whatever trials we suffer, all his plans will succeed, including His desire to renew our minds to imitate Christ . Indeed, all things work together for good for those called by God.

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