IS THERE PURPOSE IN SUFFERING?
We don’t have to
be in this world long before we experience pain, failure,
disappointment, frustration or a myriad of other means of
suffering that cause us to grieve. We’re destined to suffer.
God clearly warns us in His written word that we can expect
trouble from the day we’re born to the day we die.
Man born of
woman is of few days and full of trouble. Job 14:1
The length of
our days is seventy years — or eighty, if we have the strength;
yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass,
and we fly away. Psalm 90:10
Is there purpose
in our suffering?
Though I walk
in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out
your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you
save me. The LORD will fulfill [his purpose] for me; your love,
O LORD, endures forever — do not abandon the works of your
hands. Psalm 138:7-8
You and I walk in
the midst of trouble every single day! Are we aware of that or,
for the most part, do we blissfully make our way through our
days totally oblivious to God’s hand shielding us from whatever
or whoever wishes to harm us? Because God is good and takes
such good care of us, carefully setting boundaries regarding
what can touch us, we don’t experience nearly the number or
degrees of troubles we would if God weren’t so faithful in
caring for us. Do we notice and daily thank Him for saving us
and preserving our lives? Or do we adopt this sinful attitude:
They say to
themselves, "Nothing bad will ever happen to us! We will be free
of trouble forever!" Psalm 10:6 NLT
Then when God
chooses to allow trouble to strike us so He can fulfill His
purpose for us, mind you, trouble that He has carefully defined
and limited so it won’t be beyond what we can bear, we are very
quick to notice and respond! Our first response is so often to
accuse God of failing to protect us or provide for us! We
question His good name, “How can a loving God cause or allow
such calamities to happen?”
Then we ask,
“Why?”
That is really
not a bad place to start. If we’re suffering because we did
something really stupid we certainly want to figure out what we
did so we won’t repeat it and so we can help others avoid
suffering in the same way. If the question’s sole purpose is to
make ourselves a victim or to look for someone to blame then it
is really not helpful and we’d be better off not pursuing the
answer. If we’re honestly searching for an answer to help us
better understand God and His role and purpose in our lives then
we stand a good chance of coming through the mourning process
with something of real value.
God’s purpose is
always wrapped in His enduring love. At the very heart of each
of God’s actions, whether He chooses to allow trouble to touch
us or He chooses to withhold something we desire, is His plan to
save us and give us life by helping us know and experience Him.
Now this is
eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and
Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. John 17:3 NIV
There are many
things about God that we can discover and experience only
through the pain of loss and suffering. When trouble strikes it
causes us to grieve, the greater and more intense the trouble
the more intense our emotional suffering. Grief causes us to
lose our sense of well-being and experience conflicting feelings
and thoughts, turmoil, uncertainty, worry... And then we begin
the process of trying to regain our sense of well-being. We
mourn. We try to make sense of our pain. We try to reconcile
our past experiences, our knowledge, our faith and beliefs with
what we’re experiencing. We look for hope where there doesn’t
appear to be any.
Job went through
this process when grief and anguish rudely invaded his secure
world when all of his possessions, servants and children were
destroyed and he was afflicted with intense physical suffering.
He struggled to understand why his friend, God, had turned on
him and become his enemy. He was certain he was innocent and
did not deserve this treatment reserved for sinners. He
questioned God’s fairness, justice and purposes. He did not
stop seeking the truth until he encountered God in the midst of
his pain and turmoil. Then he was able to say something good
came out of his suffering:
I admit I once lived by rumors
of you; now I have it all firsthand — from my own eyes and ears!
Job 42:5 MSG
Could it be that rather than
asking God, “why” when trouble strikes we should praise Him for
giving us the opportunity to learn something new and deeper
about Him and ask, “what do you want me to hear and see and
experience through my grief, Lord?”
So often our questions, fears and doubts separate us from God
rather than drawing us closer to Him so we can know Him better.
Instead of experiencing Him as our life preserver, our shield
from enemies, our fulfiller of His purposes in us, our faithful
lover we assume He’s abandoned us! But even in death we have
hope that God will save us and give us life.
Though you have
made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life
again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.
You will increase my honor and comfort me once again. Psalm
71:20-21 NIV
May your times of
mourning always draw you closer to God so that even in the midst
of trouble and pain you will never doubt God’s enduring love for
you so there will be no room in your mind or heart for doubt or
fear of abandonment.
For your encouragement,
Sharon Young
|
Sharon Young
http://www.amourningdevotional.com
Mourning Glory – A Devotional for
Grieving is a book for helping
those
struggling through a loss and looking for support and
comfort.
Sharon is a dedicated mom and wife with a
deep desire to discover who God is, what He's like and
how to navigate this life guided by His truth. |
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