There is Purpose in the Pain

We all walk through seasons of pain and suffering. Whether it’s emotional or physical, or both, it can tend to take us down the road of asking God why!? — Right?

The Bible tells us that there will be suffering in this world. Even Jesus suffered (greatly) during His earthly ministry. So one thing we CAN count on is that we will have times of suffering, too.

I don’t like seasons of suffering. They’re lonely, painful, and often dark. I don’t know about you but I can often feel like God is distant when I’m in a season like this. That is scary, and frustrating… which just adds insult to injury. No matter what that specific season looks like, one thing we all want is for God to save us and protect our reputation.

Job experienced all of these things, and probably more. He spent a lot of his time of suffering questioning the Lord. He didn’t understand what he had done to deserve the seeming punishment. He was a righteous man, loved by God, and blessed. Then in, what seemed, one fleeting moment everything he had was gone. 

Just like Job, I believe, that when hard times come it’s natural that we all have some questions for God. The questioning might look a little different for each of us, but we all have our questions!

Job walked through a ton of physical and emotional pain, even the feelings of being abandoned by God, then he had a moment that shifted his perspective and his responses… 

Job 42:2-6 says: 

I know that you can do anything,

    and no one can stop you.

You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’

    It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about,

    things far too wonderful for me.

You said, ‘Listen and I will speak!

    I have some questions for you,

    and you must answer them.’

I had only heard about you before,

    but now I have seen you with my own eyes.

I take back everything I said,

    and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.

Job encountered the one true God.

After that one encounter with God Job no longer looked to Him for vindication. He didn’t need it anymore. He realized that what he actually needed was something he wasn’t looking for, in fact, he may have thought he already had it. In his moments of great suffering and loneliness God gifted Job with something greater than vindication… a deeper relationship and understanding of the Lord of Heaven and Earth. 

The very God who created heaven and earth… The very God who spoke and light was there… The very God who ordered the darkness and light to be separate, and they listened… The very God who made humans and animals and all our complexities… THAT GOD, THAT VERY SAME GOD… drew close to Job and let him have a better glimpse of His goodness while Job was suffering and alone. He took Job under His arm and developed a closer relationship with him.  He loved Him. He corrected Him. He fathered Him.

Often times in our suffering and question asking we really are looking for God’s vindication. At least I do! I want Him to stand up for me and prove my innocence. I feel like once He has done that I will have won. I can come out of the fire smelling like roses… not the actual fire itself. 

But, often He doesn’t do that; does He? 

What He does do is let us come close to Him. He allows us access to HIM. That is the real prize, not smelling like roses. We actually walk out of the fire smelling like the fire, because in the smoke and fire is where He met with us. We come out smelling exactly the way He wants us to smell, because that’s where He formed the new us. 

In the long painful season is where we meet with the one true God, He allows us full access to Him, He does a work in us, and we come out forged as a new creation, still us, but so much more like Him. We even smell like it.

Sis, that is the prize! The prize of the pain is the transformation and the close relationship we forge in the fire with our one true God. 

Let’s start laying down the requests for vindication in our suffering, and instead search out the forger and let Him do the work in us. Then go gain the deeper relationship and understanding of our great and glorious Father that He gives to those who suffer! In time the pain will subside and we’ll walk hand in hand with our best friend toward healing and redemption.