“Neither shall any be missing.” Not even me. Not even when I fail. Not even when I have nothing to offer. “Declares the Lord.” It’s his decree: Garrett shall not be left outside his care. Praise Jesus.
God’s Meaning-Making Sovereignty
In that moment of pain, I had a strange “peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). I had heartfelt assurance that everything was going to be OK. But I was assured of something more important:
This season of suffering, this injury, is a gift.
Not only was I reminded of Romans 8:28, Psalm 145.16″>16). David isn’t saying that God will never let us suffer. He is saying that God fulfills the longing which our suffering brings to the surface.
God makes meaning out of our suffering, because he is sufficient in it. Through suffering, I see in my own heart these desires given to the throne. That’s God’s biggest gift in suffering: to have something taken away from you, and still find joy. A family member. A job. An idol. God satisfies us, not in spite of our unwanted circumstances, but in and through them.
God’s Joy Deeper Than Worldly Pleasures
How does God satisfy us in suffering? Through joy.
If God’s existence has ever been affirmed to me, it has been affirmed in suffering. Like we said above, when God gives us peace, it is peace that transcends understanding. But when God gives us joy, it is “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:10–11). The suffering that we experience with Christ is not the searing pain of a physical experience. It is the emotional pain of suffocating our parasitic idols—the labor pains of joy.
Our natural inclination is to experience fear. Our hearts by instinct respond to suffering with fear, frustration and questioning God’s sovereignty.
That’s what God is already showing me in this and through this. He is not only showing me peace, but delight and joy. It’s a gift, and it shows me the joy of an intimate and loving and compassionate God.
Sufferers, Wait for God
Return with me to Job. We saw him in Job 9, on the ropes, getting beaten up, wondering whether God was the one wearing the gloves. But James called him steadfast. That’s an odd description for Job. How was Job steadfast? He hung in there long enough to joyfully rest in God’s love for him. “Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful” (James 5:11).
Sufferers, wait for God. More than that, wait with me for him. Let’s see what the Lord’s purpose is for us, the one who is compassionate and merciful to his sheep whom he will not forget.
