PAIN'S PROMISE

Psalm 51:15-19
15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise. 16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. 18 In Your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight You; then bulls will be offered on Your altar.

It was late but Meredith, distressed and teary, needed to talk. Earlier that evening her fiancé had called off their wedding. She now faced the humiliating task of telling family and friends the news, as well as wrapping and returning all those beautiful engagement presents. The pain plunged deep within Meredith's heart, because years earlier a previous love had done the same thing to her.

A couple of months later, however, Meredith could share with a small group of close friends: "I never want to go through it again--but it's been good! I've never felt God as close to me as I have these past few months."

Ever had that experience--God seeming closest during a crisis you'd never want to repeat?

For me, the number of journal pages devoted to a year indicate how good or how bad it was. My 2001 is rather slim while my 1998 journal bulged with worries and fears. Yet, that year's edition holds some of the most life-changing, destiny-directing lessons I've learned.

God wastes nothing, not even suffering. He can use our pain to build our faith, even when that suffering is the result of sin. King David's affair with Bathsheba resulted in murder and grief, and the child born from that union was lost in judgment upon David (2 Samuel 12:14).

Then in God's timing, Solomon was born (2 Samuel 12:24). This man, when offered anything he wanted, chose wisdom (1 Kings 3:5-9). He became Israel's king and composed many of the proverbs we enjoy (see Proverbs 10-22:16, 25-29, Psalms 72 and 127). The world would have been better without David's personal failure, but it would have been poorer without Solomon.

Neither suffering nor sin is beyond God's redemptive reach. Pain is not without its rewards either. "We also rejoice in our sufferings," wrote the apostle Paul, "because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope" (Romans 5:3-4).

It's encouraging to know that the pain we feel can be used by God in beautiful ways. --Sheridan Voysey

DESTINATION POINTS

* When have I felt especially close to God? What was happening in my life?
* If God uses pain for my good, how should I respond in times of suffering?

LINKS
On the Threshold

bottom line: God can transform your brokenness into beauty.

soul journey