“For if He causes grief, then He will have compassion according to His abundant lovingkindness. For He does not afflict willingly or grieve the sons of men. Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both good and ill go forth? Why should any living mortal, or any man, offer complaint in view of his sins?” Lamentations 3:32-33, 37-39
As I lay on the doctor’s exam table over 25 years ago, I was hard pressed to reconcile what I had been taught about the love of God with the extreme pain that I was experiencing with no definitive cause. The physical pain was intense, but the spiritual pain greatly exceeded it. It would be three years before I had a diagnosis and roughly 15 years before I could confidently speak of God’s love for me in light of my illness. The passage above is a hard truth for some to accept. In fact, I have had some stop coming to support groups after I’ve brought up the concept and have even have a few dear friends refute this truth as errant. Yet here it is in scripture and further documented in other passages as well. God clearly ordains the pain in our lives not in spite of, but because of His immense love for us. This is a truth of scripture that took a long time for me to understand, but now that I do, it brings great comfort.
While it may be a bit counter intuitive, Iet’s look at this passage in reverse. “Why should any living mortal, or any man, offer complaint in view of his sins?” If we have accepted Christ as our savior, we have by necessity taken a long hard look at ourselves and realized that we are sinful beings that need to be rescued. We have come to understand that: “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” and “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 3:23 and 6:23). One cannot be a child of God if they do not accept these truths. Therefore, knowing that we rightfully deserve eternal damnation and separation from God and that that just punishment has been spared us through the sacrifice of our Lord, how can we truly complain about any pain in this life knowing that we have been given eternity in union with our Lord despite what our total depravity deserves? Put another way, when we weigh the punishment that we are due against the free but costly gift that we have been given, any ills that we experience in this life do not even begin to even out the scales. We still come out with an extreme benefit.
“Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both good and ill go forth?” These words speak to God’s absolute sovereignty. Nothing happens without His complete agreement. It is in His sovereignty that He ordains the ills in our lives; it is by that same sovereignty that He ordains our salvation. It is in His sovereignty that promises punishment for those who are wicked and do not accept His forgiveness; it is by that same sovereignty that He promises peace and comfort to those who do accept His salvation. If it has happened, God has planned it, approved it and directed it.
“For if He causes grief, then He will have compassion according to His abundant lovingkindness. For He does not afflict willingly or grieve the sons of men.” Here is where we clearly see the love of God. God hates sin and its effects; therefore, when grief is necessary, He will also extend His compassion. Let me offer a few ways in which our Heavenly Father is loving while ordaining the ills in our lives. We often are so focused on the pain that we experience that we forget the plethora of pains that God did not allow in our lives. Further, when pain is necessary, He also offers His comfort, sustaining grace and peace, but we have to accept those things. If we are so busy arguing that a loving God would not allow any discomfort in our lives, we cannot accept the grace to endure it. Conversely, trusting God in our anguish and relying on His grace deepens our relationship with Him. Thanks to R. C. Sproul, Jr. (Suffering and the Sovereignty of God) I have come to understand that for those who are not God’s children, the pain is punitive…a just desert. However, for those who love God and are His children, it is instructive. It refines us, molds us, and equips us to be who God designed us to be and to complete the tasks that He has planned for us. In short, it has purpose. 1 Peter 4:12-13 reminds us that our testing is an honor as we are sharing in the suffering of Christ so that we can also rejoice in His glory. Finally, our “momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.” (2 Corinthians 4:17) This is not nearly an exhaustive list, but will hopefully inspire you to study and look for other proofs of His love to find further encouragement.
As we endure the pain that every trial brings, our comfort is this: God loves us so much that He gives us better than we deserve; all that we experience is directed by His sovereignty and loving care for us; and God takes the ill effects of sin and uses them to improve and equip us as well as produce an eternal reward that far exceeds the temporary pain that we experience.
May you find comfort in the love of God today and always,
Will