SUFFERING

He definitely doesn’t enjoy affliction, making humans suffer. Lamentations 3:33

When I became a mother, I finally understood love on a new level. It was a love that was somewhat painful as I felt the weight of nurturing, protecting, and guiding a life entrusted into my care. 

There were times when I had to impose penalties on my children for stepping outside of protective and acceptable behavioral boundaries. I hated dispensing punishment to those I cherished most in my world. Sometimes the consequence would merely be, “Go to your room.” However, even in that simplistic form of discipline, I would never send them to their room forever for no reason but to fulfill a vindictive nature in myself. I loved my children and only desired reformed behavior to help them make choices that would be loving to themselves and others.

God loves us so much more than we love our children. His love for us is so great that we cannot even fathom it. Because of this love, God will discipline us, but the scripture in Lamentations 3 clearly says that He has no enjoyment in watching us suffer. His judgment, which focuses on our rehabilitation, is through His mercy and love for us. He is plucking out of us the things that keep us from having an abundant life. He is not a sadistic God sitting on His throne, laughing as we writhe in pain. 

With the recent pandemic, economic uncertainty, increased crime, unemployment rate, and natural disasters, we may wonder where God is in all of this. There are many things that are for sure--God has not moved, He loves us, He is compassionate, and He does NOT take sport in watching us suffer. 

God’s enduring love works on us daily, molding us to look more like Him, and this can be somewhat painful. He believes we are worth His efforts, so much that He became human, died, and rose from the dead, all because He did not want to leave us as orphans. In His eyes, we are worth redeeming. 

God does not take delight in our afflictions. We may suffer at times, but our suffering will not last forever. Our morning is not yet here, but in the meantime, He wants us to be mentally, physically, and spiritually well. Still, His goal emphasizes our abundant spiritual life, which helps us cope with our mental and physical limitations, and gives us life everlasting. God gave His all so that He could be our all. That’s how much He loves us.

Thank you, Lord, for being a God who loves us enough to help us to rehabilitate. Through Christ, I pray, Amen.