King Hezekiah becomes gravely ill and is told he will die. Hearing this, he cries out to God and weeps bitterly. God (through Isaiah) tells him that he shall live another 15 years. The king then writes this prayer / psalm to God.
“Like a swallow or a crane I chirp; I moan like a dove. My eyes are weary with looking upward. O Lord, I am oppressed; be my pledge of safety! Behold, it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness; but in love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back.” (v14, 17)
The first half of the king’s psalm is a lament for his suffering. In the second half he not only praises God, he does something very interesting – he proclaims that his great suffering was “for his welfare”.
How many of us praise God and thank him for allowing us to suffer? Honestly, that’s not my first response when I’m going through something difficult. Yet, scripture says “for those who love God all things work together for good” (Rm 8:28 abr). I’m not an expert, but I’m thinking “all things” includes suffering.
As impossible as this sounds, we can be grateful for our suffering. We won’t likely be grateful for the suffering itself. We can however be grateful for opportunities to draw closer to God, and/or experience(s) we can share with others who are suffering. When we grow as a result of suffering, the pain is not meaningless. If God allows us to suffer, and promises all things work toward our good, then we can thank Him for the growth and ministry opportunities made possible through an experience of suffering.
Father God, our Wise and Omniscient King, we honor and praise You. Though we don’t typically enjoy suffering, we acknowledge that You allow it for specific reasons. Father may we remember to embrace the opportunities You provide through suffering, such as drawing nearer to You or growing in our faith. May we also comfort others who suffer, just as Jesus (the One who suffered most in this world) comforts us. May we share in both joy and sorrow, knowing that all things work together for the benefit of those who love You. All praise, honor and glory be unto You, forever and ever, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training