Blessings in Suffering
For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him. Psalm 22:24
God loves to bless His people. In many ways He blesses even those who are not His people. The sun comes up, the flowers bloom, the rain and snow fall, and food grows.
The blessings He promises His own people are added for them. He says that even in difficult times He will take what happens and work it together for our good (Romans 8:28). It may not feel like a blessing in the moment but later, when we look back on any set of circumstances, we see how it changed things for the better. It may not be until heaven that we see it – but we will see it.
I have opportunity to talk to women who have been abused as children or who are married to abusive men or whose children are suffering because of the sin of other children or other circumstances. For them these blessings are hard to see. My fear is that this is the result of a real misconception in our viewpoint on these kinds of circumstances and our view of God .
One Christian lady told me that she had had a very difficult upbringing. She saw it as unfair, God as uncaring, and the perpetrators as unpunished by Him. She believes that God was standing by watching her be abused, satisfied that she was getting what she deserved, though even she did not know what she had done to deserve it.
Wow! This thinking about God is completely unbiblical. He is the God who is near. (Deuteronomy 4:7) He is compassionate (Psalm 103:13) and He does not let the wicked go unpunished. (Exodus 34:7)
If we go to the biblical account of the life of Joseph he had a pretty awful adult life for a number of years. He was hated by his brothers who threw him into a pit to die. Then, they decided it would be better to sell him into slavery so they sold him to tradesmen from Egypt. At this point the Bible , in Genesis 39:2 says, “The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. “ As a slave God blessed Joseph with success.
When his master’s wife falsely accused him of assaulting her he was sent to prison. He was completely innocent as the Bible clearly tells us in Genesis 39. Even in prison, “But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.” Genesis 39:21. Again, in a terrible set of circumstances God blessed Joseph.
Later two men from Pharaoh’s court are imprisoned and Joseph prays to God and interprets their dreams for them –accurately. Upon his release, He asks one of them to remember him to the Pharaoh and plead his case before him. The man is out of jail for two years before (in God’s providence) he remembers Joseph and tells Pharaoh about him.
He is released and promoted to second in command under Pharaoh. He is blessed. Josephs says that God took what men meant for evil and used it for good.
Have we lost Joseph’s understanding of the sovereignty and goodness of God? He is the same powerful and good God who blessed Joseph. I cannot explain how that works with abusive situations except that He wants us to comfort others with the comfort He comforts us with.
How often do we miss His comfort because we think he has abandoned us? Our culture believes that any hardship is punishment. Often times it is training for what the Lord has in mind for later.
Even when life is hard, God is right there with us, offering His strength and His wisdom, to be applied to the situation. He does not choose to stop every sinful act of man. But, when hardships come, trust God, believe that He will work it out for your good – because He will – for His own children.
Look for the blessings, they are there.
O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear Psalm 10:17