Our challenges come in a steady stream and from many sources. Life in a fallen world brings sickness and suffering. Our own sins and those of others complicate our lives. We face political unrest, relational conflict, and the constancy of change. How do we face the questions that arise within us? Where is God in all of this? What does it mean to follow God amid fallenness and dysfunction? Why does God use what hurts to reveal what matters? How does pain accomplish God’s purposes in our lives? Isn’t there a better way – or at least an easier one?
God’s purifying purposes for Israel and
Judah took them into foreign exile. The Assyrians attacked the northern kingdom
of Israel and hauled away the people. The southern kingdom of Judah faced a
similar fate when attacked by the Babylonians. Certainly, God’s covenant people
failed to honor God and live as He intended. Yet, at this point in the story,
we witness God’s chosen people headed into deep suffering by His design.
How do we hold onto hope when our world crumbles? Our faith in God needs to go beyond glib clichés and easy answers. Our real lives offer an opportunity to trust God in specific, personal ways.
God can be
trusted to accomplish His purposes through our pain.
