God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. – Hebrews 12:7-8
Suffering does not necessarily lead us into a deeper relationship with God. Prolonged trials can tempt us to give in to rebellion and distrust. But when we’re prepared to bow under God’s sovereign purposes, He enables us to endure suffering to the end.
The Bible clearly teaches that God is in control over all of our lives—the blessings and the trials. For example, in Job 1 we find Satan slandering Job, accusing him of loving God solely because of the blessings he has enjoyed (Job 1:9-10). In response, God commands Satan, “All that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand” (v 12). God’s sovereign rule extended over Job’s affliction and Satan’s jurisdiction.
What then can we say with biblical certainty concerning the purposes of God in our suffering? First, God uses hardship in our lives to assure us of our sonship. The experiences of discipline that He brings into our lives prove us to be His true sons and daughters: “If you are left without discipline … then you are illegitimate children and not sons.” Second, God uses trials to develop our dependence on Him. Paul realized that it was “to keep me from becoming conceited” that “a thorn was given me in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7). Pride can lead to a total downfall. God therefore may mercifully ordain experiences of deep pain in order to instill in us that sense of depending on Him. That humility is the soil in which all the seeds of His grace grow to maturity. Third, God uses suffering to keep us on track spiritually. It’s easy to wander when everything is going smoothly. But have you noticed how your prayer life can change with one visit to the doctor, or how your desire to call out to God can be strengthened by a shadow looming on the horizon? The psalmist noted this tendency when he confessed, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word” (Psalm 119:67).
As God’s child, you can live with the confidence that your heavenly Father knows best and is in control. When the present feels overwhelming and the days ahead seem unsure, you can trust that there is a purpose, hidden though it may be, and you can say:
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Horatio Gates Spafford, “It Is Well With My Soul” (1873).
Let this blest assurance control:
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And has shed his own blood for my soul.
It is well with my soul;
It is well, it is well with my soul.
