Here is a verse that none of us truly wants to embrace until we are in a place like Job. Elihu continues to proclaim the amazing attributes and character of God and makes this fantastic statement in our verse for the day. Elihu tells Job and us that God uses the suffering that comes into our life to rescue us and to get our attention.

The image that comes into my mind is of a parent crying out to a child who is about to do something that is very dangerous and likely to cause them harm. To the child being yelled at might be as bad as a spanking. The parent uses that momentary pain to prevent the child from suffering even greater pain. That is what Elihu is describing here in our verse. God knows everything about what is going to happen in the future. He knows the path we might be on could be very dangerous for us spiritually, physically, or emotionally and so He may rescue us from that danger by allowing some other suffering to come into our lives.

The suffering and pain He allows is often meant to get our attention drawn back to God. It is often during times of pain and suffering that we tend to draw nearer to God. That’s what He wants; God wants you to draw nearer to Him. If the only way for Him to do that is to allow pain and suffering in your life, then that is what He is going to do.

He would prefer you not need pain and suffering to draw nearer to Him. God’s desire is that your love for Jesus would be the driving force for you to continually be working to be nearer to Him, but if you need pain and suffering to motivate you, then God will give it to you. God’s primary concern in your life is to see that Jesus is at the core of your life, marriage, family, work, and church. If He needs to allow pain and suffering so that you can get there, He will do that.

If we would just learn this truth, we would experience so much less pain and suffering. It wouldn’t eliminate all pain and suffering but I believe that it would greatly reduce it. Some pain and suffering is allowed for reasons that we may never fully understand. No matter how close you get to the Lord, you are not guaranteed to be free from suffering. God uses the suffering in our lives to reveal Himself to others. One of the ways people come to know Jesus is when they see how Jesus helps us through our suffering. God may allow suffering in your life because someone around you needs to come to know Him and this is the only way that it can happen.

It has been said “God doesn’t waste pain”. If God has allowed some pain or suffering into your life, marriage, family, work, ministry, or church then He has a plan to rescue someone. Jesus, help us to pay attention when God knocks through pain and suffering.

Job 34:1-36:33; 2 Corinthians 4:1-12; Psalm 44:1-8; Proverbs 22:10-12