Suffering: God’s Beautiful Mosaic
Suffering: God’s Beautiful Mosaic
Do you suffer a debilitating disease, a life-changing injury, the loss of a loved one, gut-wrenching chronic pain, or some other life-altering condition? If you do, have you ever asked yourself, “How can a God who loves me so much allow this to happen to me?” If you have asked that question, then move over, because you’re not alone. 18 years ago, I also suffered a life-changing injury that has since resulted in multiple spinal fusions and cervical fusions, implants, procedures, injections, and gut-wrenching chronic pain. I, too, have asked God that very same question. One day, while reading and studying my Bible, I learned in Ezekiel 18:32 that God takes no pleasure in our sufferings. In fact, it pains His heart to see His children suffering, yet at the same time, it pleases His heart. Let me explain further.
Dr. John Piper, in an article titled “Brokenhearted Joy,” suggests that God has the capacity to look at the world through two lenses – a narrow lens and a wide-angle lens. When God looks at your suffering even through His narrow lens, He sees your tragedy for what it is. His heart is deeply grieved. When God looks at that same event through His wide-angle lens, He sees your tragedy in relation to everything leading up to it and flowing out from it. God sees a beautiful mosaic that stretches into eternity. It is this beautiful mosaic with all of its parts, both good and bad, that brings Him delight.
Did you know that God also did this to Himself? Looking through His narrow lens, God willed the death of His own Son and took no delight in it. Through His wide-angle lens, God saw that the death of Jesus on the cross demonstrates His immense love and mercy to everyone who repents and believes in Jesus. What does this mean? Beloved, God often wills what He despises because He delights in what He wills…and that is…that through your suffering you will be conformed to the likeness of His Son. Now that’s a beautiful mosaic!
This is Laine Wilder for Carry the Light Ministries, bringing you Insights From an Elder.
by Laine Wilder
Author of “Insights From an Elder” for
Carry the Light Ministries
