Many try to comfort me by telling me what they think God is up to as I suffer with remaining chronic illnesses and pain. They anticipate what He must be teaching me through this. They peer into the future and imagine how He must be working. They attempt to give me reasons. They’re essentially becoming “like gods” when they offer constant thoughts about “why” God is allowing my suffering. This is not helpful. Not at all.
I must turn to God’s Word for His answers to “why,” with trusted peace in knowing I could never understand the zillions of reasons “why.” Not on this side of eternity with Jesus. There will be a day when “faith becomes sight” (2 Cor. 5:7) and it will all be clear!
For now, I must rest in the truth of my loving Lord’s promises to redeem our suffering, part of His “why.” So, once again this week, I turn to Praying God’s Promises Into Suffering, written as my symptoms escalated with a life-threatening, slumping cerebellum. Written in my desperate need to trust His outcomes and plan, there was no medical hope at all. May this adapted prayer of hope encourage you through its Scriptures and this week’s accompanying playlist gift.
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people (Eph. 1:18 ESV).
God promises to redeem our suffering, gradually changing our desires through it
Jesus, my Redeemer,
Symptoms are so strong today that all I can do is cry to You. Your Word points me to the truth that this whole experience means far more than losses in my physical body and outer circumstances. This purifying, refining, melting away of my remaining sin nature feels so painful. It’s like fire that creates pure gold.
Yet, I can see that You’re rescuing me to desire sin less and Your righteous ways more and more, because You’re gradually giving me new desires.1
Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it!
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
redeemed thro’ his infinite mercy,
his child and forever I am.
(“Redeemed,” Crosby, F., 1882)
God promises to redeem our suffering, needing and loving Him more and more
Abba Father, I need Jesus more as I suffer, I love Him more as I suffer, and I want to be conformed more and more to His image.2 I want to love You and others with whatever time You’ve given me on earth!
Oh Lord, I see Your redeeming work!
For this suffering is Your gift to help me walk steadfastly,3 to be zealous for good works.4 Your strong and tested gift of faith is Your rescuing and delivering grace, a continual and ongoing thing You’ve promised to do in me as I suffer.
God’s promised outcome, preparing us to be glorified with Jesus Christ
So, in the hardest moments, when it feels anything but light and momentary, help me cling to Your promised outcome of perfecting work in me, Holy Spirit. Through this suffering, You promise Your perfect “why” answer…
“that I may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”5 You promise my glorification!6
God’s redemptive promise to give us hope and joy amid suffering
Could this be how I can “count it all joy” today?7
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything (Jas. 1:2-4 BSB).
Father, this joyful end can become my current joy when I realize my suffering is Your redeeming work in me, as Your beloved child. As I suffer, I wait for Your promised and blessed hope to see Jesus, perhaps at His return.8
Redeemed, and so happy in Jesus,
no language my rapture can tell;
I know that the light of his presence
with me doth continually dwell.
As I suffer, though I haven’t seen him, I do love Him.
Though I don’t physically see Him right now, I believe in Him.
So I can rejoice with inexpressible joy that’s filled with glory.
Because of Your grace-filled promise, I’m obtaining the outcome of my faith, the salvation of my soul.9
I think of my blessed Redeemer,
I think of him all the day long;
I sing, for I cannot be silent;
his love is the theme of my song.
Thank You for Your Word’s promises to each of Your beloved and saved ones…who are suffering right now, in the name of our Lord and our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, amen.
Responding to God’s promises to redeem our suffering, His love the theme of our song
He’s graciously provided another playlist gift of comfort in His redeeming promises to us as those so beloved in Christ. Sister in Christ, He’s preparing us to live forever with the Lover of our souls, our blessed Redeemer!
If these Scriptural worship songs would be His gift to you as well, sign up below, and they will arrive in your email with my prayers and love.
Do you also suffer from chronic illnesses and pain? Here is a special place just for us. More and more, this place will soon become a calm and quiet place of Scriptural and musical care for you. His love, the theme of our song.
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