Suffering Turns Our Hearts to God
July 26, 2021 • by Vaneetha Risner
Suffering always comes uninvited.
No one plans for pain, and few of us are prepared for unexpected losses when they land on our doorstep. We know our lives will have bumps along the way, but we don’t expect them to keep us from our deepest longings.
But struggles do descend. Unwanted singleness. Infertility. Children with atypical difficulties. Disease. Disaster. Death of a loved one. Conflict-filled relationships. Divorce. Disability. Financial hardship. Our dreams fall apart, and we wonder what happened to the abundant life we expected.
Many of us subconsciously believe our trials are a sign of God’s disfavor, and that if we could get our act together, God would give us what our hearts long for. We think success and security are God’s gifts to those who are faithful, obedient, and walking in his will.
That’s how I assumed life worked. I thought that if I were faithful, God would give me whatever I wanted. And for the decade after I came to Christ, that seemed true. Life was perfect. I had a desire for the Lord and solid spiritual disciplines, but the more worldly success I found, the more complacent and distant from God I became.
Then life completely unraveled. I buried an infant son due to a doctor’s mistake. I was diagnosed with post-polio syndrome which could leave me a quadriplegic. My husband left our family and I raised two adolescent daughters as a single parent. I couldn’t keep up, but as my losses continued to grow, so did my relationship with God. I needed him for everything —for comfort, for wisdom, for hope, for companionship and for strength—and he provided it all.
A Lesson from Two Kings: Don’t Grow Complacent
The lives of King Solomon and his father King David underscore how prosperity and pain shape us. Solomon had everything. Unmatched wisdom and legendary prosperity. Committed love which he extolled in Song of Solomon. Military peace and a life with no lack. Even his people were content with plenty to eat and drink. His life seemed idyllic.
Yet despite these earthly blessings, Solomon turned away from the Lord. He married foreign women who turned his heart towards the idols they worshiped. Solomon was not a man after God’s own heart, and after his death, the kingdom was torn apart because of his unfaithfulness.
David’s life, on the other hand, was full of pain. King Saul was jealous of David when he realized the Lord was with him, and he spent years trying to kill him. Many of David’s psalms were penned during this time, when he felt forsaken by God and ran from city to city to escape Saul’s wrath. David fought countless battles, lost close friends, and was betrayed by people he trusted. Later, his family life was a mess, largely by his own doing, yet he called out to God through it all. David is remembered as a man after God’s own heart because he consistently turned back to God.
“In suffering and trials, we clearly see our need for God’s help. And when we call out to him, he runs to provide it. ”
Neediness is Blessedness
What can we learn from the outcome of these two kings’ lives?
Times of ease and prosperity are welcome gifts to be enjoyed, but they have hidden dangers. It’s easy to pursue pleasure and set our hearts on earthly things, letting the cares of this life and our desires for riches choke out everything else. We can become so focused on our accomplishments and possessions that our attention shifts from the Giver to his gifts.
God warned the Israelites that they would be tempted to turn away from him in prosperity. He knew they would forget him when they were no longer hungry and could provide for themselves. The Lord counseled his people to stay close to him and acknowledge his provision lest they say, “my power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth” (Deut 8:17). But they didn’t heed God’s warning and turned away when they didn’t see their need for him.
In suffering and trials, we clearly see our need for God’s help. And when we call out to him, he runs to provide it. He walks with us through dark valleys, assuring us we are never alone (Ps 23:4). He gives us joy in his presence (Ps 16:11), surrounds us with steadfast love (Ps 32:10), revives us with his word (Ps 19: 7), waits to be gracious to us (Is 30:18), and renews our strength (Is 40:31). Our neediness becomes a blessing because it makes us seek the Lord and depend on his strength.
In the wilderness, we learn the preciousness of Scripture as we see God miraculously provide for us. Like the Israelites, the Lord supplies our needs each day while gently reminding us “that man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord (Deut 8:3). Suffering grounds our faith because in it we are drawn to God himself and not his gifts.
“God will use our suffering to draw us to him, make us more Christlike, and deepen our faith.”
Turn to God in Both Prosperity and Pain
So what does that mean for us? Is it wrong to enjoy times of prosperity and abundance with our families? Do we need to seek out suffering so we can have a deeper faith?
By no means. Enjoy the prosperity when it comes. The Lord wants us to appreciate his gifts and he gives us sweet seasons of carefree abundance and blessing that we shouldn’t feel guilty about. We aren’t asked to seek out suffering, but we are asked to accept suffering when God brings it. When it comes, consider these words of Charles Spurgeon: “There is no greater mercy that I know of on earth than good health except it be sickness; and that has often been a greater mercy to me than health. It is a good thing to be without a trouble; but it is a better thing to have a trouble and know how to get grace enough to bear it.” Finding God’s grace in our suffering is the best thing—it’s better than having no trouble at all.
God can use both prosperity and affliction for good. In health and prosperity, he calls us to give thanks and recognize that blessings come from his hand. He may ask us to give away our wealth like the rich young man (Matt 19:21), share it with others (Acts 2:44-45), or simply to be a generous giver (2 Cor 9:6-7). If you are in a season of abundance, thank the Lord for his gifts and ask how you might use them for the kingdom.
In affliction, the Lord calls us to cry out to him and trust he will provide for our needs. God will use our suffering to draw us to him, make us more Christlike, and deepen our faith. So if you are in a season of loss and pain, run to Jesus and pour out your heart. Read the Bible and let his words surround you. Trust that one day you will thank him for all your trials. And rejoice that through it all, he will never leave you, but will instead give you more of himself, delighting in you and giving you joy in his presence. And that is the greatest blessing of all.
Vaneetha Risner is the author of Walking Through Fire: A Memoir of Loss and Redemption in which she chronicles both her bewildering suffering and the breathtaking way Christ met her in it. Some of her greatest joys are being a wife to Joel and a mother to Katie and Kristi, and you can find her embarrassing them in North Carolina or online at www.vaneetha.com.
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