Suffering and the Sovereignty of God: The Runes of the Divine

 I have been reading a lot of Charles Haddon Spurgeon these days. Ironically, one of the women my wife knew when we were  in the dysfunctional religious group we were in  had given it to her. I say ironic because it was given for the purpose of looking at the suffering we were going through at the time as a merit badge. Suffering in that group was to be displayed like the phylactery of the Pharisee in Jesus’ time. Funny thing about that it is the religious that crucified Christ not the Enemy. If anything, Satan tried to thwart Him from the Cross. No in a way suffering is a voluntary act. How can I say that? Well it is in the secret of trusting in the Sovereignty of God. We need look no further that the Lord Himself in HIs last hours. 

Christ our Example

The fact is He chose to suffer even separation from God in order to free those who would come under His wings. He suffered for us. We so often overlook the fact that the Father suffered. Oh, what God the Father endured. I cannot imagine. I could never bring myself to turn my back on my own son. To hear all the cries of suffering and impending death and let it happen. I know that He knew the outcome but if I might say it, if God is eternal and His time clock is frozen to the ever present, did He not suffer Himself? I would venture to say that He did. The cries of the 22nd Psalm perhaps through the 31st Psalm it is legend and tradition that Jesus refrained these words written by David as HE suffered and died. It is the phrase of Nicodemus who might have said “Even as He is dying, HE quotes the scriptures…” 

CASTING THE RUNES: COMING TO AN UNDERSTANDING OF SUFFERING

The secret to understand about suffering and how to digest it is to understand that it is the pathway of choice for God to reveal His sovereignty to us all. Through the loss there is true gain. Until His purposes are achieved. 

I know that you are saying “Well and good for you…” and the my words ring inane and hollow like they did for me for the first 13 years after I lost my family to a dysfunctional group after I defected from it. The pain of separation which I assessed  had no purpose was proven wrong. I learned something along the way: the miracle of suffering is that in the beginning, it drives us from God and then turns us miraculously to God. In a sense we fight the impending death we run from it we plead, cry and scream at God to remove it but in the end in the silence of death there is a turning. It is not even something palpable, it is the Spirit or Soul that turns. They say the when the heart is broken and hope is dead and the body cannot go another step, it is the spirit that keeps us alive. I have found that to be true. It is that turning when the heart is broken and the body desires death that the spirit we have turns to God.  No, it is not scripture but it is experience. It is a truth that cannot be read nor cited or even seen because these truthful words are inscribed by the finger of God on our hearts. It is the uniqueness of our own journey from which I source this truth. Just go ask Job. 

THE DEADLY ROOT

Charles Haddon Spurgeon authored at least 25 sermons on the book of Job during his life. Each one is a journey into the understanding of pain. In that walk with him through these sermons, I have learned that God is not often the instigator of suffering but uses it to change us.  I would venture to say that Satan is often blamed for it but I don’t think he is interested in us to that degree. No, suffering mostly comes from ourselves. It is mainly sourced in decisions made by imperfect people; decisions to go or stay, to do or not do something, or even the hesitancy to make any decision at all. Once we understand that we stop blaming God for our condition and stop accusing some phantom demon for our suffering. No, the  enemy stares back at you each day while you shave or put on makeup. In fact, instead of leading us into suffering, our Father and our Brother Jesus are leading us out of it. It is just that the mess we have gotten ourselves into varies. The degree we suffer is in proportion to what life experiences we have created  or been exposed to.  But rest assured He rarely leads us into suffering and when He does so, it is in confidence of us  that He does so knowing we are going to prove His trust in us was well placed. I have found this to be a apt and pithy adage and I wish I had authored it: 

“It is the clinging hand of His child that makes a desperate situation a delight to God…”

                                                                                                                             L H Cowman

READING THE RUNES OF SUFFERING CORRECTLY

The truth is we have gotten ourselves into the mess and God is leading us out. In the scriptures, there is a prophetic vision of  of a shepherd that rescues one of His flock. He comes out with only pieces of his lamb. A leg, an ear….You see we must understand the reality of life. God always seeks to rescue us but the longer we are in the lion’s mouth the less of us there is to save. I disposed the 'best' years of my life -- that is from young adult to middle age, the most productive years a soul has to give to God into a dysfunctional religious group, that was my choice. I have been rescued by my Shepherd but a lot of me is gone. The rest I give to God.