Job 30:27-31: The churning inside me never stops; days of suffering confront me. I go about blackened, but not by the sun; I stand up in the assembly and cry for help. I have become a brother of jackals, a companion of owls. My skin grows black and peels; my body burns with fever. My lyre is tuned to mourning, and my pipe to the sound of wailing.
Psalm 30:2-12: LORD my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me. You, LORD, brought me up from the realm of the dead; you spared me from going down to the pit. Sing the praises of the LORD, you his faithful people; praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. When I felt secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.” LORD, when you favored me, you made my royal mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed. To you, LORD, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy: “What is gained if I am silenced, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness? Hear, LORD, and be merciful to me; LORD, be my help.” You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. LORD my God, I will praise you forever.
I try to be careful when I speak about suffering. I don't want to give people the impression that I think suffering is not a terrible experience, because it is always terrible, for some more than others. I was recently reminded of how terrible of experience suffering can be when I spoke to a woman who had lost two of her sons and a grandson through an accidently drowning. As she spoke, I realized how much her heart was still broken and how deep her pain was. And I thought about Job, and the text that is listed above - he, too, suffered greatly and his heart was broken.
So how do we survive such suffering? Not through some easy to recite formula or abstract ideas. No, if we are going to survive intense suffering with a stronger faith we have to follow the example of David. Through God's grace he was able lift himself above his suffering (You, LORD, brought me up from the realm of the dead...)to see the glorious future that God had in store for him and the presence that God continue to have in his life. Was accepting God's grace easy for David? No easier than it is for you and I. But because he was able to, he was changed for the better through the great suffering that he experienced.
This Sunday, we will talk more about what it means to accept God's grace in the midst of great suffering. I hope to see you then!
