August 29 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Job 35:9–16

Devotional

Do you know what the deepest sorrow in life is for a child of God? To be outside of God’s communion is the deepest sorrow for a believer. There can be much suffering on earth in the lives of God’s children, but to feel as though you are without God causes the greatest pain. Have you ever felt this pain? Job, too, cries out in pain, “Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night?”

We, like Job, may pass through many difficult circumstances in our lives. We can have much suffering and encounter many perplexities, but the greatest distress in the life of a child of God is to be outside of God’s communion. When you are surrounded with sorrow, do you also cry out, “Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night?”

What a miracle of grace that there is an answer to such cries! The answer lies in God. The Lord Himself leads people to the place where, in the midst of all sorrows, really only one sorrow remains, and that is the sorrow that leads to God. According to His plan of salvation, the Lord leads them, so that in the midst of their afflictions they learn to ultimately desire Him alone. These people have to lose much, but God works this in their lives so that they in turn will gain everything. In this way God becomes their all in all.

God’s ways are wonderful in the lives of His people. His ways are often unfathomable and contrary to flesh and blood. The Lord does not spare the flesh, for flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. But God teaches them to deny self. All along their path of suffering, God is causing all things to work together for their eternal salvation.

The heavenly Gardener prunes all living branches. Do you still think you know what is best for you? The Lord may lead you into affliction in order to show you your true need for God. Adversities can be blessings, and prosperity can be a curse. Gold must be purified because it is gold; wheat must be threshed because it is wheat. The pruning knife needs to cut if there is to be fruit. Suffering is for the good of God’s children and above all to the glory of God.

When we come to understand, in part, the purpose of suffering, we say, “Lord, all my wisdom is foolishness before Thee. My own righteousness proves to be only wickedness. With all my supposed wisdom I can only be against Thee and I will stand in the way of my own salvation. How often have I insulted Thee by imagining that my blind eyes saw more than Thou didst see?” Who can make straight what God has made crooked? How blessed it is to know that no one can do that. If that were possible, God’s church would perish. Our own ways do not lead to heaven, but His ways are perfect.

 

From The Everlasting Word by Frans Bakker, compiled and translated by Gerald R. Procee. Reformation Heritage Books and Free Reformed Publications, 2007. Used by permission. For further information, click here.