Show Notes
When life hurts, our first question is almost always why. Why this sickness, this loss, this setback? But what if the greater question isn't why, but who – who's with me in this, and what might He be doing through it?
In 1951, Japanese sculptor Chiharu Matsunaga lost both hands in an industrial explosion. His career – his very identity – seemed lost. During recovery, he began experimenting with clay, pressing and shaping it using only his forearms.
It took years of trial and error and an inordinate amount of patience, but eventually he developed a new technique that revolutionised modern sculpture in Japan. He later said, "My wounds taught me how to see beauty that my eyes once ignored."
That's what only suffering can do – it refines that which success cannot.
Romans 8:28 We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him. These are the people God chose, because that was his plan.
Now, that doesn't mean everything's going to be a bed of roses – far from it. But what it does mean is that God can bring good out of anything. The same God who brought resurrection from crucifixion can bring a beautiful new purpose from your pain.
So when you're hurting, hold onto Jesus, His character, His example. Pray not for relief, but for revelation. Ask Him, "Lord, what are You showing me through this? What am I meant to be learning? Where are you leading?"
Because suffering isn't the absence of God – it's often the workshop of His greatest works. The Father who didn't waste the cross will never waste your tears.
That's His Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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