HAVEN’T I SUFFERED ENOUGH?

...He has blocked my way
so that I cannot pass through;
He has veiled my paths with darkness.
He has stripped me of my honor
and removed the crown from my head.
He tears me down on every side
so that I am ruined.
He uproots my hope like a tree.
His anger burns against me,
and He regards me as one of His enemies.
His troops advance together;
they construct a ramp against me
and camp around my tent.

He has removed my brothers from me;
my acquaintances have abandoned me.
My relatives stop coming by,
and my close friends have forgotten me. My house guests and female servants regard me as a stranger;
I am a foreigner in their sight.
I call for my servant,
but he does not answer,
even if I beg him with my own mouth.
My breath is offensive to my wife,
and my own family finds me repulsive.
Even young boys scorn me.
When I stand up, they mock me.

All of my best friends despise me,
and those I love have turned against me.
My skin and my flesh cling to my bones;
I have escaped with only
the skin of my teeth.
Have mercy on me, my friends,
have mercy,
for God’s hand has struck me.

Why do you persecute me as God does?
Will you never get enough of my flesh?
I wish that my words were written down,
that they were recorded on a scroll
or were inscribed in stone forever
by an iron stylus and lead!

But I know that my Redeemer lives,
and at the end
He will stand on the dust.
Even after my skin
has been destroyed,
yet I will see God in my flesh.
I will see Him myself;
my eyes will look at Him,
and not as a stranger.
My heart longs within me.
Job 19:8-27

TOO MUCH

Have I not learned Your lessons of the valley by now? I am so tired, Lord. Sorrows roll over me like waves slamming the shore. They feel unending.

How long must I wake with grief pounding in my heart? Fresh grief kicks up old grief and it all feels so dark. Will my life ever feel at peace? I feel like things get worse each year, never better, never easier. Will You ever bring relief?

Haven't I suffered enough?

I beg You to look down at me- at the losses and broken places, the grief and the ache and say ENOUGH.

Enough.

I beg You to say it.

Blow the whistle. Call for a Season of Rest.

But even still I trust You. It sounds crazy but it’s soul-level true. Because one day suffering near to You has PROVEN more lovely, more secure, more peaceful than the days I’ve wandered in the bitter, barren woods of My Own Way.

There is no peace apart from You. Even from the pit of Death Valley, your presence warms and steadies me.

Because here’s what I remember—on the cross, Jesus, You really did suffer each last drop. All suffering, all wrath, all sin placed on You. And because of Your total suffering, my suffering will always be “light and momentary” (2 Cor 4:17). My pain feels like too much, but when I set my eyes on You, Jesus, I remember truth.

You suffered so that my suffering would only ever go so far. My suffering will have boundaries and expiration dates because You paid it all.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

Do you feel like you’ve reached your suffering quota? (Do you feel like God has lost count of how many sorrowful days He’s given you? Does it feel like your life is marked by more suffering than others in your life?)

What about your life feels unfair? (Be honest before the Lord. Do you feel like you’ve suffered more than your fair share?)

In what ways have you experienced the warmth and steadiness of days (even sorrowful ones) spent near to Jesus?

How does lifting your eyes to Jesus on the cross alter your view of your own suffering? (Make a list of differences between your suffering in light of the cross—how do they differ? Spend time repenting and asking Jesus to help you believe truth.)

DEEPEST

“The deepest things I have learned in my own life have come from the deepest suffering. And out of the deepest waters and the hottest fires have come the deepest things I know about God.”

ELISABETH ELLIOT

LAMENT RESOURCE NO. 6

Our resource this week is Elisabeth Elliot’s Suffering Is Never For Nothing. This book is a transcript of a series of talks she gave in 1989. This series focuses on the nature and purpose of suffering and addresses the question “why doesn’t God do something about suffering?” Elisabeth Elliot walked through so many sorrowful days in her lifetime and is a wise and winsome voice on this topic. 

You can find this in book format or as a free seven part video series you can find here. The book is a closely followed transcript so you could decide which is better for you- book or video. 

I’ve watched this series several times over the years and continue to find it so helpful. Have you read or watched Suffering Is Never For Nothing? If so, we’d love to hear your thoughts! 

FOR NEXT WEEK

We would encourage you to have a read through Isaiah 53 to prepare for next week. While not specifically a lament text, these verses should move our hearts to grieve and lament the death of Jesus in our place. Spend time praying, meditating on and memorizing the verses. We look forward to looking at this passage together next week! See you Monday…

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