Surprising Benefits of Suffering
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone” Isaiah 9:2.
This verse is commonly used in connection with the Christmas Story. But originally these words were spoken to the Jewish people and had nothing to do with Christmas.
Light and Truth: Benefits of Suffering
Without a doubt, there is a connection between walking in darkness and seeing the light. There is a correlation between pain, grief, mourning and truth, reality and wisdom.
To read this entire passage for context, click here.
I’ve experienced this in my own life. The greater the pain, grief and heartache I’ve experienced the greater the Spirit of Truth and of revelation I’ve known.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the apostle Paul who received two-thirds of the New Testament by direct revelation was also continually enduring some hardship.
He experienced “. . . far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches” 2 Corinthians 11: 23-28.
I think all this pain enabled him to hear from God in a way not possible had his life been smooth and pleasant.
Joseph Saw the Light
Joseph, hailed by pharaoh as one possessing unparalleled discernment and wisdom (Genesis 41: 39) also experienced unparalleled pain and suffering.
Or take the apostle John. Tradition has it that he was banished to the island of Patmos. No doubt this was a painful trial for one as sensitive and relational as he.
And yet, out of this pain arose the awesome revelation contained in the book of Revelation.
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” Psalm 34: 18. In other words, the Spirit of Truth and Wisdom and Revelation is near to the brokenhearted,
For me, the most painful devastating months and years of my life also proved to be those in which I had the Spirit of Revelation to the greatest degree. To read some of my story, click here.
The light seems to arise out of the darkness.
God is light (1 John 1:5), so you could say light or truth or the ability to see reality is near the broken-hearted. It’s only in the light that we see what’s real and true.
It’s only in the light that we see what’s really there. We see reality.
To read another post related to Surprising Benefits of Suffering, see Strength in Weakness: Not in Spite of but Because of.
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