But [Job] said to her, “Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

Job 2:10

Some people come to God with the mistaken notion that He will protect them from pain and suffering while they’re on earth. If we look around, however, we’ll see  some of the most godly people suffering through pain that is beyond  our comprehension.  Since the Fall, life  has been and will continue to be difficult. Faith makes life on earth bearable, but faith does not take away the inevitable pain we experience as we journey through life.

Elisabeth Elliot deals with the problem of pain and suffering by asking us if we would like to be spiritual dwarfs. She then explains that growth comes through pain. We can choose to grow and learn from difficult situations, or we can decide that bitter is better and live as a spiritual dwarf.

Pain and suffering are an inevitable part of life.  Let’s learn from our pain, grow from it, and then go on in our walk with God as spiritually “bigger” people.

Thought:  I will take God’s hand when my life’s journey takes me through some pain and suffering.