Purpose In The Pain

I find the story of Moses extremely reassuring. Despite Moses’s doubts and fears, God remained gracious and involved in his life. Moses doubted God (Exodus 3:11), questioned His plan (4:1), thought he was unqualified (v. 10), and even ended a conversation with God by saying, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else” (v. 13). Yet God still used him. Can you believe that?

Over and over again, God involved Moses and Aaron in miracles and in His grand plan to free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. “The LORD said to him, ‘What is that in your hand?’ ‘A staff,’ he replied. The LORD said, ‘Throw it on the ground.’ Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it” (vv. 2–3).

God instructed Moses to use what he already had—what was literally in his hand—to demonstrate God’s power and liberate His people. Moses’s clean hand became diseased (v. 6), and his staff turned into a snake (v. 4). Aaron summoned frogs by stretching out his staff (8:5–6), and the plague of gnats came when he struck the dusty ground (vv. 16–17).

While God is powerful enough to do anything on His own, His desire is ultimately to use His people to make His glory known throughout the world and in the lives right before us.

That is what our lives are all about. Making Christ known. Even in our suffering, even in our tears, even in our pain, even in our questions. Because there may be no reason for our pain except “that the works of God might be displayed” (John 9:3).

And we get to choose if we will take Him at His Word and trust His authority over our lives and those we love. I personally will never get to a place where I’m “okay” with pain, but it’s about being made more like Christ. It’s about His glory, not ours. His crown, not our own. His words of truth, not “my truth.” His power revealed, not our personal agenda. Following Jesus means dying to ourselves, surrendering our desires, and being made completely new.

That is where true joy is found. While the world preaches self-love and lies, Jesus is whispering, “Come.” The joy that awaits us is a newfound understanding and a new way of life (2 Cor. 5:17).

Prayer: May my pain be used for Your purpose. Restore to me the joy that comes only from You. My life is Yours. I love You, Jesus. In Your name I pray, amen.

This plan is presented to you by Take Back Your Joy: Fighting for Purpose When Life is More Than You Can Handle. Learn more here!