Kindness in Suffering: 12 Ways God Shows His Goodness Through Trials and AfflictionsSample

God's Purpose Above Our Pain

After receiving bad counsel from his three friends, Job finally received good counsel from a young man named Elihu. Whereas Job’s other friends had foolishly tried to blame.

Job’s misfortunes on some sort of wrongdoing, Elihu administered godly counsel. In the end, Job’s sufferings did not exist apart from the sovereign hand of God. Elihu observed, “Whether for correction, or for His world, or for lovingkindness, He causes it to happen” (Job 37:13). We may never know the full reasons for our suffering, but we can trust that God has His own providential purposes. The Lord declares, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isa. 55:9).

And while we may never understand why bad things happen to us, or all of what God intends to teach us, we can be assured, “the Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22–23). Furthermore, “if He causes grief, then He will have compassion according to His abundant lovingkindness” (v. 32).