Finding Purpose in Suffering: God's Deliverance Through Affliction

Devotional

Day 1: Affliction as a Path to Deliverance

Affliction is not merely a burden to bear but a divine tool for deliverance and spiritual awakening. Through suffering, individuals are often redirected from destructive paths and set on a course of obedience and life. This process, though painful, ultimately leads to growth and protection. The story of a friend whose broken leg led to the discovery of cancer illustrates how God can use negative circumstances for ultimate good. Similarly, the biblical account of David being prevented from joining the Philistine army, which led to the rescue of his family, shows how God orchestrates events for protection and growth. [03:29]

Job 36:15 (ESV): "He delivers the afflicted by their affliction and opens their ear by adversity."

Reflection: Think of a recent challenge you faced. How might God be using this situation to redirect your path or protect you from a greater harm?

Day 2: Suffering as a Lens for Scripture

Suffering can deepen our understanding of Scripture, providing insights that meditation and prayer alone cannot. Martin Luther emphasized that affliction is a key to biblical interpretation, allowing believers to see the Bible in a new light and gain wisdom and understanding. Through suffering, individuals are often brought back to obedience and a deeper understanding of God's word, as highlighted in Psalm 119:67 and 71. This transformative process enables believers to grow spiritually and gain a more profound comprehension of divine truths. [06:34]

Psalm 119:71 (ESV): "It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes."

Reflection: Reflect on a time when a difficult experience led you to a deeper understanding of a specific Bible passage. How did this change your perspective on that Scripture?

Day 3: Reliance on God Through Affliction

Affliction can strip away self-reliance, leaving individuals to depend solely on God. Paul's experience in 2 Corinthians 1:9 demonstrates how suffering can bring believers to the end of themselves, forcing them to rely on God's power and resurrection. This reliance is a crucial aspect of spiritual growth, as it fosters a deeper relationship with God and a greater understanding of His sovereignty. Through suffering, believers learn to trust in God's providence and find strength in His presence. [07:30]

2 Corinthians 1:9 (ESV): "Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead."

Reflection: Identify an area in your life where you are relying on your own strength. How can you begin to depend more on God's power in this area today?

Day 4: God's Sovereignty in All Circumstances

God can use any form of suffering, even death, to deliver individuals from greater calamities. The Bible teaches that God is sovereign over all circumstances, and He can use even the most difficult situations for ultimate good. This understanding requires a deep trust in God's providence and a willingness to see His hand at work in every aspect of life. By recognizing God's sovereignty, believers can find peace and assurance in the midst of trials, knowing that He is working for their good. [08:15]

Isaiah 45:7 (ESV): "I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things."

Reflection: Consider a challenging situation you are currently facing. How can you trust in God's sovereignty and look for His purpose in this circumstance?

Day 5: Understanding God's Purpose in Suffering

We can miss God's purpose in our suffering if we lack a biblical understanding of His sovereignty. Job's story serves as a reminder that individuals can misinterpret God's actions, leading to accusations of heartlessness. It is crucial for Christians to be taught about God's providence and the role of suffering in the Christian life. By gaining a deeper understanding of God's purpose, believers can navigate their trials with faith and confidence, trusting that He is working for their ultimate good. [09:20]

Job 42:5-6 (ESV): "I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes."

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you misunderstood God's actions in your life. How can you seek a deeper understanding of His purpose in your current circumstances?

Sermon Summary

In today's reflection, we delve into the profound wisdom found in Job 36:15, where Elihu speaks of God delivering the afflicted through their affliction and opening their ears through adversity. This passage raises significant questions about the nature of suffering and God's purpose in it. We explore how God uses affliction as a means of deliverance and spiritual awakening. Through personal anecdotes and biblical examples, we see that suffering can be a tool for redirecting our paths, deepening our understanding of Scripture, and fostering reliance on God.

One poignant story shared is of a friend whose broken leg led to the discovery of cancer, ultimately saving her life. This illustrates how God can use seemingly negative circumstances for our ultimate good. Similarly, the biblical account of David being prevented from joining the Philistine army, which led to the rescue of his family, shows how God orchestrates events for our protection and growth.

The Bible offers several examples of how affliction serves as a catalyst for spiritual growth. Psalm 119:67 and 71 highlight how suffering can lead us back to obedience and deeper understanding of God's word. Martin Luther emphasized the role of suffering in biblical interpretation, suggesting that it provides insights that meditation and prayer alone cannot. Additionally, Paul's experience in 2 Corinthians 1:9 demonstrates how affliction can strip away self-reliance, leaving us to depend solely on God.

Chloe's questions also address the types of suffering God uses and whether we can miss His work in our lives. The answer is that God can use any form of suffering, even death, to deliver us from greater calamities. However, we can indeed miss God's purpose if we lack a biblical understanding of His sovereignty and the role of suffering. Job's story serves as a reminder that we can misinterpret God's actions, leading to accusations of heartlessness. Therefore, it is crucial for Christians to be taught about God's providence and the place of suffering in the Christian life.

Key Takeaways

1. God uses affliction as a means of deliverance and spiritual awakening. Through suffering, we can be redirected from destructive paths and set on a course of obedience and life. This process often involves painful experiences that ultimately lead to our growth and protection. [03:29]
2. Suffering can deepen our understanding of Scripture. Martin Luther emphasized that affliction is a key to biblical interpretation, providing insights that meditation and prayer alone cannot. Through suffering, we learn to see the Bible in a new light, gaining wisdom and understanding. [06:34]
3. Affliction can strip away self-reliance, leaving us to depend solely on God. Paul's experience in 2 Corinthians 1:9 demonstrates how suffering can bring us to the end of ourselves, forcing us to rely on God's power and resurrection. This reliance is a crucial aspect of spiritual growth. [07:30]
4. God can use any form of suffering, even death, to deliver us from greater calamities. The Bible teaches that God is sovereign over all circumstances, and He can use even the most difficult situations for our ultimate good. This understanding requires a deep trust in God's providence. [08:15]
5. We can miss God's purpose in our suffering if we lack a biblical understanding of His sovereignty. Job's story serves as a reminder that we can misinterpret God's actions, leading to accusations of heartlessness. It is crucial for Christians to be taught about God's providence and the role of suffering in the Christian life. [09:20]
** [09:20]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:12] - Introduction to Job 36:1-15
[00:42] - Chloe's Questions on Affliction
[01:12] - The Delicate Nature of Discussing Suffering
[02:30] - Personal Story of Affliction
[03:11] - How God Delivers Through Affliction
[04:07] - Biblical Example: David and the Philistines
[05:21] - Affliction as a Catalyst for Obedience
[06:17] - Martin Luther on Suffering and Scripture
[07:10] - Paul's Experience of Reliance on God
[08:15] - Types of Suffering God Uses
[08:57] - Can We Miss God's Purpose in Suffering?
[10:19] - The Importance of Teaching on Suffering
[11:04] - Understanding the Book of Job
[11:33] - Closing Remarks

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Job 36:15
- Psalm 119:67, 71
- 2 Corinthians 1:9

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Observation Questions:

In Job 36:15, Elihu mentions that God delivers the afflicted by their affliction. What does this mean in the context of the sermon? [00:42]
How does the story of David in 1 Samuel 29 illustrate the concept of being delivered through affliction? [04:07]
According to Psalm 119:67 and 71, what role does affliction play in understanding and obeying God's word? [05:21]
How does Paul's experience in 2 Corinthians 1:9 demonstrate the stripping away of self-reliance through suffering? [07:30]

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Interpretation Questions:

How might God use affliction to redirect someone from a destructive path to one of obedience and life? Consider the personal story shared in the sermon. [03:29]
What insights does Martin Luther's view on suffering as a key to biblical interpretation provide for understanding Scripture? [06:34]
In what ways can suffering deepen a believer's reliance on God, as seen in Paul's experience? [07:30]
How can a lack of biblical understanding of God's sovereignty lead to misinterpreting His actions during times of suffering, as illustrated by Job's story? [09:20]

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Application Questions:

Reflect on a time when you experienced affliction. How did it change your understanding of God's purpose in your life? [03:29]
How can you cultivate a deeper reliance on God during times of suffering, similar to Paul's experience in 2 Corinthians 1:9? [07:30]
Think of a situation where you might have misinterpreted God's actions as heartless. How can you seek a better understanding of His sovereignty in such times? [09:20]
How can you use your personal experiences of suffering to help others see God's purpose in their afflictions? [10:19]
Identify a specific area in your life where you feel self-reliant. What steps can you take to depend more on God's power and guidance? [07:50]
How can you ensure that you don't miss God's purpose in your suffering? What practices can help you stay attuned to His work in your life? [09:20]
Consider the role of teaching and learning about God's providence and the place of suffering in the Christian life. How can you contribute to this understanding within your community? [10:19]

Sermon Clips

Whenever I speak or write about Affliction and suffering and pain I know that I am treading very delicate ground because what Millions of people experiencing their pain is worse than anything I've ever known and I must be so careful not to be lighthearted or Breezy or fessel or simplistic. [00:01:15]

I recall one time being in the hospital after a surgery of my own surgery when the nurses told me now tell us when the pain becomes unmanageable and we'll give you something to help you with it so I decided late one night that I'm going to see how far this goes I'm going to see how far I can take it before I ask for any painkiller. [00:01:50]

It might be something as straightforward as a friend of mine who was in a car accident in her early 20s and broke her leg that Affliction as they set the bone enabled them to spot a cancer in her her left calf it was cut out deeply she has the scar part of this day she's alive in her 60s and would be dead had she not broken her leg and they spotted the cancer. [00:03:37]

A Biblical example is uh 1 Samuel 29 where akish the king of the Philistines remember refused to let David go go with him because his General didn't like the idea of of David fighting with the Philistine Army cuz he's going to turn on them and so the king won't let David and his men go he doesn't trust them. [00:04:18]

Psalm 119:67 before I was afflicted I went astray but now I keep your word so sometimes God uses Affliction to cut us off from a destructive path and set us back on the way of obedience and life thousands of people have had a terrifying experience of hallucinogenic drugs that scared them so badly you could you could literally say scared the hell literally hell out of them. [00:05:27]

Martin Luther loved this text and said that this was a key to biblical interpretation that most books on biblical interpretation don't include namely suffering as a key he he said there are two usual methods of uh Bible interpretation one meditation to prayer he called them in Latin meditatio and oratio but he said there is a third key to rightly understanding the Bible namely affliction. [00:06:24]

Paul says that his Affliction in Ephesus brought him to the point of death and then he adds this that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead so sometimes God delivers us from self-reliance by knocking all the props out from under our life so that there's only one Reliance left God and Resurrection. [00:07:27]

The biblical answer literally is every kind short of final destruction Paul uses that very phrase in 2 Corinthians 4:8 we are afflicted in every way every way but not crushed that would include even death here's Isaiah 57:1 the righteous man perishes and no one lays it to heart for the righteous man is taken away from Calamity. [00:08:07]

Yes we do miss it and yes there is a mistaking of IT job missed it missed it that's one of the points to the book he accused God of being his enemy he said God is acting like he hates me he was wrong about that this is one of the main points of the book job 42:5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear but now my eye sees you. [00:09:23]

One of the main reasons Christians sometimes do not submit to what God is doing in their suffering is that they have never been taught a Biblical understanding of God's sovereignty his Providence and the place of suffering in the Christian Life they just don't know what the Bible says they can scarcely imagine themselves saying with the psalmist it was good for me that I was afflicted that I might learn your statutes. [00:10:14]

All of us parents friends pastors teachers all of us need to teach these things that's one of the reasons The Book of Job is in the Bible yeah amen the book is important and needs to be well understood by all parents friends pastors and teachers but it's also a very hard book to understand as we just saw about a month ago uh what's true and what's false in job. [00:10:31]

Christmas fast approaches as does 2025 a lot happening over the next couple of weeks we'll be here throughout Pastor John and myself I'm Tony ranky we'll see you again on Thursday. [00:11:23]

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Finding Purpose in Suffering: God's Deliverance Through Affliction

Devotional

Day 1: Affliction as a Path to Deliverance

Day 2: Suffering as a Lens for Scripture

Day 3: Reliance on God Through Affliction

Day 4: God's Sovereignty in All Circumstances

Day 5: Understanding God's Purpose in Suffering

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Finding Purpose in Suffering: God's Deliverance Through Affliction

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