She looked into my eyes and said, “Don’t waste your pain.” My mind immediately returned to the time years prior when I’d led the memorial service for her young adult son whose life was taken in a car accident. She knew what she was talking about. She knew pain. But she also knew how God could use it to honor Him and help others—something this friend had done so very well. And as I heard her words, they comforted and encouraged me as I faced a serious cancer diagnosis. She was reminding me that God heard my cries and lament, and that He was with me in my pain and might use it to help others in a new way.
Moses also learned that God was with His people in their pain. “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt,” God said. “I have heard them crying out . . . and I am concerned about their suffering” (Exodus 3:7). The Israelites, like us at times, must have felt alone in their pain. But God assured them He had a plan to “rescue them” and that “the cry” of their hearts was heard (vv. 8-9). He would ultimately use their pain to grow their faith, defeat their enemies, and bring Him honor.
In Psalm 90, the only psalm attributed to Moses, he declared that even though our “best years are filled with pain” (v. 10 nlt), God’s “unfailing love” is with us “to the end of our lives” (v. 14 nlt). He lovingly won’t waste our pain—and neither should we.
What does it mean for you to know God hears your cries? How is God using your pain to help others?
Loving God, thank You for hearing my cries and using my pain to help others.
Discover why we believe in a God who allows suffering.
“God to the rescue!” is a major biblical/theological theme in Scripture and history. Because of His person and His promises, He’s mindful of the plight of His people throughout the ages. He’s loving, merciful, and compassionate; therefore, He sees the dilemmas and hears the groans of His people (see Exodus 2:23). And because He’s a promise keeper (v. 24), He acts for the well-being of those who belong to Him. We see this same dynamic in God’s ultimate rescue plan through Jesus (Galatians 4:4-5). Mary sang about such things in Luke 1:54-55: “[God] has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.” And God was with Mary and Abraham as they experienced pain in life, just as He’s with us in our pain.
