The Crushing Hand of God
The Crushing Hand of God
In Isaiah 53 we are given this great passage about the coming Messiah. In verse 10 we read this, “Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief”. While we find in these words the great truth that John Piper speaks of as “sober joy” we cannot help but be taken back, just a little bit, by the harshness of the words. Yes, the crushing of Jesus was how our sins were paid for and yes, that was the plan of God, but to hear that truth is such stark language kind of stops us in our tracks. When we meditate on the cross, we meditate on the beauty of the love of God that drove him to the tree. We meditate on the awesome gifts that result from his death. We seem to use nicer words than the word crushed. God desired to crush his son so that we might be reconciled to him.
I believe those words should also sober us when we think of the will of God for our lives. Yes, Jesus was crushed so that we might not be eternally crushed. He took our ultimate pain. But, can we fully discount the truth that God’s will for our lives might include pain and suffering? God does not delight in bringing suffering but, in his infinite wisdom, does he not know how much good suffering can bring into our lives? As our heavenly Father, does he not desire our holiness and purity more than our comfort? Does he not desire to conform us into the image of his Son who suffered while being here as our Savior and example?
I find great comfort in those thoughts. They give my suffering purpose. They remind me that my suffering is not by chance but by his choice and therefore it is measured and temporary. Suffering that is not random draws me nearer to Him. I cannot bear the thought that my well being is left to chance and then God is tasked with swooping in to fix it and make it good. I find great peace in knowing that each and every step I take, even if they are difficult steps, are ordered by the Lord. He both crushed and cared for his Son. He will do the same for me.
In Isaiah 53 we are given this great passage about the coming Messiah. In verse 10 we read this, “Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief”. While we find in these words the great truth that John Piper speaks of as “sober joy” we cannot help but be taken back, just a little bit, by the harshness of the words. Yes, the crushing of Jesus was how our sins were paid for and yes, that was the plan of God, but to hear that truth is such stark language kind of stops us in our tracks. When we meditate on the cross, we meditate on the beauty of the love of God that drove him to the tree. We meditate on the awesome gifts that result from his death. We seem to use nicer words than the word crushed. God desired to crush his son so that we might be reconciled to him.
I believe those words should also sober us when we think of the will of God for our lives. Yes, Jesus was crushed so that we might not be eternally crushed. He took our ultimate pain. But, can we fully discount the truth that God’s will for our lives might include pain and suffering? God does not delight in bringing suffering but, in his infinite wisdom, does he not know how much good suffering can bring into our lives? As our heavenly Father, does he not desire our holiness and purity more than our comfort? Does he not desire to conform us into the image of his Son who suffered while being here as our Savior and example?
I find great comfort in those thoughts. They give my suffering purpose. They remind me that my suffering is not by chance but by his choice and therefore it is measured and temporary. Suffering that is not random draws me nearer to Him. I cannot bear the thought that my well being is left to chance and then God is tasked with swooping in to fix it and make it good. I find great peace in knowing that each and every step I take, even if they are difficult steps, are ordered by the Lord. He both crushed and cared for his Son. He will do the same for me.
Recent
Archive
2025
February
2024
October
December
2023
Categories
no categories
No Comments