Scripture: Isaiah 52:13-53:6
“How we deal with loss and suffering will mostly depend on our ability to see what painful events do to our hearts. If we refuse to face the damage, the dysfunctional patterns set in motion to handle it will continue to exacerbate the wound. Like a broken arm that is not properly set, it may fuse and heal improperly. We may learn to adapt to the way the fissures set, but it is unlikely to provide us with the optimum opportunity to live the way we were meant to live.
Suffering changes the human heart—sometimes for good and often for ill. We are faced with the challenge of learning how to wrestle with sorrow so it can bring about the greatest good. If we want to become more like God wants us to be, we must consider what it means to live well in a fallen world rather than scramble to escape the veil of sorrow.
As men and women after God’s own heart, we are called to walk the path Jesus walked. Jesus, “a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering” (Isaiah 53:3), never once dealt with reality by turning to dark cynicism, blasé acceptance, angry strength, and empty hope. The route to Golgatha was strewn with temptations to sidestep death, yet Jesus learned obedience through suffering. Jesus’ choice to embrace life to the point of death resulted in the healing of the greatest wound of our hearts: separation from God. As his followers, we are on the same journey, the same healing path.”
Dan Allender, The Healing Path
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