Is there anyone among us who has not known heartbreak? Death stole someone you love. A friend betrayed you. A spouse deserted you. A child disappointed you. An illness interrupted your life.<\/p>\n
Heartbreak comes in all shapes and sizes, and it changes us. In our pain we cry out, Why?<\/em><\/p>\n I have no adequate answer to that echoing question. But I\u2019ve learned in heartbreaking places\u2014dark places\u2014we must choose to believe what we found easy to believe in the light.<\/p>\n Remember the story of Joseph\u2014hated by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused and imprisoned. God had a mighty purpose in everything he allowed. He was doing something bigger than Joseph could see.<\/p>\n God never wastes heartbreak.<\/p>\n In our pain we cry out, How will I get through this?<\/em><\/p>\n We have a choice: to draw near to God or turn from him. I read about a pastor whose wife was involved in a horrific car accident that left her with irreversible brain damage and severe disabilities. \u00a0He made a statement I’ll never forget. \u201cI wasn’t going to get angry with God. He was the only one who could get us through this.\u201d<\/p>\n Heartbreak and suffering are all around us. Hardly a life is untouched. In pain we cry out, What\u2019s the purpose in all this anguish?<\/em><\/p>\n I\u2019ve considered that question and prayed for understanding, and the Lord has given me an answer that satisfies me. Purposes in suffering:<\/p>\n To persevere through suffering, we need a Christ-perspective: God has a purpose, and he is working for my good.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose\u201d (Romans 8:28).<\/p>\nAnd we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose\u201d (Romans 8:28). <\/a><\/span>Click To Tweet<\/a><\/span>\n Paul\u2019s perspective on suffering: \u201cMoreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity). And character [of this sort] produces [the habit of] joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation. Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God\u2019s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us\u201d (Romans 5:3-5 Amplified).<\/p>\n Maybe yours is an on-going heartbreak. Unable to move beyond it, you struggle day after day in an excruciating circumstance with no end in sight.<\/p>\n I know nothing more to say than this: God is good. He makes no mistakes. He has a purpose for everything he allows. He\u2019s doing something bigger than you can see.<\/p>\n If you can believe that, you can endure\u2014even thrive in\u2014hard places. Looking back, I\u2019m grateful for those sweet times of nestling in Jesus\u2019 arms. I face the future knowing I\u2019m always welcome there.<\/p>\n \u201cThe eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms\u2026\u201d (Deuteronomy 33:27).<\/p>\n Stay there and trust him. He has a purpose. He will not allow your heartbreak to be wasted.<\/p>\n Would you tell me about a heartbreak that God ultimately used for good? And please share this with your friends!<\/p>\n \u00a9 Dianne Barker 2019<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Is there anyone among us who has not known heartbreak? Death stole someone you love. A friend betrayed you. A spouse deserted you. A child disappointed you. An illness interrupted your life. Heartbreak comes in all shapes and sizes, and it changes us. In our pain we cry out, Why? I have no adequate answer […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3],"tags":[9,72,380,67,71,384,103],"class_list":["post-1630","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general","tag-dianne-barker","tag-god-is-good","tag-god-never-wastes-heartbreak","tag-hard-places","tag-purpose","tag-romans-828","tag-suffering"],"yoast_head":"\n\n
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