But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. – 1 Peter 5:10
God’s intention, in every occasion of suffering, is to bring gain from our pain. More than one hundred years ago, on June 6, 1882, one man’s experience of heartbreak gave birth to a hymn that has provided balm to many aching hearts.
George Matheson went blind shortly after becoming engaged, and his fiancée, whom he loved dearly, broke off their engagement. The grief he felt, coupled with the inevitable loneliness and agony of rejection, could have caused anger or depression. However, Matheson found it to be the very means of illuminating the love of God. He turned his thoughts away from his loss, away from the powerful temptations to self-pity and bitterness, and turned the gaze of his soul to a far greater love—a love that would never let him go. And so his grief was transformed. The simple and profound words of his hymn reflect that fact:
O Love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in Thee;
I give Thee back the life I owe,
That in Thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.
O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to Thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain
That morn shall tearless be.
God could have spared George Matheson the pain he went through, but He chose instead to give him something far more precious—“beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness” (Isaiah 61:3). Matheson entered the wilderness of suffering, as we all will at some point in life, but he emerged with God’s own sweet treasure. His faith laid hold of the promise and, amazingly, he found that the pain had been exchanged for joy. The verses written as a result of his suffering became one of the great hymns of the church.
Today, what has brought pain into your life? Perhaps serious injury, illness, or other physical trauma is the cause. It may be a rebellious child, a broken relationship, a loss by death, physical or emotional abuse, personal failure, or any of a myriad of other situations. Whatever hard spot you may face, remember that God wants to use it for good in your life. Today may be dark with pain, but you can have a bright tomorrow if you look to Him!