Hopelessness, Suffering, and Unjust Loss - Part 9
Years ago, I was asked to lead a dream interpretation team at an outreach event. One dear lady came to our team to share a dream she’d had years earlier but had never understood. In the dream, there was a spider and a bracelet set with eight precious diamonds. The spider had taken the bracelet and was running away with it. As she watched the dream unfold, one of the diamonds came out of its setting, rolled under the couch, and was lost. That left seven diamonds still in the bracelet.
We recognized that the spider represented a harmful influence in this particular dream, but what did the diamonds represent? What was it that had been lost?
As we talked, she suddenly cried out as she realized that she’d had that dream at the time of her first miscarriage. She collapsed into sobs as the full weight of the dream’s message became clear to her. That miscarriage was the first of eight that she would eventually experience. The lost diamond represented the baby she lost in the first miscarriage. Eventually, all of her precious diamonds were lost.
I sat stunned, not knowing what to say as the lady sobbed in front of me with her head in her hands. I felt utterly inadequate to help her. I felt that, if only there had been someone in her life years ago who could have helped her understand the dream in time, and addressed the issue at the time that she had the dream, all of those miscarriages might have been prevented. But now? What could be said to a woman who had lost eight babies?
At that time, I had no idea how to help or what to say to a woman who had lost children prematurely, but now, with a better understanding of the justice of God for such devastating losses, I can offer hope to you for the pain and losses that you’ve suffered.
God Wants You to Know Why
When tragedy strikes, there is a common belief that we can never understand why such things happened. That is not true, but it is what many people seem to believe. The truth is that “evil men do not understand justice, But those who seek the Lord understand all things” (Proverbs 28:5 NASB). God invites us to ask Him questions and to seek Him for answers.
“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”—Jeremiah 33:3 (ESV)
Throughout the ages, people have sought God for understanding about painful circumstances, and He has answered and given insight into those experiences.
For example, when Uzza died in the middle of a parade of celebration, King David sought God for answers about why this had happened. After he understood the reason for Uzza’s untimely death, David scheduled another celebration. This time, he gave strict instructions to correct the previous error and prevent another tragedy. (See 1 Chronicles 13 and 15.)
Also, in Luke 24, when the disciples were lamenting their hopelessness on the road to Emmaus, after the devastating loss of Jesus through His death on the cross, the resurrected Jesus Himself joined them and took time to fully explain why it had happened:
“‘Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?’ Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”—Luke 24:26-27 (NLT)
After Jesus explained why all of these events had happened, then the disciples understood that His unjust death was not the end of the story, but that God had prepared a glorious repayment that would more than make up for the unjust losses that had been suffered!
In another example, when the disciples asked Jesus why a certain man had been born blind in John chapter 9, Jesus explained to them exactly why it had happened. And just as in the case of Jesus’ death, it changed the perception of this man’s situation when they understood what God had planned for this man. His future was not tragic or sad. It was glorious!
Understanding Brings Freedom from Pain
God wants you to understand why painful events happened in your life because that understanding will free you from the lingering negative emotions associated with those events. Understanding will free you from the pain of your past and bring healing for those deep hurts. That is the whole basis for inner healing ministry. The basic goal of inner healing ministry is to gain insight from God into the painful events of your past so that you can be free from the pain and the oppressive, negative emotions associated with those events.
The inner healing ministry of Dennis and Melanie Morgan-Dohner brought freedom to hundreds and hundreds of people by simply asking God to give “more light” of understanding about painful life events. In their simple but powerful ministry, they asked questions like, “God, what is the truth that we need to understand about this painful event?” Jesus still answers these questions, bringing understanding into the painful events of the past; and with that understanding comes freedom from the pain!
(Read “Lies Hurt and the Truth Heals,” by Dennis and Melanie Morgan-Dohner.)
Paul Keith Davis experienced years of painful abuse as he was growing up. As he sought God for answers, God spoke to him these words, “The pain of your past is the preparation for your future.” Those words freed him from any unforgiveness and lingering bitterness about the unjust and painful experiences of his past. Not only was he freed from the pain, but when he understood that God had taken all of those painful experiences and turned them around for his good, Paul Keith actually became grateful for those painful experiences because of the preparation they had given him to fulfill his future destiny and purpose!
The deep pain that you have suffered was not what God wanted for you. It was not His will for you to be deeply hurt. He did not wish those events to come into your life. In fact, He wept along with you while you were experiencing them.
More than that, when you are crying in pain, God has instructed His disciples to cry with you, because that is what He does when you cry out in pain. That is His nature and character:
“Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.”—Romans 12:15 (NKJV)
God felt your pain. But He did not stop there. If you cooperate with what God has planned for your life, He has a plan to turn those painful events around and use them to bring about good things for you!
“And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.”—Romans 8:2 (AMP)
Much more than just giving you comfort and understanding, God has a wonderful plan to give you justice and repayment for every unjust loss that you have suffered!
