“The deepest intimacies often occur not on the mountaintops of blessing but in the valleys where we feel most vulnerable.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – May 16, 2025
It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. Psalm 119:71
My wife, Rita, loves turquoise blue sea glass. Have you ever held a beautiful piece of sea glass in your palm? That smooth, frosted gem wasn’t born that way. It began as sharp, broken shards—dangerous and jagged—until the relentless waves and abrasive sand transformed its edges through countless collisions. What was once broken becomes beautiful, not despite its brokenness, but because of the journey through it. Our lives often follow a similar pattern. The mystery of suffering isn’t easily untangled, but perhaps it’s not meant to be solved so much as experienced. Like a love story that includes both tears and laughter, our journey with God encompasses the full spectrum of human experience. The deepest intimacies often occur not on the mountaintops of blessing but in the valleys where we feel most vulnerable.
Psalm 119 was likely written during or after the Babylonian exile, a period of intense national suffering for Israel. The psalmist experienced affliction and persecution, as evidenced in nearby verses: “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word” (Psalm 119:67). This statement reflects a mature spiritual perspective recognizing suffering’s redemptive purpose. He discovered that hardship drove him deeper into God’s instructions, which he came to value “more than thousands of pieces of silver and gold” (Psalm 119:72). The vulnerable writer embraces the painful process that led to greater intimacy with God’s truth. His testimony echoes throughout scripture: sometimes, our deepest spiritual growth occurs not despite affliction but because of it.
Like clay on a potter’s wheel, we are being prepared. The pressure of challenging circumstances shapes us for purposes we cannot yet envision. The Hebrew prophets understood this; Isaiah wrote of being refined in the “furnace of affliction.” When life presses hard against your edges, perhaps you are being shaped for a future role that demands exactly the strength, compassion, or wisdom that this struggle is developing in you. Ask yourself: What might I be learning right now that I couldn’t learn any other way? How might this difficulty be forming capacities within me that ease never could?
Other times, suffering creates a mirror for examination. When pain disrupts our comfortable patterns, we’re forced to look at aspects of our lives we’ve been too busy to evaluate. Job losses make us reconsider career paths. Relationship fractures reveal unhealthy patterns we’ve ignored. Health crises expose priorities we’ve neglected. In these seasons, the questions become: Am I walking the path I was created for? Have I surrounded myself with people who draw me toward my highest self? Are my daily choices aligned with my deepest values?
But perhaps the best outcome is suffering offers the possibility of transformation. The caterpillar doesn’t become a butterfly through wishing but through the dark confinement of the chrysalis. Similarly, our personal transformations often occur not through incremental improvements but through radical disruptions that break open our understanding of ourselves, others, and God. Here we ask: Who am I becoming through this journey? Does my life reflect the character of the One I claim to follow? What might be possible if I surrender fully to this refining process?
This is the mystery of faith—that our deepest wounds can become sacred meeting places with God and with each other. When we stand vulnerable in our pain, something extraordinary happens. Masks fall away. Pretense disappears. We meet each other as we truly are, and in that authentic space, genuine connection becomes possible. Remember: the story of redemption has always been that God doesn’t waste our wounds but weaves them into a larger tapestry of purpose. The hands that hold the universe bear scars—evidence that suffering, when surrendered, can become the birthplace of resurrection. What painful circumstance might be inviting you into deeper intimacy, clearer vision, or profound transformation today? Find purpose in your pain.
Prayer
Lord, in my pain, help me trust Your purpose. Teach me through the hurt, refine my heart, and draw me closer to You. Let my suffering bear fruit for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Application
Where is the Lord bringing new meaning to your life in the middle of hard times?
Related Reading
Genesis 50:20; Romans 8:28; 2 Corinthians 4:17; James 1:2-4
Worship Resource
Benjamin William Hastings: From the Inside Out
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