Psalm 44:9-16 The Providence of God in our Pain

In the New Testament, believers are commanded: “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” because God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.” (James 1:13). However, in an attempt to follow this command, many believers go too far in the opposite direction and so fall into the opposite error. Because we believe that God does not tempt anyone, we then attribute any temptation to the devil. While we are attributing all temptation to the devil, we generally go one step further and attribute all evil to the devil. Before long, we find ourselves believing in some form of cosmic dualism, where God is battling for the sake of good against the devil who is battling for the sake of evil.

This could not be further from what the Bible actually teaches! Yes, we do have an adversary, who is real and powerful and active. But the devil is not anywhere near as powerful as God! When bad things happen, it is not because the devil caused them to happen; it is because God allowed them to happen. God is sovereign over every activity in the universe, including evil.

Remember Job? The devil wasn’t allowed to touch Job until God gave him permission. Even then, God limited the devil’s reach, so He could use the devil’s plans for His purposes.

We may not like it when tragedies happen, but we must not allow our circumstances to change our view of God. He is sovereign over the universe when we are happy, and when we are sad; He is sovereign when we receive blessings, and when we receive trials; He is sovereign when we are healthy, and when we are in pain. It is the latter scenario in which the sons of Korah are writing this psalm.

Please read Psalm 44:9-16.

The armies of Israel have been defeated in battle. The biblical authors wisely do not attribute their defeat to the enemy. Rather, they say to God, “you have rejected us and disgraced us and have not gone out with our armies. You have made us turn back… You have made us like sheep for slaughter… You have sold your people…You have made us the taunt of our neighbors… You have made us a byword among the nations.” Could they be any clearer regarding who is ultimately to blame for Israel’s defeat?

As Christians, we must be careful not to attribute any work of God to the devil. The devil didn’t allow us to suffer; God did. The devil didn’t take away our job; God did. The devil didn’t cause us pain; God did. When we recognize that everything that happens to us happens as part of God's plan for our lives, then we are more encouraged to look for the meaning behind the event.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28 NIV). This “all things” includes pain; it includes those things that hurt us. If we attribute all pain to the evil one, then we think pain is just something we need to get through, and we beg God for relief. But if we understand that God is sovereign, even over our pain, then we will draw closer to God and ask Him for what purpose we are experiencing this pain.

When Paul received his thorn in the flesh, he prayed three times for the Lord to take it away. But God told him “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). When God did not relieve his pain, Paul learned his lesson. Then, he could tell the Corinthians that God gave him this thorn in the flesh “to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations” (2 Corinthians 12:7). God had a purpose for his pain.

In psalm 44, the sons of Korah are experiencing more than just physical pain in the loss of their armies; they are also experiencing shame and disgrace from the taunts and jeers of their enemies. Yet, even in this emotional pain, God is providentially in control.

God has a purpose for your pain, whether physical or emotional or mental. The devil is not so powerful that he has outsmarted God and found a way to torture you that God just cannot stop. Do not give him that kind of credit! God is sovereign, even over our pain.