Marshall Segal is a writer and managing editor at desiringGod.org. He’s the author of Not Yet Married: The Pursuit of Joy in Singleness & Dating . He graduated from Bethlehem College & Seminary . He and his wife, Faye, have two children and live in Minneapolis.

Marshall Segal is a writer and managing editor at desiringGod.org. He’s the author of Not Yet Married: The Pursuit of Joy in Singleness & Dating . He graduated from Bethlehem College & Seminary . He and his wife, Faye, have two children and live in Minneapolis.

A Christian’s suffering is never meaningless.

Shane Barnard understands this truth. After the untimely death of his father, he and his family desperately looked to God for comfort. They clung to God’s word, and in the deepest moments of grief, they were led to worship. The song below, “Though You Slay Me,” was born in that experience.

Job lived this song. The Psalms plead this song. And John Piper has preached the message of this song throughout his ministry. Because of God’s sovereign care for you, every pain in this life is producing a glory for you that will last forever.

The audio excerpt in this video comes from John Piper’s message “Do Not Lose Heart” (2013), which is available for streaming and download.

I come, God, I come

I return to the Lord

The one who’s broken

The one who’s torn me apart

You strike down to bind me up

You say you do it all in love

That I might know you in your suffering

Though you slay me

Yet I will praise you

Though you take from me

I will bless your name

Though you ruin me

Still I will worship

Sing a song to the one who’s all I need

My heart and flesh may fail

The earth below give way

But with my eyes, with my eyes I’ll see the Lord

Lifted high on that day

Behold, the Lamb that was slain

And I’ll know every tear was worth it all

Though you slay me

Yet I will praise you

Though you take from me

I will bless your name

Though you ruin me

Still I will worship

Sing a song to the one who’s all I need

Though tonight I’m crying out

Let this cup pass from me now

You’re still more than I need

You’re enough for me

You’re enough for me

[Not only is all your affliction momentary, not only is all your affliction light in comparison to eternity and the glory there. But all of it is totally meaningful. Every millisecond of your pain, from the fallen nature or fallen man, every millisecond of your misery in the path of obedience is producing a peculiar glory you will get because of that.

I don’t care if it was cancer or criticism. I don’t care if it was slander or sickness. It wasn’t meaningless. It’s doing something! It’s not meaningless. Of course you can’t see what it’s doing. Don’t look to what is seen.

When your mom dies, when your kid dies, when you’ve got cancer at 40, when a car careens into the sidewalk and takes her out, don’t say, “That’s meaningless!” It’s not. It’s working for you an eternal weight of glory.

Therefore, therefore, do not lose heart. But take these truths and day by day focus on them. Preach them to yourself every morning. Get alone with God and preach his word into your mind until your heart sings with confidence that you are new and cared for.]

Though you slay me

Yet I will praise you

Though you take from me

I will bless your name

Though you ruin me

Still I will worship

Sing a song to the one who’s all I need

Sing a song to the one who’s all I need