Jesus once said,
“You shall know the truth and the truth
shall set you free” (John 8:32).
What is the truth about how God’s love for
us is related to the personal pain we will experience in our lives? There are
several strands in the cord of divine truth concerning suffering which offer a
lifeline of hope for ongoing intimacy with God in the midst life’s unavoidable
adversities.
The seed of sin planted in this world in
the garden of Eden continues to bear fruit until now. In the general sense,
human suffering is a result of the fall of man. When we get home to heaven
there won’t be any more pain, (see Revelation 21:4) but for the time being we
still live on foreign soil, where pain goes with the territory.
The fact that one may be a Christian
doesn’t exempt him from problems.
Jesus, Himself, said,
“In the world, you have tribulation, but
take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Faith in Christ doesn’t insulate us from
the stinging experiences of life. It does, however, equip us to face our
problems with confidence that His loving attention will guide us through those
difficult circumstances. Faith seldom answers the “why” of our problems, but
instead offers the answer to “how” when we wonder about surviving our
circumstances.
God loves you so much that He will always
work in your circumstances when you suffer.
Don’t think that because He doesn’t
eliminate the problem, help isn’t being given. Sometimes His most helpful acts
in our lives occur when He goes with us through our circumstances instead of
delivering us out of them.
I have sometimes prayed about various
circumstances, saying, “Father, this hurts too much for it to be wasted. Please
accomplish the maximum good in this situation that can be done.”
When you hurt, Jesus Christ grieves with
you in your pain.
Don’t make the mistake of believing that if
God really cared, He would deliver you out of your painful situation. Remember
that He didn’t even rescue Jesus from the cross as He suffered, because He knew
its ultimate centrality in salvation.
God loves you so much that He won’t take
away the pain if it serves a greater purpose in your life. Instead, He will
walk the path of pain with you, and in the person of the Comforter (see John
14:16) will sustain you each step of the way.
When we honestly believe that God knows and
cares about every detail of our lives; when we understand that He is deeply
touched by our weaknesses (see Hebrews 4:15); when we are convinced that He
hurts when we hurt; when we know these things, intimate fellowship with Him
will be the natural experience in our pain.
Jesus Christ longs for you to feel His love
at the darkest times of your life.
- Steve McVey
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