David cried out of his enemies success “My heart is severely
pained within me.” Psalm 55:4. We often
cry out in emotional pain when things are not going our way or seem unfair. Can
I get a witness? It is a common theme of
scripture, particularly the Psalms. Asaph cried out at the ways of the wicked
and their abundance as did David saying in Psalm 73:16, “When I thought how to
understand this, it was too painful for me-.”
Why live a life of faithfulness and purity when it seems that those who
don’t- win? Good question.
Emotional pain is hard and even more difficult than physical
pain at times. In fact, as I write this morning, I am convalescing from hernia
surgery. The physical pain has been more than advertised. My surgeon said
before the procedure that I would be able to head to the gym afterwards and
work out, “whatever pain you can bear.” Ah, there was the key, the pain was
great and more than I could bear without pain medications. It reminded me of
pains from another surgery on my hip some seven years ago that caused me to
write my book, Great is God’s
Faithfulness. It also reminded me of the mental and emotional anguish I
wrote about a few weeks ago in this blog entitled, “Hardship.” Which is greater? I think that all pain can
be profound and distressing, even to levels of despair. The psalmist in Ps 116
writes “ The pains of death surrounded me and pangs of Sheol laid hold of me; I
found trouble and sorrow.” (vv:3-4). I took the photo below in New Orleans 9th Ward shortly after Hurricane Katrina had blown through, devastating property and lives. But God has been faithful. I then found victims of the storm, clinging to God's promises and now know that many have rebuilt.
What then or now when you are suffering, in pain? Do we give
in and die? Has God abandoned us? The Psalmist continues, “Then I called upon the name of the Lord; “O
Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul! Gracious is the Lord, and righteous. Yes,
our Lord is merciful. The Lord preserves the simple; I was brought low and he
saved me. Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully
with you…He has delivered my soul from death, My eyes from tears, and my feet
from falling. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living…Praise the
Lord!” This is an exuberant
thanksgiving for deliverance from death by enemies within and without. Pain Produces Peace through the power of the Holy Spirit. "He will keep in perfect peace whose mind is steadfast."(Is 26:3).
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts.