Many of us have been through some unimaginable and very painful things. It seemed like God forgot us or just didn’t want to answer us. In case you have ever asked, “Where is God in my pain and why did he let those bad things happen?”
Here are a few things we would like you to know:
1. God doesn’t cause pain or sickness (James 1:17)
God is not a double agent. He doesn’t use sickness to teach you a lesson or to test your faith and that of your loved ones. Mark 3:20-25 tells us why God cannot be the one who causes sickness and still provides the cure. Many people, including Christians, use the story of Job to justify their belief that God can use unpleasant situations to test our faith (Job 19:21-22). But that couldn’t be further from the truth.
So, What Really Happened to Job?
The book of Job is the oldest book in the Bible and people did not have enough understanding of the devil then. Hence, they ascribed any supernatural thing that happened to God. This also explains why when King Saul was tormented by an evil spirit, it was said to be “an evil spirit from the Lord” (1st Samuel 16:14). However, in the New Testament, we can see the perfect image of God through Jesus Christ, who went about doing good and healing all that were sick and oppressed of the devil (Acts 10:38). This is important for you to know so that as you pray to God and wait for your miracle, you won’t have any doubts.
2. God can identify with your waiting period
He understands that you need to be encouraged while you wait for your healing. And as you believe in God for your miracle each day, just like the woman with the issue of blood in Matthew 9:20-23, God is with you; strengthening you through the pain. Romans 15:4 says, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through patience and through the comfort of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
From Scriptures, we see that Abraham and Sarah waited 25 years for a child and the woman with the issue of blood waited 12 years (Genesis 18-21, Luke 8:43-48). Be encouraged because God is with you while you wait and he can identify with your pain. The word of God is His comfort to you. Don’t give up.
3. God is present to encourage and comfort you
God isn’t untouched by the pain you feel (Hebrews 4:15). Before his conversion, Saul was a persecutor of Christians and it was on his way to Damascus to persecute Christians that Jesus asked why he was persecuting Him (Acts 9:1-5). A careful study of Jesus’s question to Saul shows He felt every pain the persecuted Christians felt. So, whatever feeling of hurt you can think of: losing a loved one, betrayal, humiliation, anguish, etc. Jesus feels it too; He understands what you are going through and sympathizes with you.
4. God is present to heal
Even if we don’t know God’s timetable for our healings, we know the end already from the beginning. God is willing to heal your body here on earth and when he comes, he will wipe away tears from every eyes. There will be no more sickness or sorrows. Don’t lose faith because you have been waiting for a long time. Keep the faith.
5. God will use your pain for His glory
God isn’t limited by time. Studying the account of Lazarus’s death in John 11, we can only imagine how Mary and Martha felt when Jesus showed up after Lazarus had died. But then, we see Jesus use this seemingly hopeless situation for God’s glory. Genesis 50:20 also shows how all the bad things Joseph’s brothers did to him turned around for his good.
Every time the devil thinks he is using something for evil, God turns it out for your good and to His glory. That’s your God.
In Conclusion, as you think about God and wonder what He is doing to help you in your pain, remember that He is right there with you to strengthen and comfort you. Don’t lose your faith because there are bigger battles ahead of you. Know that each time you face a battle and come out with a scratch, it only makes you tougher for greater battles. God is with you in your pain.
If this blessed you, please leave a comment. Also, you should listen to the full sermon, HERE.
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