Monday, June 30, 2014

The Promise of Peace in the Midst of Pain

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” - Psalm 34: 18
 

From our earliest childhood days onward, we learn that life is just plain painful at times. Our favorite toys break, our knees get scraped, people tease and let us down. As we grow older, it's clear that life does not get much easier – in fact, the wounds can pile up and just get uglier.

Herein lies the choice: when faced with the unavoidable heartbreaks, the spirit-crushing struggle of sin (ours and others), and just the unavoidable stress of circumstances this side of heaven, do you turn to God or run from Him?
 
When we choose the latter, frantically clinging to other people or false comforters (those idols we sometimes unknowingly think will save us from life's pain: social media, food, shopping, approval, false religions, alcohol, beauty, entertainment...), we will without question find ourselves in a perpetual cycle of discontent and, worst of all, disconnection with our Savior.

However, when we choose to allow life's pain to push us closer to God (which is, after all, one of the ultimate purposes of pain), we will, without fail, find our loving Father ready to sweep in and catch us up in His tender arms, comforting us with His promised peace that passes all understanding. I have seen this played out over and over again in my own life - never have I known Christ's nearness more than in my darkest moments.

If you are struggling on some front today (and really, aren't we all in one way or another?), run to Jesus and lay it all down at His feet. Do not turn to your right or to your left, but steadily look into His beautiful eyes and trust that He will give you all the grace you need. If you have placed your faith in Christ, you are His little child and He loves you even in the midst of your pain and sin. As you rest in His strong arms and saturate your mind with His Word, let Him carry and fill you with His peace and strength, knowing that He will work ALL things together for your good and His glory.

Let's thank God that we have a Savior who is near to, not far from, the brokenhearted. He desires to be close to you, just as you are right now – let that fact alone comfort you today.

"Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. 
For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, "Be gone!" - Isaiah 30: 18-22

No comments:

Post a Comment