Pain

"I will greatly multiply your sorrow (and your conception)," God says to Eve in Genesis 3:16, but is it just in childbirth that there will be pain? I think not. Our sorrow will increase AND....

"Pangs (sharp pains) and sorrows will take hold ... they will be in pain as a woman in childbirth;" (Isaiah 13:8a)

The first mention of pain comes from God as a form of punishment, condemnation to Adam and Eve for their disobedience. This is what will happen. This is how it will be. In childbirth you will suffer. In anything and everything from here to our final going home, our pains will be great, our sorrows multiplied.

Pain comes in many forms. Not just childbirth. Not just surgery. Not just physical.

Each person is under their own personal load of pain and agony. What one suffers is not of less or more importance than another. We may say to ourself that another's pain is minuscule, but who are we to judge? God is well aware of all we undergo. We brought it on ourselves. Mankind's race screwed up at the running gate.

Does God determine pain can be inflicted to prove a point? Is that what happened with Job, who was "blameless and upright, who feared God and shunned evil" (Job 1:1)?

Job suffered physical torment (he had boils), loss of possessions (animals and land), loss of friendship and fellowship, loss of family. Yet he says "Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" (Job 2:10a)

God's will overrides everything. It is His will to permit, to allow, to prove, to stop, to heal, to release.

"Why is my pain perpetual and my wound incurable, which refuses to be healed?" (Jeremiah 15:18)
"Woe is me for my hurt! My wound is severe. But I say, 'Truly this is an infirmity, And I must bear it.' " (Jeremiah 10:19)
In these verses the prophet Jeremiah cries out to the Lord. But, I can hear the Apostle Paul say similar things. He too had pain, pain that wouldn't leave him, pain that no amount of requesting from God was going to heal. It was an infirmity and he had to bear it.

"Why do you cry about your affliction? Your sorrow  is incurable. Because of the multitudes of your iniquities, Because your sins have increased, I have done these things to you." (Jeremiah 30:15)

We are destined to suffer pain - at all levels, all across the board. It is a fact of life. And although we cannot ever rid ourselves of it, we have a Savior and a lifelong friend who does not depart from us, in Jesus, who also suffered pain and agony, who obeyed the Father's call, until death.

He prayed.
"Pray that you may not enter into temptation." (Luke 22:40)
"And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. And His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground." (Luke 22:44)

Our pain
my pain.
Should we stay silent? Should we not allow the tears to fall, to fill our hearts and souls?
How do we prevent that which seems to come naturally?

The pain of lost relationships
The immense sadness that overwhelms us
Was it wrong for Hannah (1 Samuel 1:1), who spoke fervently to the Lord from her heart? Her pain too was great - she wanted a child, a son. One she didn't have because the Lord had closed her womb. It was her pain and it made her life miserable. Her husband didn't understand and her peers mocked her.
Yet she remained steadfast in her prayers to the Lord - a plea that if only He would answer her specific request she would give her child back to Him.

2 Timothy 4:1-5 tells us we are to preach the word. At all times we are to be ready to share God's message, to convince, rebuke, exhort others with patience, and in the midst, to endure afflictions.

Perhaps we do endure.
We are not to allow our weariness to cause us to become discouraged. Don't become so weary that we lose sight of Jesus and stop praying, studying, being obedient, rejoicing, living.

"Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1a-2)

So, dear Lord, I pray you will help me to put aside, to become less aware of the physical pain, to not allow it  to get the best of me and thus trap me and get me off course, to continue running, with you at the helm and beside me, surrounding me, teaching me about patience toward others who may not understand. You endured it all for us. Oh Lord, help me be more like you. Amen.

Stay focused on Jesus

It's when we lose our focus that our belief falls away and we follow our own line of thinking. When our focus is off the almighty, our minds wander aimlessly along the path of "what will we do," "how will we make it." If we can just stay focused on Jesus, stay in His word, remember His promises, not waiver off the trail He has forged for us. Listening to, thinking on anything that is not entirely the Truth brings remorse, repercussions, pain.

Even Abraham at times thought he knew better than God and acted on those very thoughts. But his thoughts were not God's thoughts. God knows all. We know very little in comparison.

Worry ... bring anxiety ... which brings separation from the almighty Father.

Satan wants us to worry - then we will do things not pleasing to the Lord.

Abraham introduced Sarai, his wife, as his sister to the Egyptians (Genesis 12:10-20). This was a half truth as she was his half sister.

Abraham and Sarai concocted a way to have the child the Lord promised them - through Sarai's handmaiden Hagar (Genesis 16:1-16).

The future is not ours to know. The present is where we are currently. The past we have come through.

The future is everything past this moment. As the moments go by our future becomes our present and then our past.

Love each moment for the Lord, to the Lord. Plan your moments as to the Lord, to His glory. Do not look this way and that way. Stay tuned to the one who truly cares for us.

"When I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me." (Micah 7:8)

When I pass through the waters of life, the fires that try to consume me, the Lord my God will be with me. He will protect me. I will not be burned, I will not be overwhelmed. He will lead me, guide me over the paths of darkness I see before me. He will make the rough spots even so I will not trip and fall. (paraphrase of Isaiah 43:2)

And even though I pass through the valleys of intense pain and suffering, the fear that attempts to stifle me will not because of my God and Savior who is always with me. (paraphrase of Psalm 23:4)

There is no hope except in you Lord Jesus.
There is no one to trust wholly, completely, except you Lord Jesus.
No one can remove the fears that seek to swallow me. No one, that is, except you Lord Jesus.

"Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in you." (Psalm 56:3)

I believe in the Lord Jesus. I believe what I say I believe. I have witnessed the power of the Lord Jesus - His mighty hand has been upon me, upon my beloved Jimmy, in times past. He will not leave me. He remains steadfast. I must not allow any doubt to get the best of me. Doubt is fear. I have nothing to be afraid of. Jesus is right there beside me, holding my hand, cradling my head, rubbing my tummy, bringing me soothing relief.

Close the gate. ... To all that works against you. Close the gate to your doubts and fears. Close the gate and move on. Hand in hand with Jesus walk on. Close the gate. Forge ahead. Ignore the enemy. Follow Jesus. Jesus will help me overcome all my fears.

I am no better than any other.

The only difference, perhaps, is that I know I am a sinner. Jesus accepts me anyway. He offers me grace. He brings peace to my soul. When I accept Him and believe in and on Him, I can rest in His fold. Like the sheep gone astray and found.

When we stay true to all He says and obedient to His instruction it reveals our love for Him. He loves us so much he died for us. We love Him so much we stay true and obedient to Him, even unto death.

No amount of pain we suffer will ever be as much as Jesus' pain that He suffered on the cross at Calvary when He took ALL of mankind's sin upon His shoulders, His body, and gave up the ghost and died. Oh but he rose again. What glory.

Today you will be with Me in Paradise (in Heaven, in My Kingdom)." (Luke 23:43)

Every moment is one closer to being with Jesus.