Pain

In the last few days I have rubbed raw some places on my skin, how acutely painful they are right now.   Interestingly, my heart is a bit raw right now too.

"He is close to the brokenhearted..."  Yes, He is.

I think of a few dear friends I know right now, who are raw on the inside.  One couple lost a son in the past few months, one man is in a storm, another is in a time of testing.  God is in each of these situations, working, answering, acting through the pain.

I was struck as I was listening to a song on my nano, based on the verse found in Jeremiah 33,
‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’


I wrote this verse in my journal several weeks ago.  I was pressing into the LORD; my heart longed for him to answer me in a certain way.  As I listened to the song, I mused:

God has answered me.  He is showing me great and mighty things.  Things I did not know.  Not necessarily the way I had hoped or dreamed or even what I had anticipated, but He has and is answering.

So when He does answer us, and yet His answer is not exactly what I wanted it to be, how do I respond? I was taken back with my own pouty, child-like response.  Oh Lord, this hurts!

It is hard when things go awry.  I know pain is not the enemy, yet rather than asking Him to take away the pain, I am learning to pray He transforms me, changes my heart and matures me.  (James 1:2-4)   I am trusting Him to do this in me, for His glory.

God has answered, through His answer good things come, a harvest of righteousness, where hope springs eternal.  Pain is not the enemy; pain often has something good to teach us.

"He who has ears, let him listen."

Comments

notpoems said…
so good, Tammie. I know this mentally, but this year it has been working into my life. The "aha" moment is not so fun when I look at my hurt and disappointment and see God's hand at work... but it is a comfort to know He wastes nothing. And to realize that I'm recognizing His voice! Thanks for the encouragement through the pain. I'm praying for you.

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