HEBREWS 13:5 LET YOUR CONVERSATION BE WITHOUT COVETOUSNESS; AND BE CONTENT WITH SUCH THINGS AS YE HAVE: FOR HE HATH SAID, I WILL NEVER LEAVE THEE, NOR FORSAKE THEE. AS WE GROAN IN OUR PRESENT PAIN AND SUFFERING, WE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING NEW BODIES WHEN CHRIST COMES BACK TO EARTH. IF WE SEE HIM FACE TO FACE IN HEAVEN BEFORE HIS RETURN TO EARTH, WE WILL STILL SEE HIM WITH NEW, PAIN-FREE BODIES. O HAPPY DAY! O HAPPY DAY! AS WE GROW IN THE WISDOM OF HOW MUCH GOD LOVES US AS HE CONTINUALLY POURS HIS BLESSINGS OVER US, EVEN IN OUR PAIN IN OUR DARKEST HOUR, OUR UPWARD SOARING ADORATION CAN BECOME OUR EVERYDAY REALITY. WE MUST NOT BE DELUDED BY THE EVIL ONE INTO THINKING GOD'S LOVE AND BLESSINGS ARE NOT REAL OR NOT A PART OF OUR LIFE. WE MUST REAFFIRM EACH HOUR HOW GOD CONTINUALLY BLESSES US, EVEN IN OUR PAIN AND DARKNESS. SUFFERING AND PAIN CAN CAUSE US TO LOSE FAITH. IN OUR PAIN, DOUBTS CREEP IN. WE CAN BEGIN TO BELIEVE THERE IS NO GOD BECAUSE PAIN SEPARATES US FROM GOD. HOWEVER, AS WE LOSE FAITH, BECAUSE CHRIST LOVES US IN WAYS UNCOUNTABLE, HE GIVES US HEALING ASSURANCE IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR DOUBTS CAUSED BY OUR SUFFERING. AS WE MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO PUSH OUR PAIN AND SUFFERING ASIDE SO WE CAN MAKE ROOM FOR HIS LOVE IN OUR HEART, HE WILL FILL UP OUR EMPTINESS. AS HE FILLS UP OUR EMPTINESS, WE WILL EXPERIENCE HIS HEALING POWER IN OUR HEART AND SOUL. AS WE WALK IN HIS LOVE, HIS LOVE PRESENTS TO US A FORM OF INSULATION FROM THE DARKNESS AND PAIN OF THE WORLD. HE WILL NOT LEAVE US AS ORPHANS, IN OUR PAIN, OR OUT OF OUR PAIN. HE WILL NOT LEAVE US AS ORPHANS BECAUSE HE LOVES US. IN DEALING WITH OUR PAIN AND SUFFERING, WE MUST ALWAYS CONSIDER CHRIST'S SUFFERING UPON THE CROSS. AS YOU SURVEY AND TAKE IN CHRIST'S SUFFERING UPON THE CROSS, YOUR ISSUES ARE DIMINISHED AND YOU THEN BECOME A VICTOR OVER YOUR ISSUES. GOD'S WILL IS ALWAYS TO SEE YOU LIVE A VICTORIOUS LIFE, IN SPITE OF ALL OBSTACLES, ODDS, MISFORTUNES, PAINS, AND SUFFERING. YOUR JOB, AS ONE OF CHRIST'S OWN, IS SEE TO IT YOU GIVE 110 PER CENT EFFORT TO DELIVER FOR CHRIST WHAT CHRIST WILLS FROM YOU.

As we groan in our present pain and suffering, we can look forward to getting new bodies when Christ comes back to earth. If we see Him face to face in heaven before His return to earth, we will still see Him with new, pain-free bodies. O happy day! O happy day!

As we grow in the wisdom of how much God loves us as He continually pours His blessings over us, even in our pain in our darkest hour, our upward soaring adoration can become our everyday reality. We must not be deluded by the evil one into thinking God's love and blessings are not real or not a part of our life. We must reaffirm each hour how God continually blesses us, even in our pain and darkness.

Suffering and pain can cause us to lose faith. In our pain, doubts creep in. We can begin to believe there is no God because pain separates us from God. However, as we lose faith, because Christ loves us in ways uncountable, He gives us healing assurance in the middle of our doubts caused by our suffering.

As we make every effort to push our pain and suffering aside so we can make room for His love in our heart, He will fill up our emptiness. As He fills up our emptiness, we will experience His healing power in our heart and soul.

As we walk in His love, His love presents to us a form of insulation from the darkness and pain of the world. He will not leave us as orphans, in our pain, or out of our pain. He will not leave us as orphans because He loves us.

In dealing with our pain and suffering, we must always consider Christ's suffering upon the cross. As you survey and take in Christ's suffering upon the cross, your issues are diminished and you then become a victor over your issues. God's will is always to see you live a victorious life, in spite of all obstacles, odds, misfortunes, pains, and suffering. Your job, as one of Christ's own, is see to it you give 110 per cent effort to deliver for Christ what Christ wills from you.

MATTHEW 28:20 AND SURELY I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, TO THE VERY END OF THE AGE.

Are you seeking the kingdom of Heaven in a world of glamour and glitz? Are you seeking the kingdom of Heaven in a world full of pain and suffering? On one hand, when our faith is strong and our life is in one of those phases where everything falls into place, we are not so concerned about the kingdom of Heaven. However, when pain comes, we want answers. When pain comes, we need help and we need help now. Do not be dismayed. Do not be puzzled. Even your pain can be used by you to glorify God in your life and in the life of others. Even when you keep silent about your pain when you are with others, Christ is working for you to make His love real in your life and in the life of others. We must learn to be patient in our pain. We must learn to let the Lord work for us even when we cannot see Him, hear Him, or know of His presence.

Although we may think we are alone, especially in moments of our pain, we are never alone. The pain TRIES to separate us from God. If we look, we can see how and why Satan wants us in pain. If we look, we can see pain is Satan's ultimate weapon against us. What do we do? What counter weapon do we have? Our greatest counter weapon against pain is meditating, embracing, and attempting to touch love. We may not be skilled in touching love. We may be full of doubts when we try to bring love into our life in the middle of our pain. However, if we submit ourselves to Christ's love...His love already within us, He will not fail us.

Although we might think suffering has no purpose, we are wrong because when we suffer and "hang tough" by holding on to our faith in Christ, battles are being won for Christ. So much happens to us and to the universe when we are in pain, we do not know or appreciate how important we are to the overall plan of God. When we want to give up the battle, we do not see how millions of person's we do not know are tied to us. We do not know how our single battle can affect the course of nations. We are all connected to each other. When we win one hour of our life for Christ by standing against the suffering, our victory in one hour transcends our life and the lives of thousands or millions of persons we do not know.

Although you cannot hear Him with your earthly ears, you can sense His presence, even when the evil one tries to numb you with pain and suffering. The kingdom of God is within. All of who God is, is within you this moment. The way to experience God is to go within your heart, mind, and soul. When you go deep enough into your heart, mind, and soul, you will see Christ waiting for you. Within you, you can hear Christ tell you how much He loves you. Within you, you can find the purpose of your life as seen by Christ. Within you, you will find the glory of God in real ways in real time.

Although your life may be covered over in all kinds of pain, stress, and darkness within your heart, there is a real live person called Jesus Christ who calls you every second. Christ does not call you to take something from you because He is not selfish. Christ calls you to surrender all of your burdens to Him. He cannot and will not hurt you. Christ is standing next to you to help you through every difficult moment. Christ is standing next to you because He loves you more than any person on earth. At this very moment, Christ is real. Although your pain may have separated you from Him for a little while, He will never leave you or forsake you. Even when doubt has attacked you because of your pain, Christ is always working to keep you safe with Him.

1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

All suffering, one way or another, is from Satan.

When you reach heaven, all pain and suffering will be gone. Although we believe this idea to be true, our pain and suffering tries to block our belief in heaven as a real place in real time. The satanic evil causing pain is insidious. Once we understand the purpose of Satan in putting pain upon us is to undermine our faith, we can then come back and stand against the influence of pain upon our heart and soul. Christ may not make our pain go away. What Christ will do is give us power to never relent, never give in, and never give up as we battle Satan, who makes us suffer.

The suffering of Christ was caused by human sin. Human sin was the result of Satan coming into the garden of Eden and causing Adam and Eve to fall away from God. Satan attacks each of us, just as Satan attacked Adam and Eve. All Christ's pain and suffering was put upon Christ at the hands of Satan. Satan was not content to make human beings fall. Satan wanted Christ to fall. Satan wanted Christ to renounce His Father in heaven. However, Christ has such love for each of us Christ would not turn away from His Father in heaven. Christ will never turn away from any of us. What will be our response? Will we remain rebellious and always turn away from Christ, or will we change and turn toward our Lord who suffered and died for each of us?

Many of our rewards for staying faithful during suffering come to us when we reach Heaven. We do not know and we will never know how wonderful heaven will be. We will know when we cross over from death to life everlasting the full and complete power, love, and light of Christ. We must stay faithful not to get a reward on earth or in heaven. We must stay faithful because Christ loves us and we love Him. We must stay faithful because we want to serve Him, to give to Him, rather than to get from Him.

How we experience joy and peace in pain is a mystery. However, our experience and testimony about this mystery confirms our experience. In our human experience, we find our ability to stand against pain and suffering is enhanced when we begin to surrender our pain and suffering up to God. Surrendering up to God is not easy. Surrendering up to God may be the most difficult task any of us ever accomplish. However, if we can let God touch our hurt, we will experience His joy and peace, even when we hurt.

Although it may sound ludicrous in the beginning when your pain is the worst, as you progress in the healing process in Christ's arms, later on the scars from the hurt can be counted as blessings. After we have surrendered up our pain, we can experience the healing love of Christ. At the moment we surrender up our pain, at the very instant we let Christ touch our pain, Christ also touches us. This moment of touching, this instant, when Christ's presence in our pain, is the instant we can then exclaim as His blessing in our life.

Hebrews 13:6 So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

All of us have moments when we are attacked on various levels by the darkness and we wonder if life is worth the struggle, the heartache, the grief, and the pain. In our darkness, we must affirm God is real. We must affirm Christ loves us. In our dark moments we must proclaim His Light is more powerful than our darkness. We must not become disillusioned, for even in our proclamations made when we have no sense of God, we must see how we are able to make these proclamations because we believe without evidence. In pain, pure faith makes us proclaim Him.

A Lie: "You will have the same pain tomorrow you had today." The quoted statement is a lie because your pain will not be the same because you will be different…you will have grown…you will have matured…you will have the power live in spite of the pain.

A painful memory you want erased may remain, but God's love can give you new memories to store up and new memories to recall…new memories that will stand in stark contrast to your painful memories. In God's love and grace, the hurt and still will be gone. In the same way, forgiveness by us toward those who hurt us will empower us and take away the sting of the hurt.

A past littered with mistakes, pain, and suffering can be turned into a treasure of wisdom, compassion, and understanding in our desire to be a true child of God. To undergo this kind of transformation requires we use our will to surrender our all to Christ.

In our pain, achieving a oneness with God may take us to a place we would really not rather go because oneness with God requires we do work with our heart, mind, and soul…painfully honest work, yet work with consequences quite profound and life changing. To be one with God requires a surrender of all we are, all we ever hope to be, including the part of us we call sin. When we surrender all, we also must turn away from our sin and all prostrate on the ground at the foot of Christ's cross.

All other signs, all other words of wisdom, all other prophecies, all other truths, even your pain becomes tiny in importance when compared to the suffering Christ endured on the cross just for you.

Letters and remarks from Brother Lawrence (2)

This paragraph is from the chapter entitled "Eleventh Letter" in this book. This book was written or dictated about 1700, perhaps a bit later on in 1700's. The book originally appeared in French. The differences in writing style and grammar construction make it difficult to read compared to today's customs. However, read and read again. Perhaps you will be blessed as have many others. You can download the book from Gutenberg.org


I wish you could convince yourself that GOD is often (in some sense) nearer to us, and more effectually present with us, in sickness than in health. Rely upon no other Physician; for, according to my apprehension, He reserves your cure to Himself. Put, then, all your trust in Him, and you will soon find the effects of it in your recovery, which we often retard by putting greater confidence in physic than in GOD. Whatever remedies you make use of, they will succeed only so far as He permits. When pains come from GOD, He only can cure them. He often sends diseases of the body to cure those of the soul. Comfort yourself with the sovereign Physician both of the soul and body. Be satisfied with the condition in which GOD places you: however happy you may think me, I envy you. Pains and sufferings would be a paradise to me while I should suffer with my GOD; and the greatest pleasures would be hell to me if I could relish them without Him. All my consolation would be to suffer something for His sake.

Brother of the Resurrection Lawrence. The Practice of the Presence of God the Best Rule of a Holy Life

Letters and remarks from Brother Lawrence

ELEVENTH LETTER.

This is paragraph one from the chapter entitled "Eleventh Letter" from in this book. This book was written or dictated about 1700 perhaps a bit later on in 1700's. The book originally appeared in French. The differences in writing style and grammar construction make it difficult to read compared to today's customs. However, read and read again. Perhaps you will be blessed as have many others. You can download the book from Gutenberg.org

"I do not pray that you may be delivered from your pains, but I pray GOD earnestly that He would give you strength and patience to bear them as long as He pleases. Comfort yourself with Him who holds you fastened to the cross. He will loose you when He thinks fit. Happy those who suffer with Him: accustom yourself to suffer in that manner, and seek from Him the strength to endure as much, and as long, as He shall judge to be necessary for you. The men of the world do not comprehend these truths, nor is it to be wondered at, since they suffer like what they are, and not like Christians. They consider sickness as a pain to nature, and not as a favor from GOD; and seeing it only in that light, they find nothing in it but grief and distress. But those who consider sickness as coming from the hand of GOD, as the effect of His mercy, and the means which He employs for their salvation—such, commonly find in it great sweetness and sensible consolation."

Brother of the Resurrection Lawrence. The Practice of the Presence of God the Best Rule of a Holy Life.

Reflections On His Word

Spiritual Light In The Darkness Of Pain

John 12:46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

The Darkness Is Dispelled By The Light

John 1:9 "The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world."

Our Hope In Suffering

John 14:28 "You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I."

Peace In Suffering
No Turmoil In Pain
Pain We Can Manage
Turmoil Manages Us But We Can Manage The Turmoil
Physical Pain Is Soothed By Peace
No Anxiety

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give_you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

You are not alone in suffering
God brings comfort and help

John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever--"

1 PET 4:1 "THEREFORE, SINCE CHRIST SUFFERED IN HIS BODY, ARM YOURSELVES ALSO WITH THE SAME ATTITUDE, BECAUSE HE WHO HAS SUFFERED IN HIS BODY IS DONE WITH SIN."

Satan tempted Jesus but Jesus refused to give in to temptation. The sin of the world was brought into the world by Satan. Christ suffered on the cross and paid for our sinful mistakes. Christ came back from death to give us an opportunity to live forever. Although Christ came back from the tomb, Christ still had His wounds. The pain Christ suffered on the Cross had been overcome by Him, but the healed wounds of Christ remained. Because He won, we can win in the battle against pain and suffering. In your own battle against pain and suffering, be positive, don't let down or give up. Don't let go of the Light of God. Grasp Christ's hope and power and hang on. Through Jesus, we have the power to hang on, even when we hurt, even when we have failed and faltered. The greatest miracle of all is this: We have the power to hang on, in spite of the pain. We have the power to stand firm against overwhelming obstacles. We have the power to come back. If Satan has his way you will let go and give up. If Satan has His way, you will walk away from Christ. The power to hang on and hang in is power for us. The power of God works in ways we do not always understand. The power of God manifests itself in mysterious ways we find hard to grasp. If you were well and not in pain, where would you be? If you were not disabled or down, where would you be? God did not want the pain for you. God did not will you to have the pain. However, since the pain or causes of the pain happened, He has been leading you away from your pain toward Himself. Which direction will you walk? Will you be selfless in your love and devotion toward Christ or will you be selfish?

1 Pet 4:13 "But Rejoice That You Participate In The Sufferings Of Christ, So That You May Be Overjoyed When His Glory Is Revealed."

Human beings suffer pain. Pain entered the world when Satan invaded the Garden of Eden. The purpose of Satan and the pain Satan brings has no purpose but to pull us away from God. We must also understand pain will end when we see Jesus in Heaven or upon the earth. However, what do we do now? What do we do until we see Christ face to face? When we are in pain, we must do what seems impossible. When we are in pain we must pray. In pain, we may not pray with any kind of godly force. In pain, our prayer may only be a faint whisper. In pain, we may pray in consuming doubt filling us with darkness of the soul. Yet, we must pray on, and on, and on every hour. Even in pain, we must exert every ounce of our soul to love Christ and love others.

We must show others and show Christ our love for them is undying. Even to our last breath, we must pray and we must love.

1 PET 2:24 HE HIMSELF BORE OUR SINS IN HIS BODY ON THE TREE, SO THAT WE MIGHT DIE TO SINS AND LIVE FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS; BY HIS WOUNDS YOU HAVE BEEN HEALED.

Perhaps you are thinking, "I keep praying, but I am still hurting and wounded. I am still in darkness. Why do I still hurt?" You are till hurting because within you there is another kind of healing. There is another life within you besides your physical life. Within you there is another healing going on. Because we hurt in our bodies, we are still able to be free of suffering not to hurt in spirit. In our pain-filled existence we must learn to endure. Even when we hurt so much, even when we want to give up because we can't take the pain anymore, we have to hang tough. We can win the ultimate victory but we cannot win the ultimate victory giving in or giving up. We are undergoing the process of regeneration in spirit. Painful as it is, we are made alive by the spirit. We can be filled with the spirit making our suffering less severe and less profound. We can be filled with the spirit bringing us light and love. We can be filled with love making our hurt go away. Jesus came to earth to let us know we need not have to suffer by ourselves. Although Satan attacks us, attempting to break us down, continually afflicting us, and incessantly trying to take the light from our eyes, we can still be alive in our heart and soul because Christ is living within us this very moment.

JAMES 5:10 "BROTHERS, AS AN EXAMPLE OF PATIENCE IN THE FACE OF SUFFERING, TAKE THE PROPHETS WHO SPOKE IN THE NAME OF THE LORD."

Patience is something in short supply when we suffer. We do not like suffering. We do not want it. We ask how long, O Lord, how long? The Old Testament prophets knew about suffering. They knew what it was like to have a god who was silent most of the time, to have a god who chose not to relieve suffering. The prophets agonized as we do. However, they were patient, as we must be patient. For their patience they were rewarded. Christ's came to be an example to us when we are in suffering. Christ freely chose to suffer for us until His mission on the cross was completed. Christ had the freedom to reject the cross and reject the suffering. He chose to go ahead and live through the pain so we would have a chance to live forever in glory with Him. You must also choose to live through the pain. Christ did not give up. Christ knows what physical pain is all about. He knows what depression is all about. He knows what it means to feel forsaken and alone. Christ knows what it means to be beaten and abused. He knows what it feels like to be rejected and scorned. Christ chose to go through all these things so we can persevere when we are in pain.

Heb 2:14 Since The Children Have Flesh And Blood, He Too Shared In Their Humanity So That By His Death He Might Destroy Him Who Holds The Power Of Death--That Is, The Devil--

Suffering is the price we pay for being free…free to rebel against God and his love for us.

When we are hurting and in pain, then forgiveness holds a special meaning.

Jesus is for giving to us.

Jesus is for giving us an eternal home where there is no pain, suffering, or sorrow.

Jesus is for giving us strength and courage to face tomorrow here on earth,

Jesus is for a winning person, so we do not want to live in defeat.

Jesus is for a person, who, despite the pain, sorrow, and adversities of life, can come back to fight against the darkness afflicting us.

Jesus is for giving us knowledge about how much he loves us.

Jesus is for giving us an understanding of why we have to wait to be free of the pain.

Jesus is for a world where things are better for us.

Jesus is for us always having someone next to us…Him…who really knows what we go through.

1 PET 4:13 "BUT REJOICE THAT YOU PARTICIPATE IN THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST, SO THAT YOU MAY BE OVERJOYED WHEN HIS GLORY IS REVEALED."

Christ suffered just by being born. He was in heaven but came down to earth to save us. In heaven, Christ had no pain, He had no suffering. In heaven, Christ had all power and wonder at His command. Some of our sufferings are like His earthly sufferings, so we know what He went through when He was on the earth. When we suffer we are brought closer to what Christ went through. When we suffer, we can understand Him, and He can understand us. 1 Pet 5:10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. Satan is limited. The enemy can only do so much to us. We can come back against the enemy and what Satan does to us. Suffering does and will exist as long as we are on the earth as mere mortals. However, suffering is not forever. Suffering is not God's will. Suffering is the will of Satan. God's will is to restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast. 1 John 3:16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. Lay down your burdens, pain, and suffering. Lay down your suffering before Christ on the cross. When laid down, your sufferings will be lifted up, up, up to our Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:4 Blessed Are Those Who Mourn, For They Will Be Comforted.

Question: "I fear I have lost my soul. I have lost the part of me I have used to contact God. I used to know He was listening. However, now I seem to be unable to get beyond my pain. My pain, it seems, has won and defeated the part of me I use to make contact with Him. I weep inwardly. I weep on the outside. A big part of me has given up. I know my life is not over but sometimes, perhaps too often, I want to see heaven, see Jesus, and all those who went before me. My pain is wearing me down and wearing me out. What do I do? What can you tell me about what to do next?"

Answer: Answers are not always easily found when people are in pain. Perhaps this answer will guide you and support you in your daily walk.

Things to remember...

We cannot take giant leaps like superman. However, we can take baby steps to get where we are going.

Find God's purpose for your life. Even if you cannot fully live out God's purpose, do all you can to express or pursue His purpose in your life.

Your idea of victory may need to change. Victory may seem to be no more pain, no more depression, and no more meaninglessness. However, you can only live or win out one minute at a time. When you conquer just a minute, you can conquer the hour, then you can conquer the day.

Most of all seek Christ at all times. Seek to find Him in little healing moments. Look for Him at night, at noontime, or in the morning. Look for Him in places you think He would never be. Most of all, look for Him within your heart for His kingdom resides within you. Christ hears your heartache. He hears and knows your pain. In your future, Christ will come and take you to be with Him where pain and sorrow are no more.

Matthew 6:10 Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done In Earth, As It Is In Heaven.

"Thy will be done in earth…" the words are so easy to say but so hard to do. Being human, we want to fix what hurts. When we hurt, naturally we want to do something to make the pain go away. When we hurt, we want to do things ourselves to find comfort. So where is the will of God when the pain comes? Too often we unknowingly push away the will of God in favor of trying to make the pain go away by our own means and methods. When we hurt, we can let the will of God filter down into us. When we hurt we must try to both say "Thy will be done" and we must LET God's will be done. When we hurt we are not to give up on life, we are not to give up on ourselves, we are not to give up on our medical professionals, or we are not to give up on God. When we hurt we are to let God's will be done in our pain. When we let God's will be done in our life, we will find incredible peace, then His comfort. Our pain is not God's will. Our pain can be soothed by God's will filtering down into the deepest part of our soul. Do so, let's God's will be our comforting guiding hand in every adversity. The will of God will never lead us to more pain and trouble. The will of God leads us to peace on earth and later peace in heaven.

1 Thessalonians 3:7 Therefore, Brothers, In All Our Distress And Persecution We Were Encouraged About You Because Of Your Faith.

Our victory over pain is elusive and often unknowable. No one may know about our victory but our Lord and us. There are no parades, no celebrations, and no commendations for heroism in our pain. We very seldom ever get a glimpse of when we win out over the pain. Most of the time, we have no sense of victory because even when the pain leaves us, we have no remaining sense of power to make the pain go away again. However, even when we are absolutely certain we have been and are now living in defeat because our pain has not gone away, we must remain.

We must hold on because holding on and keeping what little faith we have is the victory.

When Satan, who is the author of death and pain, tries to attack us with pain, our not giving up and not giving in is the victory.

Our faith in Christ is the reason we desire to stay alive while even in our pain our desire to stay alive is the victory.

Our desire to live one more moment to thank Him for blessings, blessings held only in the hands of those who may never know us, is the victory.

Our desire to pray one more moment when we are too distracted to pray because of our pain is the victory.

Our resolve to never give up or give in, even when our resolve is now only a whisper in the deafening pain within us…our resolve is the victory.

Even in our pain, our silent words spoken within our heart at the moment just before we leave this life, our silent words saying, "Precious Lord, I love you" is the victory.

Isaiah 63:9 In All Their Distress He Too Was Distressed, And The Angel Of His Presence Saved Them. In His Love And Mercy He Redeemed Them; He Lifted Them Up And Carried Them All The Days Of Old.

When your pain makes you angry…

When your pain makes you depressed…

When your pain makes you weep…

When your pain makes you want to get even…

When your pain drives you crazy…

When your pain pushes you in directions you do not want to go…

These are the times when your pain owns you.

These are the times when your pain becomes your master…when you become a slave of your pain.

When you find you are no longer able to be your own person but instead are the person controlled by the pain, stop everything for just a moment. In that moment when you have stopped everything, you are no longer a slave. In that moment, reassert your power to think on your own. In that moment of your freedom, praise God. In that moment of your freedom, let God wrap His love around you.

Isaiah 61:3 And Provide For Those Who Grieve In Zion-- To Bestow On Them A Crown Of Beauty Instead Of Ashes, The Oil Of Gladness Instead Of Mourning, And A Garment Of Praise Instead Of A Spirit Of Despair. They Will Be Called Oaks Of Righteousness, A Planting Of The Lord For The Display Of His Splendor.

Pain is like a storm rolling in from a distant place.

In the storm there is chaos and tumult then a time of comfort.

With the storm comes a natural pruning of trees and plants. With the storm comes a natural pruning of our heart, mind, and soul.

With the storm comes a time of darkness soon followed by light in our soul.

With the storm comes a display of God's power against the dark powers and dark forces trying to destroy us.

With the storm comes a voice, the voice of God, calling out to us to hold fast, for He is always with us.

With the storm comes the destruction of one mission and the beginning of a new one.

With the storm comes confusion then a time of clarity.

With the storm comes a time of imprisonment then comes freedom.

Isaiah 46:4 Even To Your Old Age And Gray Hairs I Am He, I Am He Who Will Sustain You. I Have Made You And I Will Carry You; I Will Sustain You And I Will Rescue You.

A Prayer For A Time When You Are In Pain

I love you, Lord Jesus.
I have fallen down and I am bruised.
I am in pain and I have lost my way.
I am in pain and I have made grievous mistakes.
I am in pain and I have committed sins and wrongs.
I am sorry.
I would undo my mistakes but I cannot.
I am sorry I went astray.
I am sorry for the difficulties my life may have caused others.
Instead of love in my heart, there is to often a feeling of bitterness.
I am sorry.
Please forgive me.
So very often I do not know what I do.
Even when I do not deserve it, I know you come into my life and touch my heart and make me new, whole, and I am reborn.
I seek your mercy for my sins, my transgressions, and my waywardness.
Even when I get caught up in my pain and I turn my back on you, you never turn your back on me.
My pain is no excuse.
I am sorry, for I went my own way and I did not think about you.
I am sorry, for I too often think of my own wants and needs instead of what you want from me.
Please do not hold the repercussions of my sins against those who do not know.
Please protect those who are innocent and naïve…those who trust me to be a guide for them.
Thank you for your understanding and compassion even when I do not deserve your favor.
Thank you for carrying my very sins to the cross.
In your Holy and Righteous name,
The name of my blessed Lord Jesus,
Amen.

Psalms 42:5 Why Are You Downcast, O My Soul? Why So Disturbed Within Me? Put Your Hope In God, For I Will Yet Praise Him, My Savior And My God.

When the pain has put you in prison, you have Jesus with you.
When the pain has put terror in your heart, you have Jesus with you.
When you are confused and full of doubt, you have Jesus with you.
When the pain has caused you crushing depression, you have Jesus with you.
When the pain has taken away your life, you have Jesus with you.
When the pain has destroyed all your hope, you have Jesus with you.
When the pain has taken away all your joy, you have Jesus with you.
When the pain causes you to weep, you have Jesus with you.
When the pain makes you think are alone, you have Jesus with you.
When the pain makes you say, think, and feel Jesus is not enough, Jesus is with you…to give you comfort…directing His angels to wrap their wings around you.

Isaiah 43:2 When You Pass Through The Waters, I Will Be With You; And When You Pass Through The Rivers, They Will Not Sweep Over You. When You Walk Through The Fire, You Will Not Be Burned; The Flames Will Not Set You Ablaze.

When we physically hurt do we think about spiritual things or the physical pain? When people get hurt do they curse God or thank God? In suffering we are alone because we are locked into the physical.

There is a comfort in God's presence in suffering.

When you are suffering, who do you think about most, yourself or others? We tend to trust ourselves more than we trust God when we are suffering, but jesus said

John 14:1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.

We get lost in the suffering, we lose our vision of the future or for the future, but Jesus said.

John 14:2-3 (NIV) "In my father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."

To make sense out of the insensible, to bring all the pieces together when we have gone to pieces, Paul said…Romans 8:28 "and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."

All things work for the believer's good if: 1. You love the lord with all your heart, all your soul, and all your might 2. You do the will or purpose of God. So in your suffering, what will you do? Who will you become? In suffering we cannot see out of the darkness, but Paul said 2 Corinthians 4:17 "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all."

Psalms 138:7 Though I Walk In The Midst Of Trouble, You Preserve My Life; You Stretch Out Your Hand Against The Anger Of My Foes, With Your Right Hand You Save Me.

When we face pain on a continual basis we can begin to think God no longer has any power. When we face pain we must continually, without ceasing, turn toward God. Even in those times when we think God no longer has any power, He no longer loves us, and He no longer hears our pleas for comfort, we must still kneel at the foot of His cross. When our faith erodes because of our pain, we can begin to want (even beg) God to work in our life to give us special favors. Pain does not give us some kind of special right or privilege before God. We must proclaim God's power and love over our life even when we may face pain on a daily basis. When we are in pain, we are at the center of the battle between God and Satan. The war being waged over us by God and Satan is for our soul. Our destiny in eternity is determined by how we stand up against Satan's attacks. Like the Psalmist noted above, God's right hand through Christ does indeed save us so we may live in heaven forever and never again have to face a painful life here on earth.

Psalms 103:13 As A Father Has Compassion On His Children, So The Lord Has Compassion On Those Who Fear Him;

Sin blinds us. The last thing many people want to hear when they hurt is someone pounding on them about sin. However, the realities of life are such that when we hurt we have difficulty experiencing God's compassion. Tragically, when sin blinds us we keep on going to the trough of sin, over and over again. Even when we hurt, we still must make every effort to live a righteous life. When we let our pain blind us we pile trouble on top of trouble. Even if we have to go to Christ every day by only going through the motions, going through the motions is better than letting sin rule over us, which is what Satan wants to do. There is no part of our life we must guard more diligently than the place in our heart where our faith resides. Even a weak faith is a mighty force for God. You must keep going when you think you cannot go on. You must keep on believing when you think you can no longer believe. You must keep on praying when you think you can pray no more. Even when all you can do is whisper a tiny thought in prayer, Jesus hears you and He will indeed be with you until the end of the age.

Romans 8:28 And We Know That In All Things God Works For The Good Of Those Who Love Him, Who Have Been Called According To His Purpose.

Pain cancels out love. Pain cancels out our sense of His purpose. Because of what pain does to our heart, life, and soul we must, we absolutely must maintain a will of steel for Christ. In pain, we must not be reduced down to whimpering babies. When we suffer, we must be adults even when we are not yet adults. By maintaining an iron will, by being unrelenting in holding on to Christ and His love no matter what happens to us, even in our pain we will know in the deepest part of our soul God really does work for our good. We will know our purpose in life, even if we cannot get to a place where we can do our purpose at the moment. When we win in our pain, when we maintain our iron will and keep His commands, we will likely not be met by a parade to celebrate our victory. When we win in our pain, our victory will likely be known only to us and to Christ. Our victory will affirm for us, even in tiny ways, God is working for us even if we cannot work for Him like we might want.

John 14:1 "Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled. Trust In God; Trust Also In Me."

Our pain is like a plague upon us. Our pain troubles us and infects our heart, mind, soul, and body. However, no matter what our pain tries to do to us, Christ is our comfort. When our pain seems to come from out of nowhere in a mysterious kind of attack, we can still trust in Christ who is our shield and defender. What are we supposed to think when it seems we are not being defended? Where is Christ when our pain comes and does not leave us? In these dark moments, we are to still trust in God. We are to still trust in God because there will come a time when all our burdens shall be lifted from us. There will come a time when our life will be immersed totally and completely in His glory and grace. Our trust in God will give us not just a great reward, but an infinite reward in eternity mere words cannot begin to express. We cannot know how great eternity might be because our mind, heart, and soul cannot measure eternity. Once again, we must trust God to keep us within His love both now and forever more.

Psalms 119:50 My Comfort In My Suffering Is This: Your Promise Preserves My Life.

Pain degrades. Pain degrades the heart, mind, soul, and body. Pain causes depression and heartbreak. Medication for the pain has side effects. Pain can make you think you cannot go on, so can the meds. What do you do then? What you must not do is just sit there. You must at least keep your mind moving. Pain will freeze you. So you keep from being frozen, you have to at least keep your mind moving. You can build up your storehouse of knowledge at any age. Free resources are always available to you. At the very least, you can pray for others and engage in intense meditation each day. As difficult as it may seem, you can also live in a spirit of thanksgiving, even when you are in pain.

PLEASE NOTE!!!! CHANGES BEGIN TODAY

This blog has had daily postings from the beginning of the blog. Beginning today, postings will be made one time per week, rather than one time per day. Thank you for your faithfulness in making daily visits. Similar material can be found at our ministry site located at http://www.findthepower.com

Acts 17:27 God Did This So That Men Would Seek Him And Perhaps Reach Out For Him And Find Him, Though He Is Not Far From Each One Of Us.

God is not far from us because God is within us. He is always living within us. We have contact with God because He is within us. We may not understand how God can be within us and we not know Him. We may have pain, trouble, and trials to such an extent God seems not to exist. However, if we just sit down and think for awhile, we will come to realize we are not truly alone in the world, even when no other person is around us. As hard as we try to run away from God, God is always with us, caring for us, loving us, and reaching out to us to keep us from going astray.

Psalms 27:5 For In The Day Of Trouble He Will Keep Me Safe In His Dwelling; He Will Hide Me In The Shelter Of His Tabernacle And Set Me High Upon A Rock.

Daily pain makes each of us feel we face a day of trouble. In our day of trouble, whether we face pain or some other kind of trial, the Lord will keep us and watch over us. Although we may not see Him or experience His presence, He is still with us. In our darkest hour, He still pours His healing love and presence over us. God Himself lives within us. We do not always understand the mysteries of God. In pain we want Him to be real. Our pain makes us think He is not real when He is indeed real. Every day of our life, even in our pain, we must resolve to keep the thought of God's reality with us in spite of our pain trying to make us think God is dead. God in Christ is alive for Christ is alive. On our day of trouble no matter how many days we have, we need Him and we know we can trust Him. We know He will never, ever fail us.

Job 11:16 You Will Surely Forget Your Trouble, Recalling It Only As Waters Gone By.

Why would God permit a circumstance where we have pain put upon us? Notice how the question is worded. The question does not ask, "Why would God permit a circumstance where we have pain put upon us," as opposed to "Why does God put pain upon us." God does not put pain upon us. Satan puts pain upon us to destroy us. God wants us to use our pain to glorify Him. In glorifying God with our pain, we rise above what Satan wants to do to us. In glorifying God with our pain, we begin to counter-punch Satan's power set out to destroy us.

Job 5:19 From Six Calamities He Will Rescue You; In Seven No Harm Will Befall You.

Why do we have pain? In most every case, we do not have pain or afflictions because we want them. We have pain because pain is put upon us by Satan. We have no choice about whether Satan afflicts us with pain. We do have a choice about how we respond to the pain. In responding to the pain, we can spend years searching for a higher meaning of the pain or we can start using the pain to glorify God. Many people find the pain so disabling, which the pain can be, searching for a higher meaning can lead to a form of power over the pain. To try to use an affliction can be the most difficult of tasks. The short answer to the question "Why do we have pain?" is…to glorify God.

Ephesians 3:8 Although I Am Less Than The Least Of All God's People, This Grace Was Given Me: To Preach To The Gentiles The Unsearchable Riches Of Christ…

We do not readily know how to abandon our earthly and sinful grip on life. We do not really know how to trust God fully and completely. We do not know how to abandon our pain. In trying to abandon your pain, keep in mind God pulls upward upon your life while Satan pulls downward. Remember nothing is bigger in your life than the love of God. Nothing in your reality is bigger than the love of God. When you admit God is bigger than your pain you begin to realize there is no pain larger than the love of God. Every pain is smaller than God. Every pain can be pushed over into God's arms. If giving your pain to God does not give you comfort and peace, your view of God needs to expand. Giving your pain to God may not end your pain. However, giving your pain to God results in your being placed in the palm of His mighty hand. Giving your pain to God results in your feeling His comforting love.

Titus 3:3 At One Time We Too Were Foolish, Disobedient, Deceived And Enslaved By All Kinds Of Passions And Pleasures. We Lived In Malice And Envy, Being Hated And Hating One Another. 4 But When The Kindness And Love Of God Our Savior Appeared, 5 He Saved Us, Not Because Of Righteous Things We Had Done, But Because Of His Mercy.

In pain, we can feel like we have lost a big part of our life. Pain robs us of our capacity to experience meaning and purpose because pain dominates our capacity to think and feel. Pain brings with it a form of living death. Our inner life seems to die when we are under painful attack. We not only seem to lose our inner life, we can lose meaningful contact with others and with God. Pain takes away our abilities relating to our job, career, family, and even taking away our ability to speak to and hear God. Pain brings on depression. The depression can make us feel there is no life within us. In those times when life within us seems not to exist, God DOES exist. When we feel dead inside, we must remember the kingdom of God is within us. We must remember the kingdom of God within us does not just blank out or disappear when we feel pain. The kingdom of God and God Himself is always, always, always living and alive within us. In life's darkest moments of our pain, we can stop the deadness within us by remembering God is love. In His love, there is a light of love within us every minute. The pain of the present moment can be lessened if we take our burdens to Christ who also lives within us.

John 10:4 When He Has Brought Out All His Own, He Goes On Ahead Of Them, And His Sheep Follow Him Because They Know His Voice. 5 But They Will Never Follow A Stranger; In Fact, They Will Run Away From Him Because They Do Not Recognize A Stranger's Voice."

In trials and pain, we need a voice of comfort, kindness, understanding and compassion. We need to hear the Lord speaking to us. The Lord speaks to us every moment. If we try, we can not only hear God's voice, we can also experience Him within our heart. In our pain-filled days, Christ will guide us and lead us. He will give us His blessed assurance. Even in our pain, we can experience the reality of God's presence. Although we might think God is not a being of love because we hurt, we must not be deceived. Satan is the author of pain. God is the author of peace and comfort. Satan wants to cast all of us into a pit of eternal pain and torment. God wants us to spend eternity with Him in peace, love, and joy unending. When we are tired and irritable, when we are angry, when we are full of pain, when we have been pushed to the limits of our ability to cope, there is for us a wave of kindness floating down from Heaven.

John 10:2. The Man Who Enters By The Gate Is The Shepherd Of His Sheep. 3 The Watchman Opens The Gate For Him, And The Sheep Listen To His Voice. He Calls His Own Sheep By Name And Leads Them Out.

God hears us. He knows our pain. God speaks to us in a language of love we do not know much about because we do not hear the Lord's special language of love very often. God's voice is full of tender mercies. He continually calls us to be His child, even when we are in the utmost rebellion. We can hear God speaking to us when we empty out all the garbage in our life. Our pain makes us accumulate garbage in our heart, mind, and soul. When we are willing to open our heart to the fullest possible extent to Christ, He tells us how much He loves us. When we open our heart to Christ, He inevitably leads us to His cross so divine. At the cross we are immersed in God's love…His love reaching us at the very point of our pain. When we hold our pain out to Christ for His healing touch He does not disappoint us. In His special language of love, our pain, our hurt, our troubles, our loneliness, and our problems are all soothed by His tender voice telling us He loves us.

Mark 9:42 "And If Anyone Causes One Of These Little Ones Who Believe In Me To Sin, It Would Be Better For Him To Be Thrown Into The Sea With A Large Millstone Tied Around His Neck.

Pain pushes against us. Sometimes pain pushes us to do what we do not want to do. To compound our sin problem, satanic evil in the form of sin also pushes against us to tempt us to do what God does not want us to do. When you confront the truth about what pain and sin do to you then you have an opportunity to push back rather than becoming a helpless victim. Both pain and sin are trying to push use away from God. Pain and sin both have the same source…Satan. What are we to do? We push back against pain and sin by faithfully praying. When we pray, we may be in agony from the attacks seeking to destroy us. However, when we pray, God hears us and He responds. We are also to use experts like doctors, counselors, and advisors to help us push back. We are not to give up or give in when we pray. We must resolve to never give up our faith in God.

1 Samuel 16:7 But The LORD Said To Samuel, "Do Not Consider His Appearance Or His Height, For I Have Rejected Him. The LORD Does Not Look At The Things Man Looks At. Man Looks At The Outward Appearance, But The LORD Looks At The Heart."

God sees all of you. He sees you every moment. He sees you when you are up or when you are down. God sees you when you are in pain or not in pain. We might want God to do more than just see us. We might want God to fix us when we reach certain points in our battle with pain. When God looks at you, He sees all your pain, your hurt, your disappointment, and the yearnings of your heart. When God sees you, whether you are in pain or not in pain, He looks upon you with kindness, tenderness, and love in His eyes. We keep no secrets from God. We may live in denial about whom and what we are, but we keep no secrets from God. To God, you are His child…His child sometimes doing wayward things because of your pain or sometimes doing His will. God does not just stand back and look at you. God lives within you. God works within you to give you His peace, His love, and His strength without limits.

John 20:21 Again Jesus Said, "Peace Be With You! As The Father Has Sent Me, I Am Sending You."

Christ suffered for us. He was sent by His Father in heaven to be the Lord's suffering servant for all people on earth. We too are called by God to suffer if necessary to do the Lord's work on earth. In our heart, we know we may be called to suffer when we do His work. Our pain and suffering come from Satan, not from God. When we stand firm against the satanic evil of pain and suffering, we glorify God. Of all the purposes we might believe we are called to fulfill on earth, our highest purpose is glorifying God. When we glorify God even when we are in pain, the Lord will pour out His mighty blessings on us now and in the infinite days to come. When we lose sight of Christ's suffering upon the cross, we will become selfish and our own suffering will become important. When we see Christ suffering upon the cross then our own suffering becomes totally unimportant.

Acts 20:35 In Everything I Did, I Showed You That By This Kind Of Hard Work We Must Help The Weak, Remembering The Words The Lord Jesus Himself Said: `It Is More Blessed To Give Than To Receive.'"

Human beings are selfish beings. Pain makes us often think more of ourselves instead of thinking of others. When times of pain come into our life we are even more selfish. When we reflect, we can see how being selfish is not in God's will for us. Being like Christ means you are to give to others in love. When you give to others in love you do the opposite of what the pain wants you to do. Putting others first, even before the pain, expresses the love of God to others. By putting others before yourself and your pain, you become a blessing to God and His power on the earth. You may not be able to make your pain go away. However, you can be an instrument for God's peace and love in the world this very hour. Pushing aside our own wants and needs in favor of helping others with their wants and needs gives others meaning and purpose because we were humble. The healing power of our humility adds to our storehouse in heaven where Christ stores up our most heavenly things.

Proverbs 4:25 Let Your Eyes Look Straight Ahead, Fix Your Gaze Directly Before You. 26 Make Level Paths For Your Feet And Take Only Ways That Are Firm. 27 Do Not Swerve To He Right Or The Left; Keep Your Foot From Evil.

In pain, common sense can fail us. Pain clouds our mind and distorts our judgment. In pain, common sense may speak, but we do not always listen. Pain is a destructive power in our life. In your daily walk, the powers of darkness and evil do not want you looking straight ahead. The powers of darkness use pain to disrupt your common sense and spiritual foundation. The satanic powers of darkness use pain to distract you while placing all kinds of temptations, enticements, and distractions in front of you. However, in your daily walk where you battle pain and the many distractions, temptations, and enticements, Christ walks with you. When you consider the pain Christ suffered, you will find the power to push away all distractions, temptations, and enticements. When you kneel at the foot of His Cross, you are empowered to walk His path even in pain. With Christ as your guide, you will be the straight and true person He always meant for you to be.

Psalm 25:15 My Eyes Are Ever On The LORD, For Only He Will Release My Feet From The Snare.

Pain puts us in a snare or prison from which it seems we have no escape. We may see our life and circumstances in pain the same way we see prison bars because pain puts us in a form of prison. Within the prison of our pain we do have the choice of looking up into the heavens. Beyond the heavens rests our infinite God full of His infinite love for each of us. In pain, we tend to think only of our pain. In pain, we use all of our resources to focus our attention on getting rid of our pain or upon the pain itself. Our pain traps our attention. In our pain, we focus upon our hurt. When we are trapped by pain, God is the way to our freedom.

When you face a grim circumstance in your life, one way or another, sooner or later, God will come to the rescue and give you freedom if you look up to Him. When you immerse your heart, mind, soul, and body in Christ's love He gives you a freedom you can find only in Him.

Luke 12:29 And Do Not Set Your Heart On What You Will Eat Or Drink; Do Not Worry About It. 30 For The Pagan World Runs After All Such Things, And Your Father Knows That You Need Them. 31 But Seek His Kingdom, And These Things Will Be Given To You As Well.

In our pain we seek diversions to keep our mind off our pain. In diversions rests great evil desiring to take us away from our Lord. We must never look upon the glamour of the world with a lust for the glamour. We must never look upon the wealth of the world with a lust for wealth. Our pain makes us want to sin. Our pain takes our heart and destroys the place of God within us. In all matters, at all times, we must be honest and humble before our Lord. When we are in pain, we are more susceptible to the wiles of Satan. In our pain, we must be on guard so we do not falter because faltering breaks the heart of God. When you seek God first, you can do more with less while you earn more with what you have.

Luke 18:28 Peter Said To Him, "We Have Left All We Had To Follow You!" 29 "I Tell You The Truth," Jesus Said To Them, "No One Who Has Left Home Or Wife Or Brothers Or Parents Or Children For The Sake Of The Kingdom Of God 30 Will Fail To Receive Many Times As Much In This Age And, In The Age To Come, Eternal Life."

Our pain makes us want to turn away from the kind of sacrifice that causes us to be in more pain than we experience in the present moment. The path of Christ is difficult for those who do not live in pain. Christ's path for those of us who do live in pain is even more difficult. As His children who have accepted Christ as Savior and Lord, we must never use our pain as some kind of excuse not to give our all in His service. We must be unrelenting in doing His work. Pain must never be an excuse. We must be tough as nails but soft, kind, caring, and compassionate. Walking Christ's path is a lonely walk, more so if we must endure hurt, heartache, and pain. The sacrifice we make for Christ is seen by Him, known by Him, and embraced by Him. Every moment we live for Him is a moment stored up in Heaven. No matter how much of a price we pay as Christ's child, the price we pay is nothing compared to the price Christ paid for us on the cross. When we walk, stumble, and even crawl our way down His difficult road, we glorify His holy name. We must remember all of our pain and suffering for Him is worth it. What we give to Him brings to us a glorious reward. What glory we will see! What love we will feel! What rejoicing we will find!

John 5:24 "I Tell You The Truth, Whoever Hears My Word And Believes Him Who Sent Me Has Eternal Life And Will Not Be Condemned; He Has Crossed Over From Death To Life."

Our pain can make life pretty awful. Not only do we face the horrors of terrorism, crime, violence, and temptations, but we also face the grim reality of pain. We also face the grim reality of our personal death. Our life is like being on death row, not knowing the day, hour, or minute the guards are going to come to take us for our execution. If we are honest, we do know we really ARE on death row. In addition, we do not know the day, hour, or minute of our impending death. Not only are we in pain, but we are all condemned to die. What a terrible fate we have! But wait! Our soul, our person, our identity, our consciousness, the very part of us we refer to as "me" is not going to die. But wait! There is even more good news. The most important news of all time is…we can have eternal life after our body goes to sleep in death. Not only can we have eternal life for our conscious minds, but we can also have an eternal life in a place of beauty, wonder, happiness, serenity, and love…a place called heaven.

John 5:24 "I Tell You The Truth, Whoever Hears My Word And Believes Him Who Sent Me Has Eternal Life And Will Not Be Condemned; He Has Crossed Over From Death To Life."

Our pain can make life pretty awful. Not only do we face the horrors of terrorism, crime, violence, and temptations, but we also face the grim reality of pain. We also face the grim reality of our personal death. Our life is like being on death row, not knowing the day, hour, or minute the guards are going to come to take us for our execution. If we are honest, we do know we really ARE on death row. In addition, we do not know the day, hour, or minute of our impending death. Not only are we in pain, but we are all condemned to die. What a terrible fate we have! But wait! Our soul, our person, our identity, our consciousness, the very part of us we refer to as "me" is not going to die. But wait! There is even more good news. The most important news of all time is…we can have eternal life after our body goes to sleep in death. Not only can we have eternal life for our conscious minds, but we can also have an eternal life in a place of beauty, wonder, happiness, serenity, and love…a place called heaven.

Matthew 1:21 She Will Give Birth To A Son,…

No human being receives some kind of special protection from pain and suffering. Every person suffers to some extent one way or another. The Blessed Virgin suffered likely suffered the pain of child birth. She worried about Christ possibly getting lost as a boy. Her heart was pierced with the most incredible of pains as she looked upon Christ being crucified. For all people there is a place called heaven if we choose Christ to be Lord of our life. In the life of Jesus, there was no protection from pain and suffering. He suffered as we suffer. He hurt as we hurt. In our human way of thinking, we would, as humans, expect special protection for Mary and Joseph from pain. In fact, there was no protection. Likewise for us, we who are called by God to do His will each day will find there will be pain and suffering in our life. However, for you and me, a mansion sits waiting in the midst of paradise. In our mansion in Heaven we will forever be immersed in God's peace and joy.

1 Peter 1:7 These Have Come So That Your Faith--Of Greater Worth Than Gold, Which Perishes Even Though Refined By Fire--May Be Proved Genuine And May Result In Praise, Glory And Honor When Jesus Christ Is Revealed.

Faith in God is the foundation of our life, especially if we must live in pain. Without faith during our trials, we are cut off and isolated. Being cut off and isolated is unhealthy and for some people, dangerous. Being cut off and isolated can make people believe they have nothing to lose…even believing their life is worthless and without meaning or purpose. In your walk every day with God, remember your walk is to be a walk of the purest faith, even in pain. Being in pain requires you believe in the power of God in spite of what seems to be incredible evidence against believing. We are to be like so many Bible characters of renown who maintained their faith in God in all ways and under all circumstances.

Luke 7:21 At That Very Time Jesus Cured Many Who Had Diseases, Sicknesses And Evil Spirits, And Gave Sight To Many Who Were Blind.

We will all be cured. Those of us who believe in the name of Christ, at the instant of our transformation into our new life in heaven will be cured. Until then, we must hope and pray for others even when we are in pain and need a cure ourselves. Some people are blessed with perfect health from birth. Other people are cursed with poor health from the beginning. Some people never experience chronic pain. Other people are in chronic pain for decades. If faith was the only way to perfect health the hospitals would all be empty and the churches would all be full. Perfect health may come to us for awhile but perfect health may not endure. Most importantly, the focus of our life whether we are in pain or not in pain must be upon Christ and Him only. Reaching out to Christ each day brings about a time when we will be cured, either on earth or definitely in heaven. We must not doubt our cure is waiting. We must not doubt we will see an end to our pain, sickness, and trials unending. We must not doubt!!!

Proverbs 12:22 The LORD Detests Lying Lips, But He Delights In Men Who Are Truthful.

Telling the truth about our life circumstances can be difficult if we perceive we lack love because of our loneliness. Pain brings loneliness. Pain cancels out love. The pain of loneliness can be as intense as physical pain. No matter what kind of pain we experience, we must be honest. When we are honest about our pain or any of our life circumstances, we have a chance to take some kind of action on the issues we face. To speak the truth to ourselves begins to chip away at the stranglehold falsehoods put upon our heart, life, and soul. When we are honest and we surrender up to God all our problems and issues, we give Him a chance to pour His healing love into our life. We are to take action on every issue, especially the action of praying for others so others will not be negatively influenced by our pain regardless of our pain's source. To bring Christ and His healing love into our life we are to first express our love and gratitude to Him and for Him. Next, we are to find a way to send Christ's love out to others in meaningful ways.

Proverbs 13:5 The Righteous Hate What Is False, But The Wicked Bring Shame And Disgrace

Facing or telling the truth about your life, even facing the truth about your pain is difficult. Telling yourself the truth means you have to tell yourself things that are painful, hurtful, or embarrassing. Sometimes living a lie, even about your pain or the consequences of your pain, can seem to be easier than telling the truth. However, living a lie takes away your freedom. Telling the truth, brings you freedom, even when the truth is hurtful. Telling yourself the truth can even put more pain on top of the pain you already have. Admitting we are helpless about our pain can be a difficult admission to make. Some of the pain of our life can be the result of our sin. To admit we cause some of the pain and darkness in our life and in the life of others can often be too much for us to bear. In response, we then lie to ourselves rather than telling ourselves the truth. However, there is a glorious and grand result from telling ourselves the truth about our life. When we tell ourselves the truth, we are set free from our prison. When we tell ourselves the truth, we are released from the prison of our lies, freed from the prison of our guilt, and set free from the chains of our denial.

Psalm 61:12 With God We Will Gain The Victory, And He Will Trample Down Our Enemies.

The human soul is tortured in temptation when we are devout and resist the temptation. The human body is tortured when we are in physical or emotional pain. Pain and temptation reduce us and degrade us. We can and sometimes do believe God has forgotten us during our greatest trials of pain and temptation. Pain and temptation are Satan's weapons of mass destruction as Satan makes us the target. In this great battle with Satan, Christ does not leave us without resources. The Holy Spirit full of power to heal, restore, and preserve will guard you and keep you. We must never give up or give in to our trials. We must persevere no matter what the cost is to us. We must keep on keeping on so Christ in us empowers us to win.

When pain blinds you, you must remember, with God you can have a vision beyond what you physically see. When you feel the pain, you must proclaim God's love in your heart, even when your pain causes you to not feel His love. Your proclamation of Christ's love brings His presence. You must call upon God to break the chains of pain enslaving you. Christ's freedom and light bring you respite and relief in your pain.

2 Corinthians 8:2 Out Of The Most Severe Trial, Their Overflowing Joy And Their Extreme Poverty Welled Up In Rich Generosity. 3 For I Testify That They Gave As Much As They Were Able, And Even Beyond Their Ability.

Our greatest test of faith is giving in pain. Our severest test of faith is not giving till it hurts. Our severest test of faith is giving while it hurts. Giving is easy when we are free of pain and trials. Giving can be excruciatingly difficult when we are in pain because pain turns us inward, making us selfish. In pain, our faith is eroded as the underpinnings of our heart, mind, and soul are eaten away. In the midst of our great test of faith as we experience painful trials, Christ understands. In our pain Christ will come to us and be with us so we are empowered to give through Him. Christ will give us His power of love so we may give to others as we overcome our trials even when our pain persists. The satanic power of evil tries to block out the healing light of Christ. In the darkness of pain, we can get lost, we no longer give, and we lose our focus upon Christ. Yet, we must not be dismayed or discouraged. We must not be dismayed or discouraged because we are the victors over darkness, pain, suffering, and evil. We are the victors because we have won eternal life through Christ.

Psalms 136:26 Give Thanks To The God Of Heaven. His Love Endures Forever.

When you are in the love of God, even in your pain, His love shall never end. His love shall help you win every personal war with evil even when battles are lost here on earth, even in pain. The love of God cures every sickness now or later in heaven in spite of your pain. Even in pain, His love shall defeat every enemy. Even in pain, His love shall illumine every darkness. Even in pain, His love shall ban every grief. Even in pain, His love shall touch your heart. Even in pain, His love shall heal every wound. Even in pain, His love shall bring every peace. Even in pain, His love shall bring you comfort. Even in your pain, His love shall turn your every moment into glory.

Psalms 121:3 O Israel, Put Your Hope In The Lord Both Now And Forevermore.

Heaven is full of hope. Since heaven is infinite, how much hope is there? When the pain comes upon you, your hope can slip away. When pain comes upon you, Christ is ready to pour His hope from heaven upon you. In pain or at any other time, you need hope to fuel you and keep you going. Your heart and soul need hope to keep you moving forward. When hopelessness is trying to destroy you, Christ will come and intervene for you. Christ will come to you in your darkness and give you the power of hope. The light of Christ is the hope of the world. The light of Christ is your personal hope for living each moment. The devastation of pain is erased by Christ's hope. When the pain within your heart seeks to destroy you, the comfort of Christ and His hope give you renewed vision and purpose in spite of the pain. The hope of God falls down upon you to give you new visions of His work He calls you to do.

Hebrews 10:19 Therefore, Brothers, Since We Have Confidence To Enter The Most Holy Place By The Blood Of Jesus, 20 By A New And Living Way Opened For Us Through The Curtain, That Is, His Body, 21 And Since We Have A Great Priest Over The House Of God, 22 Let Us Draw Near To God

Whether you know it or not, you walk with God every moment. When you think you are alone, you are not, for God is with you. When you think no one cares about you, He is with you and caring about you all the while. When you think God is far off, He is close by. When it seems God has died, He is yet living within you. When you cannot reach Him because of your pain and suffering, He is within you still. When you think there is no hope, the love of God is burning and alive within you while giving you unlimited tomorrows. When you think everything has come to an end for you, Christ's eternal glory is just ahead. When you are dismayed and disappointed in the actions of others, God's power and force of unfailing love can touch their life. When you are dismayed at the strife and destruction in the world, the gentle touch of Christ soothes your pain and brings joy where joy seems impossible.

Matthew 24:1 Jesus Left The Temple And Was Walking Away When His Disciples Came Up To Him To Call His Attention To Its Buildings. 2 "Do You See All These Things?" He Asked. "I Tell You The Truth, Not One Stone Here Will Be Left On Another; Every One Will Be Thrown Down."

Peace and joy in the middle of searing pain are possible because God is always present in the middle of searing pain. When we lose contact with God in our pain we must remember God has not abandoned us. We must continue to hold on to Christ’s reality even when Satan has destroyed our contact with the Lord. How we can experience the Lord’s peace in the middle of our pain is not known. However, we accept the reality of God's peace because we know we have had this experience of peace. In pain, the Lord’s love is above us, below us, and all around us. We live in God’s love, even when we are attacked with pain. No power in the universe can ever separate us from the love of God…even if we are in pain and we realistically believe God no longer exists because of our pain. In every darkness, in every trial unending, in every devastation, the power of God is the most certain reality in any reality.

1 Corinthians 3:11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.

How can we build a life when we are in pain? Answer: We can build a life in humility when we are in pain when we turn to Christ for wisdom and guidance. He will help us. Christ will give us the plans and guidance we need to live our life in spite of pain and suffering in our present hour. The choice you make this moment, in spite of your pain, must reflect Christ’s love in the world. Think before you act because many of the choices you make today will have eternal consequences. Your forgiveness today lasts forever. Your letting go of hurts caused by others resounds across eternity. When you choose to love in spite of your pain your choice spans the eons of time. When you surrender your will to Christ, He will bring His healing love and comfort upon you. Your humility in Christ will bring down His power to fill your heart.

1 Peter 1:3 In His Great Mercy He Has Given Us New Birth Into A Living Hope Through The Resurrection Of Jesus Christ From The Dead, 4 And Into An Inheritance That Can Never Perish, Spoil Or Fade--Kept In Heaven For You, 5 Who Through Faith Are Shielded By God's Power Until The Coming Of The Salvation That Is Ready To Be Revealed In The Last Time.

The power keeping you living and breathing is not your power, but God’s power. The power of God in you cannot be seen or heard. This same power of Christ, the power keeping you alive, can also give you a shield against the plague of pain upon you. For reasons we do not always know or understand, the power sustaining you does not always protect you in this life. What the power of God within you does do is give you a spirit refusing to quit until you see Jesus face to face. When others might give up when they are under attack, the power of God within you keeps you strong so you finish the race. The power of God giving us sustenance gives us the ability to commune with God on the deepest possible level. This same power of God gives us the ability to absorb the love God infused in all of His creation. When Satan attacks you, the love of God keeps you positively going in positive directions. Satan’s purpose is to destroy you by making your heart cold so the love of God does not exist within you. With Christ, you can resist. With Christ, you can always come back against every adversity to do God's will.

Hebrews 4:12 For The Word Of God Is Living And Active. Sharper Than Any Double-Edged Sword, It Penetrates Even To Dividing Soul And Spirit, Joints And Marrow; It Judges The Thoughts And Attitudes Of The Heart.

In a world full of pain, we can often starve to find a source of wisdom, truth, and love. Others may not understand what a life of pain is all about. There is a source of wisdom each of us can use whether we are in pain or not. The source is the Word of God, The Bible. For many people there is a huge disconnection with the Bible. People in pain may find the words of the Bible do not apply to them. People in pain want relief and words on a page do not always bring the relief needed. However, if a person in pain will open up his or her heart to the love of God found in every word of the Bible, every word will touch the heart and the pain. We must consider how much God loves us. We must consider how much God wants us to know Him and know His truth. If you have ever had a relationship with someone who gave you “the silent treatment” then you should know God is the opposite of a person who does not want to talk with you.

John 8:12 When Jesus Spoke Again To The People, He Said, "I Am The Light Of The World. Whoever Follows Me Will Never Walk In Darkness, But Will Have The Light Of Life."

Pain creates a condition in us where we get lost. We lose our bearings. We lose our moral center. We even lose Christ. When we reach a point in our pain where we are deep in darkness, Christ understands. In our darkness of pain, we can call upon Christ and He will lead us back to Him. Christ will lead us home. Christ’s love and grace will always be with us, no matter what. Christ’s love will always be a comfort to us. Even when we are far from Him, He is always near to us. Christ is never far away, because He lives within our heart. Christ’s presence in your life enables you to deal with every kind of pain, trial, and affliction. As much as our pain blinds us, Christ’s power within us removes our blindness. Christ gives us our sight, even in our blinding pain. When Christ restores our sight we no longer live in any kind of darkness. We may always have our pain. Yet, even if we have our pain, we shall see clearly how Christ is standing next to us every hour.

Mark 15:34 And At The Ninth Hour Jesus Cried Out In A Loud Voice, "Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabachthani?"--Which Means, "My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?"

Every person knows what it means to be alone, even feeling forsaken. When you are alone and perhaps even feel forsaken, Christ understands. Christ was forsaken like us. We have all been lost. Satanic evil or Satan wants us to be lost and unable to find our way home. Pain makes us feel lost. Pain makes us feel separated from others even when these others are in the same room. Perhaps you feel forsaken and lost at this moment. If so, remember Christ knows every ounce of what you are feeling and experiencing. Christ is not just with us, He is within us in ways we do not always understand. When our pain runs so deep we seem to have lost our soul, Christ within us despises the pain we feel. Although we may think we are alone, especially in our pain, we are deceived because with Christ we are never alone.

Matthew 28:20 And Surely I Am With You Always, To The Very End Of The Age.

In times of pain, you must trust in Christ’s wisdom and grace. Whatever Christ does for you, He does to help you. What Christ does for you is of the utmost help to you. In your pain-filled loneliness, when you are alone and you need Him, Christ will show Himself to you in ways you can understand. He will be present with you and you will know about Him. In the present hour or any hour, when you need others who cannot be there for you, Christ lives within your heart. Christ lives within your heart to touch you to ease your pain of loneliness. When you are isolated and cannot move about as you want, Christ will touch your heart and heal you from the pain of your isolation.

John 5:7 "Sir," The Invalid Replied, "I Have No One To Help Me Into The Pool When The Water Is Stirred. While I Am Trying To Get In, Someone Else Goes Down Ahead Of Me." 8 Then Jesus Said To Him, "Get Up! Pick Up Your Mat And Walk." 9 At Once The Man Was Cured; He Picked Up His Mat And Walked.

Loneliness is one of the worst pains in human experience. Loneliness is especially painful when we encounter a time in our life when we need help. All of us come to points in our life when we need help. Some of us come to lonely points in our life where we have no one. The distress of loneliness is a part of being alive. The pain of loneliness can often be devastating. In loneliness, when you meet utter distress and find you have no one to help you, you can call out to Jesus. Christ Jesus is always listening. Jesus is always present with you. Jesus always wants to help you. Keep in mind, for your ultimate benefit, Christ may not help you in the way you want to be helped. Christ may not help you in the way you want because He knows what is best for you, even if you do not. There are times when Christ may help you in ways you might think are no help at all because He can see your life and what you need in ways you cannot see or know.

Luke 19:41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it

Jesus was not weeping over the streets, buildings, and other physical attributes of Jerusalem. Jesus was weeping over the hearts of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Jesus was weeping over the hearts of the inhabitants of earth…then and now. As we weep for others, as we hurt for them, we must take our weeping and hurting to the heart of Christ. He knows our heart pain, for He has hurt like we hurt. When another person is hurting, we may not be able to take away their pain. However, Christ brings them the comfort no one else can bring. When we are suffering with the hurt we feel for others, we can open our heart and life to Christ so He can use us in whatever way He wills. Let Christ lead you. Christ will help you be a healing witness to others in His name. When we open our heart to Christ, when we hurt for others, He is then able to give us the ability to speak words of comfort, words of solace, and words of enduring love to soothe the pain of the person we hold in our heart.

Colossians 3:12 Therefore, As God's Chosen People, Holy And Dearly Loved, Clothe Yourselves With Compassion, Kindness, Humility, Gentleness And Patience.

We may have our pain. However, our pain felt because of ourselves can be minor compared to the heartbreak we feel for others. Our heartbreak for others can be so deep and so intense we do not have words to express our pain. When we have a hurting heart for others, we can have every confidence Jesus is standing with us, experiencing our pain, pouring His healing love over us. In deep heartbreak, we must see Jesus in our mind's eye and in our heart enveloping us in His love. In the times of our weeping for others, we must see Christ holding them in the palm of His hand. Praying for a person for whom we hurt can be a miraculous gift to the person who is suffering. When it seems we are helpless on our own, God is not helpless to act.

Proverbs 18:14 A Man's Spirit Sustains Him In Sickness, But A Crushed Spirit Who Can Bear?

Most people face times of illness or sickness. Some illnesses or sicknesses can be a major circumstance lingering on for years. Other illnesses or sicknesses can be relatively minor and may go away in a few days. When we feel sick, we may not feel like praying, reading the Bible, or meditating upon the Lord's love. Even when we do not feel like praying, we must remember He is still with us. Even when we feel really, really awful physically, God is still with us. When we are ill, we still need to remember to pray, whether we feel like praying or not. When we pray during a time of illness, it may not seem like we are contacting Christ, but in faith, we know His is listening and working on our behalf. When we speak to the Lord in prayer, we must ask Him to keep our attitude positive. A positive attitude in sickness helps us defeat the darkness. When we rest our sickness in the Lord's hand, His love will temper the pain.

Psalms 72:19 Praise Be To His Glorious Name Forever; May The Whole Earth Be Filled With His Glory. Amen And Amen.

Christ is with you in your pain, even if you do not ask Him to be. When you feel unloved and deserted because you hurt, give Him praise for even the smallest of things in your life. Give Him praise for His pouring His love into your heart. When others do not understand you because of your pain-filled afflictions, Christ understands you. When the pain has cut you off from others in ways only you can understand, you are not truly alone for Christ is with you. You may not know it now, but you have great reasons to praise God because He gives you new eyes to see and new ears to hear. You will have another life beyond the pain-filled life you have now. Praise God, for God the Father sent His son into the world to die for you, a lowly sinner. Praise God, for in the times of your most intense pain and deepest darkness He is there for you, comforting you, because He is your friend.

Psalms 72:18 Praise Be To The Lord God, The God Of Israel, Who Alone Does Marvelous Deeds.

In pain, we want someone to make our pain go away. As difficult as it may seem, Christ wants us to give Him praise, even in our pain. In our pain, to be immersed in His healing love requires we produce an outpouring of our spirit in praise before Him. When we empty our heart and soul to Christ in praise, Christ gives us His joy and power in return. When we pour out our heart and soul to Christ in praise, we draw near to Christ and He draws near to us. Even in your pain, you can draw near to Christ when you thank Him for all the blessings, both seen and unseen, in your life. When you can say "thank you for this moment in my life," even in your pain, you are then able to receive back the full measure of the Lord's love. When you love the Lord, He instantly loves you back and He makes your pain bearable. When you express your gratitude to Christ, you are instantly drawn to His side. Whether you are in pain or not, gratitude, thanksgiving, and praise are warranted from you for He is always with you when you need Him.

1 John 2:17 The World And Its Desires Pass Away, But The Man Who Does The Will Of God Lives Forever.

We cannot always fully know what God's will is for us on a second by second basis. Being in pain can cloud over many things in our life. Pain brings confusion and lack of focus on most everything except the pain. Reading the scripture, can give us a clear indicator of God’s will for us. In the scripture, we can learn God's will for us when we come to deal with other persons, when we come to deal with Him, and when we are confronted with sin and corruption. In pain, we are more susceptible to temptation. We can know God's will when we are confronted with temptation by relying on His word. We can know what God wants us to do when we see the pain, suffering, and hurt of life. We know we are to reach out and touch the hurting, help mend the broken, and support with prayer all those who need Him most. Being in pain ourselves, gives us a unique opportunity to understand others more fully.

Hebrews 10: 22 Let Us Draw Near To God With A Sincere Heart In Full Assurance Of Faith, Having Our Hearts Sprinkled To Cleanse Us From A Guilty Conscience And Having Our Bodies Washed With Pure Water.

Even in our pain, only God's way is the sure way. Our pain draws and quarters us. Our pain seeks to destroy our soul. Our pain wants us to renounce Christ. However, only God's way leads to glory and immortality. When our plans and goals go awry because of our pain, Christ still calls us to work for His goals and follow His plans. Our pain can twist our ideas about where we should go and what we should do so our ideas do not reflect Christ. However, we must keep Christ always before us. In the tangled sinful mysteries of life, we can tell ourselves our plans are godly even when we know they are not godly. We can tell ourselves we are doing God's will, even when know we are doing our own will. We must wage war against the dark powers by affirming Christ each moment and remaining in prayer hour by hour.

Romans 8:23 Not Only So, But We Ourselves, Who Have The First Fruits Of The Spirit, Groan Inwardly As We Wait Eagerly For Our Adoption As Sons, The Redemption Of Our Bodies.

In many of the pathways of life, there is pain. In our pain, God hurts when we hurt. He suffers our pain along with us. When we hurt, God is always calling out to us telling us He loves us and cares about us. God's healing love through the Holy Spirit flows over our life when we are in pain. However, pain is still a part of our reality. God wants us to grow and mature when we are in pain. Growing and maturing when we are in pain is itself a difficult endeavor. However, there is more. We must use our pain to glorify God. Why God does not stop our pain is often a deep mystery. God must follow universal conventions or rules He set down at the beginning of time until Christ returns. We may come to understand pain has no purpose except to pull us away from God. We must also understand pain will end when we see Jesus either in Heaven or when He returns to Earth. In pain, we have a hope greater than our suffering. In pain, we have a victory that cannot be diminished out. In pain, we have a most divine and wonderful distraction…a future full of glory, peace, and tearless joy with Christ.

Luke 23:34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

We must remain in a constant state of forgiveness because others inflict wounds upon us and our heart remains torn. When we repent, we expose our wounded heart to Christ. In His great compassion, once we show Him how much our heart is hurting, He begins healing us with His love. When Christ calls us to turn away, He is calling us to turn away, not just from our sins, but also turn away from the effects of the sins of others. No matter what happens to us, no matter how much pain is put upon us by life or by others, we must still turn away from the darkness. Turning away for some people is a once in a lifetime event. However, for most of us, especially those of us who live in pain, turning away is a daily requirement. Some wounds and scars upon the heart are so deep a lifetime of daily turning away may be required. Repentance for some persons may take the form of a daily battle against the powers, forces, and evil spirits inhabiting the world. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Some have sinned because of the hurt, degradation, and violation of the heart, mind, and body by the pain put upon them by others. When we repent, we must turn away from our sin. We must also turn away from the pain caused by the sin done to us.

Acts 8:21 You Have No Part Or Share In This Ministry, Because Your Heart Is Not Right Before God. 22 Repent Of This Wickedness And Pray To The Lord. Perhaps He Will Forgive You For Having Such A Thought In Your Heart. 23 For I See That You Are Full Of Bitterness And Captive To Sin.

Your present pain and suffering will come to an end. Christ died on the cross so your present pain will be erased forever. All of us who hurt, who perhaps have hurt for many years, face the daunting task dealing with bitterness and anger brought on by our pain. Placing your life in Christ’s hands enables Him to heal your heart and make your bitterness and anger go away. Bitterness and anger over pain in the present or past can freeze your heart as the bitterness and anger lock you into a place of darkness. When we come to realize we are in the grip of bitterness and anger brought on by our pain, Christ enables us to turn away. Christ enables us to turn away from being imprisoned by our pain, our bitterness, and our anger. Repentance is not only a process to confront our own wrongdoing; repentance is also a process to confront the wrongdoing others and life circumstances have done to us.

John 8:44 Ye Are Of Your Father The Devil, And The Lusts Of Your Father Ye Will Do. He Was A Murderer From The Beginning, And Abode Not In The Truth, Because There Is No Truth In Him. When He Speaketh A Lie, He Speaketh Of His Own: For He Is A Liar, And The Father Of It.

Satan is the author of death.

Satan's purpose in injuring you is to take you away from God and God's healing love. Satan’s last act in every human life is to destroy each of us by causing our death. Instead of our suffering death forever, Christ went in our place. Christ suffered death in our place so we could have eternal life. In our trials and pain, God does not forsake us, even when it seems He has turned His back on us and left us alone. Our God is a compassionate God. When you are hurting, God hurts with you. When you are suffering, God suffers with you. You never suffer alone, even when you may feel alone. When you are injured, give the hurt to Christ. Surrender every pain and every torment into the scars of His hands. Over the course of eternity, Christ will save you from torment by giving you a perfect life free of pain…a perfect life in heaven.

Job 6:10 Then I Would Still Have This Consolation-- My Joy In Unrelenting Pain-- That I Had Not Denied The Words Of The Holy One.

We all want a pain free life. Pain puts a terrible pollutant into our life. We want the ultimate freedom from pain, suffering, and loss. We all realize how life cannot be pain free, even when we despise what the pain does to us. Suffering injury and hurt happens to nearly everyone. There are many kinds of injuries. We have spiritual, emotional, and physical pain from many sources. When we suffer hurt from any source for any reason, we must remember Satan is always the cause of our hurt, pain, injury, and loss. We could have a perfect world if Satan would be bound up and kept from pouring his evil pain upon our life. When we are under satanic attack of any kind, we must push our heart, soul, and life into the hands of Christ. Jesus wants us to give Him our life, no matter what condition our life might be in at the moment. We may have to use force and power to give Christ our life, especially when Satan has bound us up in his evil tentacles.

Psalm 38:20 Those Who Repay My Good With Evil Slander Me When I Pursue What Is Good. 21 O LORD, Do Not Forsake Me; Be Not Far From Me, O My God. 22 Come Quickly To Help Me, O Lord My Savior.

When you are in real pain, you cannot do what you normally do. When your pain gets intense, you may be totally distracted, you may be unable to pray, and you may be unable to focus. When you are in intense pain, it may seem Christ does not exist. Even when Christ seems not to exist, remember He is where you are, no matter how far away He seems to be at the time.

Pain is a weapon your great adversary uses against you. Pain creates the illusion Christ is far away and not present within you. However, the illusion Christ is far away is only an illusion. The reality of every moment of your life, even the painful moments, is that Christ is within you and beside you. Even in your moments of intense pain, you can walk with Him and talk with Him. Only Christ can truly understand what you are going through. In your pain, even when you erroneously think He has deserted you, you must remain with Him.

Psalm 38:17 For I Am About To Fall, And My Pain Is Ever With Me. 18 I Confess My Iniquity; I Am Troubled By My Sin. 19 Many Are Those Who Are My Vigorous Enemies; Those Who Hate Me Without Reason Are Numerous.

When you are in real pain you can often be immobilized in body, mind, and spirit. In real pain, what was normal for you before becomes incredibly difficult, perhaps even impossible. In real pain you can be totally distracted and unable to concentrate on even routine matters. Pain can destroy your ability to focus on routine matters. Your ability to pray can be hampered or worse. In real pain, what was normal yesterday will not be normal. Your normal abilities can be severely challenged when you are in pain. In pain, Christ can seem to be so far away He may seem not to exist. When you are in pain, you must learn to live one moment at a time. Learn to pray, one moment at a time. Learn to live each moment as a moment lived for Christ and Him alone. In all the moments you live for Christ, there will come one special moment when you see Him face to face. You will see Him smiling and He will tell you about your wonderful life to come in His mansion built just for you.

Hebrews 10:38 But My Righteous One Will Live By Faith. And If He Shrinks Back, I Will Not Be Pleased With Him." 39 But We Are Not Of Those Who Shrink Back And Are Destroyed, But Of Those Who Believe And Are Saved.

When we are in pain, living by faith is as much of a challenge as living with the pain. Living by faith mandates we never quit, never relent, and never turn back. Our faith in Christ demonstrates over the history of our faith how millions of Christians have refused to quit. The blood of our Christian martyrs cries out to us to never quit our faith regardless of our pain. We must keep going at all costs, against all odds. In every trial we must call upon Christ who died to set us free. In every moment of our anguish we must look to Christ who suffered His own anguish…anguish infinitely greater than our own pain. We must always refuse to quit. We must always refuse to give up. We shall have victory in Christ only if we persevere and never quit. In every circumstance God is present with us, within us, over us, and under us.

Hebrews 10:36 You Need To Persevere So That When You Have Done The Will Of God, You Will Receive What He Has Promised. 37 For In Just A Very Little While, "He Who Is Coming Will Come And Will Not Delay.

When life beats us up, we hurt. When we have pain of any kind we are pushed off our bearings and can feel totally lost. Pain disorients us and we have trouble stabilizing ourselves. Pain, whether the pain comes upon us suddenly or gradually, can make us emotionally numb while we lose contact with our normal world. When we are hurt we must hurry to maintain our balance in the face of painful consequences. We are to try to adjust as quickly as possible because the longer we put up with the pain, the more the pain can eat away at our heart and soul. As pain eats away at us, we can then begin to feel self pity which weakens us all the more. When we find ourselves in the grip of pain, we must call upon Christ to bring His power over us. Christ will heal us of every hurt. Christ will make every bruise go away. Christ will take us to a time when all pain shall be gone.

Hebrews 11:6 And Without Faith It Is Impossible To Please God, Because Anyone Who Comes To Him Must Believe That He Exists And That He Rewards Those Who Earnestly Seek.

Christ will give us our rewards. He will give us gifts beyond our ability to comprehend using our earthly mind and soul. We will inherit a new world where our current burdens will be no more. When we pray, we can pour out our pain to Christ who knows all about our pain and suffering…knowing He is always listening to us. Christ Jesus, our blessed Savior, comes to us in our darkest hour. In our darkest hour Christ gives us the hope of ages past by showing us we will live in heaven when a new order of things is now in place for us. Pain can degrade us and destroy us. Pain has a way of making everything seem meaningless. When we pray to Jesus and ask Him for hope, then He comes to us and gives us the assurance our pain is only temporary. When we pray Jesus comes to us and shows us the long night of our suffering will soon fade away because the dawn of our new life in heaven is almost here.

Revelation 21:4 He Will Wipe Every Tear From Their Eyes. There Will Be No More Death Or Mourning Or Crying Or Pain, For The Old Order Of Things Has Passed Away.

We serve and worship Christ who loves us. In our pain, Christ stands next to us giving us His love and grace in our darkest of hours. God the Father, Christ the Son, and the indwelling Holy Spirit pour their love over us and make their love for us fill our heart. God loves us in ways we cannot imagine. No matter how much we may suffer, God’s love for us, God’s love within us, cannot be diminished. In our pain, Christ listens with utmost intensity to our every prayer and our every heart-cry. Christ does not want us or anyone on the earth to suffer. Because Christ does not want us to suffer, He died for us to give us a chance to accept Him thus giving us eternal life in heaven. When we feel pain or sorrow, Christ also feels pain and sorrow with us. When we pray we must try to remember how Christ is within us and does not want us to feel pain or sorrow. Our God has a wonderful world waiting for us. God has built a wonderful mansion, life, and reality for us in heaven. In every painful moment here on earth, we must grasp onto the certainty of heaven waiting for us.

Col. 4:5 Be Wise In The Way You Act Toward Outsiders; Make The Most Of Every Opportunity. 6 Let Your Conversation Be Always Full Of Grace, Seasoned With Salt, So That You May Know How To Answer Everyone.

When we hurt, we have the tendency or perhaps the desire to complain. We complain because we feel helpless. We complain because we want others to share our burden, making our burden less. However, when we are in pain, we must be a light in the darkness of others. When we speak with others, we must be intent on uplifting them rather then pulling them down with our whining or complaining. We have the opportunity whether we are in pain or not, to uplift others out of their plight. We can give people hope at a time when we need hope the most. Our reward for putting others first in this way is looking forward to a time when we hear the Master say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Luke 12:37 It Will Be Good For Those Servants Whose Master Finds Them Watching When He Comes. I Tell You The Truth, He Will Dress Himself To Serve, Will Have Them Recline At The Table And Will Come And Wait On Them.

Some of us may be in so much pain we are not fully capable of working as the Lord’s servants in the way we might like to work. However, we must seek out every opportunity to work for Him. No matter how much pain we might be suffering at the moment, each of us can pray for others. Our power of prayer can do more for others than many of the worldly tasks we might perform on their behalf. Let each of us be a worker for our Lord by being a prayer warrior for others. When we can do little else, we can pray. Prayers to the Lord can bring down mountains of blessings into the life of those of those for whom we pray.

2 Peter 1:10 Therefore, My Brothers, Be All The More Eager To Make Your Calling And Election Sure. For If You Do These Things, You Will Never Fall,

We are fallible. We fall down. We make mistakes. We make mistakes knowing we are making mistakes. We are hopeless and without hope if we do not have Christ as our Savior and Lord. Some of us are in so much pain we cannot be truly “eager” and we are not always as keen about making our election sure. Because of our pain, we fail and we may fail often. What must God be thinking when we sees us fall down because of our pain or because of our pain and our sin working against us? God is a being of compassion. When God sees us make mistakes for any reason, He understands more about us than we understand about ourselves. When God sees us make mistakes He is grieved and wants us to be grieved. As difficult as being righteous is for those of us in pain, pain must never be an excuse to be unrighteous. We must have a hurting heart because we make mistakes. When we have a hurting heart because we make mistakes, Christ will forgive us and pour His healing love over us.

Joshua 22:5 But Be Very Careful To Keep The Commandment And The Law That Moses The Servant Of The Lord Gave You: To Love The Lord Your God, To Walk In All His Ways, To Obey His Commands, To Hold Fast To Him And To Serve Him With All Your Heart And All Your Soul."

Just because we are in pain does not mean we are permitted by God to slack off. We are not permitted to slack off from keeping the commandments. We are not permitted to slack off from loving God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our might. We are not permitted to walk in any way other than the Lord’s way. We are not permitted to slack off from obeying God’s commands. We are not permitted to slack off from holding fast to Him and serving Him every moment. Being a person of Christ is never easy. Being a person of Christ when we are in pain is more difficult still. However, we have no excuse but to do what Christ wants us to do and be the person He wants us to be. If we will think long and hard, if we will observe, we will see how living as Christ wants us to live serves us better in pain than any other way of living. We must also remember Christ holds us closest when we struggle the most.

1 Thes. 5:22 Avoid Every Kind Of Evil.

We are made vulnerable by our pain. In pain, because we are vulnerable, evil can come into our life and diminish us or destroy us. Whether we are in pain or not, we must avoid every kind of evil. Evil has tentacles reaching out to choke us out of our life. Evil makes our pain worse and our pain makes us so vulnerable we do not fend off the pain or the evil. Our pain can blind us to such an extent we no longer see the evil in order to avoid the evil. Evil can whisper in our ear. If we are in enough pain, we listen to the whispers of evil and then fall into the pit of temptation. To avoid every kind of evil, we must continually be kneeling at the foot of Christ’s cross.

Ephes. 5:15 Be Very Careful, Then, How You Live--Not As Unwise But As Wise, 16 Making The Most Of Every Opportunity, Because The Days Are Evil.

We have wisdom, but do we use the wisdom we have? Too many times, too many people live in self-imposed blindness. We can see the consequences of our actions but we too often choose not to see. If we would use our wisdom as God would want, we would always look at every circumstance as an opportunity to live for God, rather than living for ourselves. Living in pain can make us careless. Our pain blinds us to seeing the eventualities of our decisions. Our pain can make us care less about the consequences of our life because our pain destroys our ability to use our wisdom. Under enough pain, we can get to a point of not caring about others, ourselves, or our actions. At this point of not caring, we must use our wisdom to see what our pain is doing to us and take corrective action. Our corrective action in our pain is to be careful how we live. We must be careful about the decisions we make. We must be careful to put Christ in every moment.

Isaiah 40:29 He Gives Strength To The Weary And Increases The Power Of The Weak.

What do we do when we cannot do? What do we do when we have used up every amount of energy and resources? These two questions may be some of the most important questions of life. The answer is easy but the implementation is difficult. The answer is “to have faith.” The answer “to have faith” is too often hollow for a person at the end of their road with nowhere to go. When a person has no power, the answer “to have faith” can seem like grinding salt into the wound. However, “having faith” means we have hope or faith in God. When we have faith in God, then He will never disappoint us. We must come to accept our reality is more than what we see, feel, and touch. God and His power are a part of our reality. God made our reality. Our having faith turns the darkness in our reality into the light, a light from the very Light of the world.