At His Feet

A thought about pain:

It can be your greatest fertilizer or the very thing that rots your fruit. The choice is ours really because we all go through pain but some people allow their pain to consume them and turn them bitter. They get owned by their pain. Other people take their pain and turn it into their slave (?) Nobody likes pain keep in mind that God uses ALL things for our own good. Pain can be a great teacher, when we allow ourselves to learn from it. Nothing starts out peachy and fine - there's always some sort of pain involved but it produces perseverance. It can also help us to have mercy for others because we understand the pain they go through. I believe that if I didn't experience pain in my life, I wouldn't grow. I wouldn't know how to empathize with others or feel a tinge of love for people when they slip. Also, Jesus had to go through pain when He was here as well. He had to endure the cross and its shame but also, in the gospel, He dealt with relationship pain and sadness (perhaps disappointment?) He wept for jerusalem and felt compassion for the hurting. That pretty much all the pain I experience (physically, emotional, relational) God feels.

We feel...but unlike God, we humans are imperfect. We often allow our emotions or situations get the better of us. God holds Himself back, especially in His anger and that is for our sake! Yet, I'm learning that I can allow pain to help my walk with God, not hinder it.

You know the story of Elijah. His story is one of my favorite in the old testament because for starter - this powerful, faith filled, man also hit a depression and that's comforting for me since I feel like something's wrong with me when I go through my bouts of depression. But now, as I reread his time in the mountain of God - more hope fills me.

In Chapter 19 of 1 Kings: when God called for Elijah's attention, God showed him something that He shows us (me) every day. The bible says that God called Elijah to stand on the mountain. God sent a powerful wind that tore the rocks loose! Then He sent an earthquake and then fire but each time, God wasn't found in these things.

Think about this for a moment please.

God wasn't found in these majestic display of power.

We look for God, tired and drained, just wanting to die or something to give us a little hope. We search every where, thinking we'll find God in this or that. But listen to this in 1 Kings 19:11-12

The Lord said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

God was found in a gentle whisper and that was what got Elijah up and to the entrance of the cave. God spoke to the heart, He was found in a whisper. Now why is that important?

What I get from this is that I look everywhere for God but really...God is with me already. I'm His child and He is my Father. I gave my life to Christ and God sealed me with His Holy Spirit so that means God lives in me. He talks to my heart in a gentle whisper but at times I struggle to hear Him because I am not still. When I get scared or my problems look big or the pain is too much for me to bear, my initial reaction is to freak out and break down. What I find in this story, it just warms my heart so much because it's like God whispered "Hey, I'm right here. Don't be discouraged or lose heart. I never left you, just look at me."

It's a powerful thing to hear, especially as the pain seeps in, looking to control me but with God's strength, I will control it.

Maybe you guys feel the same way but don't have a relationship with God yet. It's never to late so please, go to God. Give your heart and life to Jesus Christ, the Son of God now before it is too late. If you're unsure on how to do that, it's believing in your heart and confessing with your mouth that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for our sins and was raised on the third day. His sacrifice paid our price and reconciled us to God the Father. The second step is getting baptized. If you never been to church, find a great, God fearing one that preaches the truth, and talk to one of the elders about baptism. If you live in Chicago, Newlife Church is a great place to start!

Father God,

We come before You Lord Jesus, believing with all our hearts and confessing with our lips that You are Lord of lords and King of kings. We believe that You died for our sins and that the Father raised You from the dead. You sit on the right hand of God the Father and we receive Your forgiveness, Your grace, and we want a relationship with You. Please Jesus, be my God, my Lord, and my Savior. Wash me new and come into my heart. Thank You for saving me and that You want a relationship with me. In Your Holy name, Jesus, I pray - amen.