Devotional Christian » suffering

Storm Clouds

Patricia Day — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 15:13:17 +0000

Today, the day began with a storm; actually a thunder and lightning storm! In March! In Ontario!

The weather this winter has been very different to what we normally receive. There have been few snow storms – I can count them on one hand – and so a thunderstorm this morning really came as no surprise.

I am content with this because I don’t “do” snow sports. There are many though who depend on the snow and ice to make a living and I sympathize with their losses.

Life can be unpredictable too! We can have good days when everything is in perfect harmony, then there are days when we seem to be sitting underneath our own storm clouds. We get hit from all directions with trouble of one kind or another, and we can’t seem to catch our breath because of the intensity of life.

When times like this occur, it is a huge help to open your bible – or a bible – and search for words of comfort. There are many to be found, but you do have to open the book and turn the pages in order to find them!

Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Seeking peace through prayer to God, can fill us with a calm and solace beyond our meagre understanding. He will honor our diligent and sincere prayer, and will meet us where we have greatest need of Him.

Psalm 119:135 Make Your face shine upon Your servant, and teach me Your statutes. (NKJV)

Prayer: Abba – we come to You for some peace and quiet. There are too many storms in life and we need the reassurance of Your presence. Please take control and guide us according to what You want for our lives. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Patricia Day

Innisfil, ON

http://pattersmatters.wordpress.com

Light as Bubbles in the Wind

Hariette Petersen — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 19:55:08 +0000

I have to confess. All day yesterday, I was burdened by the grief I saw on the
faces of folks who lost their loved ones in 9-11. I gave a lot of thought to
the people who were riding on the four air-liners. I can’t imagine the horror
they went through. As poignant as the whole memorial thing was, I couldn’t help
but feel the sadness. I am acquainted with grief, too. I knew that in time, the
heartache would lessen and the soul-sadness would fade. I resigned myself to
what I felt until suddenly, God sent me an unexpected blessing.

My daughter needed my car to go to church. When she returned it, she asked
if I was going to feel up to watching my granddaughters tomorrow so she could
keep an early morning appointment. I suggested she let them stay the night.
Surprisingly, she agreed. Within moments those little balls of giggling energy
came bounding into the house and my woes were lifted like bubbles in the wind.
Kinsey came running and latched onto my neck with her precious chubby arms and
kissed me on the cheek. “We get to spend the night, Gwama!”

Then Haylee ran and climbed up into my lap and said, “We get to spend the
night again, Grama!” She gave me a big hug and then told me all about church.
I couldn’t tell whether she was more tickled with church or with the idea of
spending the night. One thing was certain; her joy was contagious. They
brought to me what my heart had lacked all day. God knew I needed a sparkle,
their lighthearted laughter.

“The LORD is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am
helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him.” Psalm
28:7

The Lord knows us better than we know ourselves. My sadness and grief lay
heavy on my heart and mind. I thought about all the children in the world who
did not have a parent to love them and care for them and share the joys. Yet,
we have the LORD to strengthen us, to shield us from devastating circumstances.
When our hearts trust in Him, He helps us get through the difficulty. He helps
carry the burden. He heals the heartache and mends the brokenness. He fills
the void where loss leaves its crater of grief. When we sing a song of praise
and thank Him for all He is in the shadows of life, heartaches are as light as
bubbles in the wind which find their resting place in Him.

Are you burdened? Are you sad? Look up. Let God lift you on eagle’s
wings. Let Him energize you and empower your spirit with His. Take time to
blow your bubbles to the wind and listen to the child’s giggles of innocent
joy. Be refreshed. “The joy of the Lord is your strength…an everpresent help
and refuge.” Seek Him in the morning. Seek Him at noon. Seek Him when the day
gives way to evening. Allow His grace to flood your soul and cover your mind
with His presence.

I Don’t Know How You Feel

Hariette Petersen — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 03:49:18 +0000

We cannot know for certain how another person feels–the depth of their pain…their emptiness, loss or fear. We may think we know how a person feels when we see them under fire, trial, or difficulty. We may have had some similar situation in which we felt a specific heartache or crisis. However, unless we are the other person, we cannot know the loneliness, the grief, the anxiety, or doubt another has. We cannot know their brokenness or experience their suffering.

Likewise we cannot know how deep their faith is based on their tears or depression. They may be trusting in God and clinging to Him with all that is within them in order to keep from totally falling apart. We cannot know what ”falling apart” looks like–the end of another’s rope to us may be the knots the LORD has tied around their wrists to keep them from slipping in the mire of circumstance. We cannot know another’s heart.

That’s why sometimes our impulsive words like “you just need to trust in the Lord”, sound so hollow and trite.

Yes…we all know we “can do all things through Christ who strengthens us”, but we do not all know when Christ designates the strength to meet the problem or trial we face. We who care would do well to exercise discernment and restraint when we seek to comfort or minister, or advise another in need.

“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” Proverbs 25:11

Words that have helped me in trying times are:

“I am so sorry. I wish I had answers.”

“I don’t know how you feel right now, but I care that you hurt.”

“I can’t know the confusion and betrayal you feel right now, but I will pray for you during this time. Please hang on to that.”

“I can’t imagine how hard it is for you to deal with this, but please know that I care and will be here if you need someone to just sit with you. No need to talk. No explanations needed. Just someone in the room.”

“Do you care if I pray for you?”

Sometimes just a hug, and pat on the arm, or squeeze of an elbow is all a person needs to know someone cares and feels their pain. The best cards are blank cards with appropriate pictures and a handwritten, “I care” inside with a phone number.

PRAYER: LORD, give us wisdom to discern the words another needs to hear as a soothing balm. Help us be sensitive to another’s pain and heartache so we treat others with kindness, love and gentleness. And, if there is someone in need of comfort, direction, or peace who read these words today, I pray You have mercy upon them and pour out Your abundant grace that they may know You are God and that You care for them.

© Hariette Petersen, SelahV Today, 2011

Why Must We Suffer

Hariette Petersen — Fri, 20 May 2011 16:49:00 +0000

Suffering is something we all want to avoid. None of us invite pain. We tend to seek comfort and pleasure; it’s the way we are. We rebel against discomfort. We have innate defenses against that which hurts us or can bring harm. We buy things to eliminate pain. We invent things, we construct things, we work for things, we purchase things to bring us more comfort, more ease, more time to spend at ease. So when we face a season of suffering, our first reaction is to fix the situation–not accept it. We question why? Quite often, if we sit awhile and consider our discomfort–we can see our suffering is far, far less in comparison to another’s.

“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” 1 Peter 1:6-7

We have conditioned ourselves to believe we should not suffer, be inconvenienced, or deal with pain. Yet, the Apostle Peter tells us to look beyond the temporary “grief in all kinds of trials”. They come to prove the ”genuineness” of our faith. Anyone can suffer and whine. It takes a person full of faith, and a hope beyond the temporary difficulties of life, to bring glory and honor to God. Such is our joy. Our endurance through the suffering, our steadfast faith in God amid the trials–these bring refinement which results in praise and honor and glory.

Does this mean we should keep our suffering to ourselves–stay silent when heartache, discouragements, and grief press upon us? I don’t think so. I think when we suffer we have a great opportunity to show the grace of God. We may hurt. We may mourn. But we show the greatest honor to God as we stand firm in our faith in the midst of our suffering. It’s not easy. It’s not easy to smile…to laugh, or sing. Our Lord knows that. He suffered the cross to bring glory to the Father. He suffered alone. He does not want us to suffer alone. He left His Spirit to comfort us. He gives us one another to help carry our load. Knowing this, may we each find our voice to sing praises to Him for the victory He has set before us.

PRAYER: LORD, gives us voices to raise in praise to You in times we find most unbearable. Keep us ever close to You as we go through trials meant to strengthen our faith, and bring light of Your goodness to a lost world. We can all praise You on the brighter days, LORD. Give us Your Light to shine on those days which seem darkest before the dawn.

© Hariette Petersen, SelahV Today, 2011

The Weight and Wait of Love

Hariette Petersen — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 17:23:13 +0000

Ever feel weighted down by the heartache of others? Marriage problems. Betrayals. Various trials and persecutions. False accusations. You counsel, advise and share the discernment the Lord has given you. You struggle to right a wrong; you wear your knees out praying for wisdom. Your mind spins with words to say and logic to impart to help. Yet, your heart is heavier than when you began praying.

I have learned the hard way that the more I try to help God, the more stuff starts piling on. In other words, I cannot do what God wants to do. When I try, He shows me the futility of trying to do things in my own power. He lets me exhaust myself and my ideas.

We can really only make decisions for ourselves. Others must make their own. After sharing all we know to share, and praying as He leads, we really do need to say, “Thy will be done, Lord,” and mean what we say.

Do you have loved ones going through trying circumstances? Divorce. Job loss. Financial struggles. Do you talk till you run out of words to share and find all your conversations running in circles? You wonder, did I say the wrong thing? did I forget to say something right? Do you pray and get impatient that God does not intervene as you think He should?

What keeps us from trusting God? Independence. The I-can-do-it-myself syndrome.

We can’t trust God when we’re depending upon ourselves. Some situations in life are far beyond our ability to fix. A problem we see that needs our intervention, may be God’s cocoon of struggle to strengthen. Seriously. Can we love our loved ones more than God does? We must think we do or we’d be willing and able to accept God’s timetable. We’d relax and stop trying to fix what He will take care of. Unless it is a direct leading from Him, our job is simply to be available to undergird, to be a leaning post, an intercessor of prayer, or an encourager to look to Him Who knows the perfect answer and to point others to Him. It’s up to others to deal with their decisions, their choices, and their consequences. To have peace in our lives we must let go and let God work in everyone’s life as He sees fit. When we let go of the weight of love, the Lord blesses us with the peace and grace of His.

“My times are in Thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.” Psalm 31:15 ESV

PRAYER: Lord, forgive us when we try to get ahead of You. Help us understand when to act and when to pray. Help us help others learn to wait on You and Your timetable.

© Hariette Petersen, SelahV Today, 2011

What is Your Problem?

Brenda Wood — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 10:58:06 +0000

Psalm 137:3- for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”(NIV)

When our hearts are heavy with sadness, others don’t always feel the same depth of pain. Friends and family members may try to jolly us along. They want us to be happy because our sadness is dragging them down.

All we want to do is be alone, cry healing tears, treasure a little peace and quiet, and ponder what to do under the circumstances. Instead we hear words like this.

“So you lost your job. Big deal. Let’s go out to dinner.”

“So your mom has Alzheimer’s. How is that your problem? I’ll see you at the picnic.

“Get over it! Your husband has been dead for two months already. Get a life. Lighten up. Your constant crying is depressing.”

These are actual comments reported by suffering people; comments made by others who should have known better; comments that both hurt and stir up resentment.

Where can we go in the midst of our suffering, when friends don’t understand? There is only one place that offers healing to every situation.

Psalm 119:50-This is my comfort and consolation in my affliction: that Your word has revived me and given me life (AMP).

Of course the time will come when we are able to enjoy life again and face the future in the midst of our new circumstances. We will indeed be able to sing again.

Psalm 119:154-Plead my cause and redeem me; revive me and give me life according to Your word (AMP)

Until then?

Prayer-Lord, we cling to your promise in Psalm 138:7a. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you will revive me (AMP). Amen

Brenda J Wood

http://heartfeltdevotionals.wordpress.com

But, Lord, I Need You

Hariette Petersen — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 17:16:50 +0000

“Is there no healing balm in Gilead? Is there no physician in the house? Why can’t something be done to heal my dear people?” Jeremiah 8:22

Sometimes I join with the Lord’s inquiry above. I wonder why I hurt so bad. I wonder what can be done with so much devastation, strife and heartache in the world. Then I read this and wonder even more: Why would the Lord ask such a question? Surely He has all the answers, doesn’t He?

Exactly.

It is rhetorical in nature, to probe the hearts of the self-sufficient people of Israel. They think they can help themselves without God’s intervention. There is no balm or ointment or soothing lotions and potions to heal their sinful desparation. Only the Lord can heal like that. Only the Lord can pour forth His incomprehensible peace and fill a void when a mother loses a son, a husband, his wife, a five-year-old, his baby sister–or a nation loses an entire village. Only God can restore His wandering people when they walk away from Him and follow after their own desires and lusts. God wants them to remember Who is their great physician. Some folks say God does not care, that He sits on high and lets our world go by with barely a yawn. The people of Israel didn’t think that when they said:

“But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted Thee and Thou didst deliver them.” Psalm 22:3-4 KJV

The people of Israel, in all their sinful ways, recognized God in their midst when they praised Him for all He is and all He’d done for their forefathers. How much closer is the God who dwells inside the hearts of people trusting Christ Who has made our bodies the temple of His Holy Spirit?

Amid the broken, fallen, adulterous nation of Israel, God sat enthoned when they remembered all God had been to them. As they praised Him for His sustaining grace, His mercy, forgiveness and deliverance, He was in the midst of them and He alone was able to heal their brokenness and sin. Only Hemthe Most High God…Only He has the Balm of Gilead to soothe the troubled heart and meet their needs.

If you are going through a dark place right now…a time of crushing loss, I pray you see the glory of His goodness–the righteousness in His deeds. May you find your voice and praise Him for all He is, has been, and will be for you. I pray your mind receives His all-sufficient grace, and your heart–His balm of peace. And may He receive all the glory due His holy name amid your pain and heartache. selahV

When You Want to Know What To Do

Hariette Petersen — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 10:27:50 +0000

Last week I was really sick with a stomach virus. I couldn’t seem to bounce back and felt despondent. However I was far more troubled about some of my friends who are struggling. One friend has a two year-old grandson just diagnosed and undergoing treatment for leukemia. Another has a new-born daughter with spina-bifida. Another learned of his mother’s sudden death. My granddaughter’s father-in-law died of lung cancer. Illness. Death. Funerals and grief. My illness was so small in comparison to all those I know and love. I did my best to encourage them, but felt so tiny in the scheme of things. I wanted to be able to do more, but had no idea what I could do. Then today I read this verse:

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11

“Just as in fact you are doing.” God has a reason for everything in this world; likewise, He has a reason for us. As we walk through our sufferings, we have each other for encouragement. Each day we have an opportunity to encourage someone, somewhere. Yet, all too often we fail to do so. Why? Perhaps our problems loom so large in our own lives, we fail to notice the problems of another. We fail to ask, or even to hear. So we go along, do our jobs, gas our cars, never even realizing someone else has the same struggles we do–friends dying, loved ones undergoing chemotheraphy. We often fail to turn them over to God, to let go of them. Sometimes we promise to pray for them, and then forget.

This week, when despondency gripped my heart, a teenager emailed me from her phone to say “hello”. She’s my grandson’s girlfriend. It was so sweet of her to let me know she cared. I emailed back and she replied and told me how much she looked forward to seeing a new blog from me at the end of her school day. Encouraging words. A few other friends left comments on my website. It wasn’t huge, just words fitly spoken at just the right time–when my body was worn, my spirit was low. God wants each of us to bring our problems to Him. He wants us to depend upon Him and recognize He is with us. He longs to love us and give to us and bestow the riches of His glory upon us. He often uses others to encourage us. It’s part of His plan.

How about you? Do you sense the leading of the Spirit this week, this day? Can you hear Him urging you to follow through on writing a note, or sending an email, making a call, a visit? Someone needs you. Do you know who it is?

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Seeing God’s Glory In the Valley

Emily Riley — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:23:17 +0000

“let me find Thy light in my darkness, Thy life in my death, Thy joy in my sorrow, Thy grace in my sin, Thy riches in my poverty, Thy glory in my valley.” A Puritan prayer

Every human being experiences valleys at one time or another during his or her life. Even though as Christians we know God cares about our suffering, many of us wonder at times why He allows it. I’m not very fond of valleys of suffering. I’d rather spend my life in mountain top experiences. And often, when I’ve gone through a season of suffering, it has been accompanied by many tears and questioning.

Sometimes my valleys are valleys of discouragement and loneliness. Sometimes they are valleys that I’ve created as a result of my sin against God. Other times they are valleys that I’ve been thrown into (painful migraines or other health issues, circumstances at work, unexpected expenses like car repairs, etc). What matters most is not what type of valley we find ourselves in, but rather, what we do when we’re in the valley. Do we complain, groan, and allow bitterness to enter our hearts? Certainly, these are natural feelings. But God can help us past these places. He can restore our souls in the valleys of life.

The Puritan writer of the prayer above knew that God’s glory often shines the brightest in the valleys of darkness. I think the reason for this is that as we stumble through valleys, we learn more of our own weakness. We realize in a tangible way that we are unable to save ourselves or muster up the strength to fix our situations. In the valleys of life, we learn that we need a Savior. So, our response is to look up. Look up to the One who planned your steps through this valley. Look up to the One whose glory is shining through your weakness. Look up to the Savior whose grace is greater than your sins, whose riches are infinitely more than your need, and who will never leave you hopeless in the valleys of life. As we look up to Him, our hearts will grow in gratefulness for His goodness to us.

You restore my soul. You guide me in the path of righteousness for your name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Psalm 23:3-4

From Wormwood to Hope

Chris Roberts — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 10:44:42 +0000

Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me.
Lamentations 3:19-20

Struggling saint, how often might these words resonate in your soul? Perhaps you say, “Remember my affliction? Would that I could remember anything but! I have walked so long in darkness and travail that all I see is restless sorrow.” But we must not remain in our sorrow. Instead, follow the example given in Lamentations:

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”
Lamentations 3:21-24

Here is the answer for your sorrow: remember the steadfast love of the Lord. His mercies are never ending, his faithfulness is great. We are a kingdom of priests and just like the Levites in Numbers 18:20, the Lord himself is our portion.

We have hope because our Savior does not come in the form of government or money or any other worldly power. We have hope because no enemy can prevail against our God. We rejoice because God himself has wrapped his arms around us and he has promised to never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

Christian, wait on the Lord. For the Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord – Lamentations 3:25-26.

Your trials, though they seem so severe, are displaying the Lord’s glory when you show that he is more precious to you than comfort. Like Jesus, you do not open your mouth to complain of your trial (Isaiah 53:7) but you trust in the will of the Lord, knowing that at the right time he will deliver you. Through all of this, a watching world sees you lean on a strength not your own and when all others would curse God and die, they see that you instead trust God and live for him. This is how we move from wormwood to hope.

The Progression of Prayer

Chris Roberts — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:13:44 +0000

Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry come to you! Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress! Incline your ear to me; answer me speedily in the day when I call!
Psalm 102:1-2

Many of the Psalms contain heart-wrenching cries from the Psalmist. In this Psalm the writer is facing such terrible affliction he says his days are like smoke (v3). Despite his trouble, he remembers to turn to God in prayer.

His prayer starts with a cry of suffering. He shouts out to God from the depths of his misery, telling God the measure of his suffering. But the Psalmist does not remain wallowing in the agony of his suffering. In his prayer he moves on to remember the one he is praying to: But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever; you are remembered throughout all generations (v12). How unlike us! We are often content to linger in our sorrow and never move to remember the one who hears our prayers.

From this point on, the Psalmists’s prayer changes. From deep sorrow he begins to display a growing hope. By the end of the prayer he remains in his troubled circumstances but he remembers that God is eternal, sovereign, creator, unchanging, and faithful. God has promised to do good for his children. God can be trusted to keep his promises.

When you pray do not stay in your sorrow. From sorrow move on to remembrance. Reflect on what God has done in Christ. Reflect on what God has done in your life. From remembrance move on to praise and glorifying the name of God in the earth. From praise move on to confident prayer, knowing that God will work out his perfect will.

Is God Faithful When Life Hurts?

Emily Riley — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:35:42 +0000

“I know, O LORD, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.” (Psalm 119:75)

Often times in my life, affliction does not feel like God’s care being poured out on me. My heart is not immediately drawn to thanksgiving and gratefulness for the faithfulness of God on display. Rather, it feels like yet another hurt is being permanently woven into my tattered and war-torn soul. It seems as if another mound of questions are piling up and just waiting for an answer and a hope.

I can relate to the writer of Psalm 42 who said “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?”

It’s at those very times that the gospel is so critical. But, how do we connect the dots between what we know is true about God’s faithfulness and what our hearts feel?

When tossed about by the waves, weary from crying and when no answer seems at hand, what is the answer? When my circumstances show many foes rising up against me and my heart is prone to wander and fear, what hope is there of peace? When my feelings start controlling my thoughts, how can I rest in God’s promises?

As D. Martin Lloyd-Jones puts it in his book Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cure:

Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself? … The main art in the matter of spiritual living is to know how to handle yourself. You have to take yourself in hand, you have to address yourself, preach to yourself, question yourself. You must say to your soul: ‘Why art thou cast down’–what business have you to be disquieted? You must turn on yourself, upbraid yourself, condemn yourself, exhort yourself, and say to yourself: ‘Hope thou in God’–instead of muttering in this depressed, unhappy way. And then you must go on to remind yourself of God, Who God is, and what God is and what God has done, and what God has pledged Himself to do. Then having done that, end on this great note: defy yourself, and defy other people, and defy the devil and the whole world, and say with this man: ‘I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance, who is also the health of my countenance and my God’.

The hope of the cross gives me the confidence to know that God will never turn away from me in my need. Jesus died to meet my greatest need, and I need to preach this to myself every day. His power is greater than my weariness and suffering. The gospel reminds me that what Jesus has done is reason enough for my soul to rejoice.

It’s because of the cross that I can truly say “in faithfulness you have afflicted me” as I learn to see my sufferings in light of who God is.

“…Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” (Psalm 42:5)