Oh, It Hurts!

Let us begin with a prayer:
Lord, some of us hurt. We call to You for comfort, knowing You understand and feel our pains. But we are humbled by You, Lord, for You have known far greater pains than us, and survived with Your innocence intact. Sometimes we fall short of You, Lord, weakened by the worlds efforts to push us down. But, God, we know You are still there, and You are still strong. That will never change.
And so we ask, oh Lord, that You be with us now. The journey is rough, the path is painful, the future is bleak. But despite all this, You're there. That is enough to keep us moving. In Christ's name we pray, AMEN.

"If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you" John 15:18 (New King James Bible).

Are you having some pain come forward in recent times? Perhaps an old ailment is beginning to resurface? Finding it difficult to throw yourself to your knees in prayer because you feel ashamed for your emotions? It's okay, Brothers and Sisters, it's normal to have this. The world is a rough place to live, especially when you are refusing to succumb to its cheap pleasures. But I promise you, it WILL be worth it. You have something better than my promise, too; you have the promise of the Lord.

He assures us that the world hated Him far longer than it hated us. He died on the cross for us, loving us as we spit on Him with disgust. If anyone knows pain, it's Jesus. It's natural for us to think our pain is the worst, but we must always think back to His death on the cross. How bad do we really have it compared to the innocent who shed His blood for our faults? Doug Batchelor, my personal hero, wrote a book called "At Jesus' Feet; the Gospel according to Mary Magdalene". On page 125, he quotes one of his favorite authors.

"It will do you good...to frequently review the closing scenes in the life of the Redeemer. Here, beset with temptations as He was, we may all learn lessons of the utmost importance to us. It will do well to spend a thorough hour each day reviewing the life of Christ from the manger to Calvary.
"We should take it point by point and let the imagination vividly grasp each scene, especially the closing ones of His earthly life. By thus contemplating His teachings and sufferings, and the infinite sacrifice made by Him for the redemption of the race, we may strengthen our faith, quicken our love, and become more deeply imbued with the spirit which sustained our Saviour.
"If we would be saved at last, we must learn the lesson of penitence and faith at the foot of the cross...Everything noble and generous in man will respond to the contemplation of Christ upon the cross" (Lift Him Up p.240).

I think the author makes a valuable point in this passage. Look at your trials, your friend's trials, your family's trials, and pile them all together. Christ suffered them all, with the addition of the rest of the world's trials! I am not belittling the problems we all suffer, but it gives us something to think about. Before we complain that the Lord has forsaken us and curse His holy name, stop and think. He suffered every single one so as to make our pain less. He could have stay in the Kingdom and lived His life of leisure, but He chose to come down and die for us. If He chooses to do such for us, don't you think He will be sure to guide us through? He wouldn't come here and get nailed to a cross, only to allow His children to become crushed under the worldly pains!

"Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise" Hebrews 10:35, 36.

It's clear here that no matter our trial, no matter what this world (and its master, Lucifer) throws at you, stand strong against it. It is okay to mourn over your ailments, but do even that with rejoicing because our sufferings lead to perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope (Romans 5:3,4). It WILL be worth it for the Lord keeps His promises. If we stand strong and push through with the joy of Christ in our hearts, we can prevail and we will find ourselves a place within the Kingdom. The Lord says so, so we know it to be true.

Let us end with a prayer:
Oh Father, we hurt, but we know You share in our pain. For us You died so for You we must live. As we close here, we pray You be with us in the coming week. The world is a difficult place to live, You know this better than anyone. Walk with us, Lord, and carry us when need be. Only through you can we be strong enough to survive the journey. With this said, take our will as we hand it to You, Father. Mold us into the beings You wish us to be. In Christ's name we pray, AMEN.