I WILL CRY OUT TO GOD IN MY PAIN
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him. And God designated him to be a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 5:7-10 NLT
TODAY’S THOUGHT
Pain is never something we would choose. But pain is a part of the process of life. C. S. Lewis once said that pain was God's megaphone to get our attention. There is a lot of truth in that statement.
Many of us travel through life with little attention to the little things in our lives that can be harmful and destructive. We rationalize and excuse our behavior or thinking even though at our core we know it is wrong. Then comes pain and we are forced to deal with that which we tried to ignore.
It is hard for me to imagine God allowing Jesus to experience pain to learn obedience. Jesus prayed "with a loud cry and tears." Jesus knew pain.
This leaves us with a question. Next time we experience pain how will you respond? We have a variety of options. We can self-medicate with drugs or alcohol to numb the pain. We can abuse our bodies, turn to pornography or sexual exploits, try adrenaline highs through risky behavior, escape into entertainment, or some other attempt to ignore God's megaphone. We can get mad at God or others--which will only intensify the pain and not relieve it.
However, the healthy way to respond to pain is to cry out to the God Who created you, loves you, and is able to deliver you. He is present in your pain! He has sent Jesus into our world so that we know He cares for us.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Heavenly Father thank-you for sending Jesus and allowing Him to experience pain. Jesus thank-you for Your example of crying out to God in pain. Holy Spirit thank-you for being with me today in my pain. Help me to view my circumstances through Your eyes.
“Scroll down to share what you feel God is saying based on today’s reading.”