Dear Missionary Lady,
Greetings in the name of the Great Healer. Life has pain, but God heals. When life hurts, we can depend on His gentle touch.
Lesson #14. God works through pain, but He doesn't let pain be the end of the process. God does some of His greatest work through pain. Biblical declarations and examples of this truth abound. James 1:2-4 is perhaps the most powerful. "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." Through pain, God matures us and makes us into what He wants us to be. He is the Master Potter, molding and remaking and perfecting, even through a process that is not comfortable.
Within God's plan, however, pain is never the goal or the intended end result. It is only the inevitable means of reaching the goal. When a successful surgeon performs surgery, the process includes pain, but when healing has occurred and the time of pain is past, the end result is a vastly improved condition. God works in the same way, and Job's friend Eliphaz recognized this truth: "Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: for he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole" (5:17-18).
Eliphaz recognized that the pain and wounding were only the beginning of the process. God follows these with relief and healing to make the process complete. Eliphaz expounded on the blessings that would return when the difficult time was past: deliverance from multiple troubles, protection in times of danger, concealment from potential attacks, assurance in the face of violence, peace with nature, security at home, a prospering family, and a long and fruitful life (vs. 19-26).
In the midst of the difficulty, we cannot forget that the time of difficulty is not permanent. “Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law; For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance" (Psalm 94:12,14). Necessary chastening may come, but that never means God has abandoned His people. The time of trial is hard, but it is only in order to bring about a good result. “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby” (Hebrews 12:11).
God does not take pleasure in the necessary pain, because He cares deeply for His children. He wants the best for them, and His loving heart is quick to alleviate the pain as soon as that is possible. “But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies” (Lamentations 3:32). “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Psalm 30:5).
The time is coming when God will finalize the growth process with His gentle, healing touch. He will complete what He has started. He will make the pain worthwhile, even as He eventually takes that pain away. “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you” (I Peter 5:10).
Oh, yes, the time of relief and healing is coming. The day is coming when we will realize that we are no longer in pain. The day is coming when we will take stock, and we will acknowledge much good that God has accomplished through the testing. Some day we will look back and evaluate, saying something like, "That was a really hard time, but life is so much better now that I often forget about the difficulty of the trial."
Is there any trial that will never end? No, not one. Even those trials that persist through the remainder of our brief earthly existence will rapidly fade and be forgotten when we reach heaven. "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" (Revelation 21:4).
Not only will God use all pain for His great purposes, He will at some point end all the pain and usher us into a time of peace and joy. God can heal all pain. May you know His healing touch this week.
Love in Christ,
Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
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