And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. The Lord is near.
Jesus said, "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." (Luke 6:27-28 NIV) In the following verses Jesus gives several specific examples of how to treat those who have hurt you, and He concludes with, "Be merciful, just as ...
In his compassion he wills that those who suffer find relief. In what are called his Beatitudes, Jesus gives a heavenly per- spective to the merit of and reward for embracing human suffer- ing, even persecution at the hands of others for his sake.
Pain and Christianity appear to belong together: Christ's pain stands at the centre of God's healing; his pain leads to the salvation of mankind. We can learn from Jesus' example how to bear suffering and pain. In early Christian times, the belief that Jesus Christ suffered pain on the cross was usually not accepted.
Because Christ willingly bore that pain, believers have the benefit of forgiveness and eternal salvation, which is God's purpose behind Christ's pain. John 9:1-3 and 11:1-4 record Christ's testimony that suffering can come to us so that God might ultimately be glorified.
Matthew 11:28-30 - God lightens your burdens
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Pain is not only a necessity but also a blessing, because it warns us, corrects us, guides us, and brings us to Jesus. Pain can be a blessing in many different ways, and the first is as a warning system.
Spiritual pain is a self-identified experience of personal discomfort, or actual or potential harm, triggered by a threat to a person's relationship with God or a higher power.
I Will Not Cause Pain Without Allowing Something New to be Born, Says the Lord. -Isaiah 66:9 Print, Unframed.
Jesus overcame suffering, not by avoiding it but by suffering Himself. He suffered the torture of being nailed to the cross. He also suffered being rejected by the very people He came to help.
Romans 5:3-5
Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
The cross is God's ultimate response to the brokenness of humanity – and that includes your pain and suffering. He walks through every season of life with you, seeing that exhaustion and frustration life can bring, reminding you that He is so compassionate towards you that He's already responded.
Isaiah 57:18-19
"'I have seen their ways, but I will heal them; I will guide them and restore comfort to Israel's mourners, creating praise on their lips. Peace, peace, to those far and near,' says the Lord, 'And I will heal them.'"
Psalm 119:50, NIV
“My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.” Suffering comes with sadness, pain and grief. If you're struggling, look to examples of sadness in the Bible and also to comforting verses like Psalm 119:50. This scripture reminds us of God's promises.
God never allows pain without a purpose in the lives of His children. He never allows Satan, nor circumstances, nor any ill-intending person to afflict us unless He uses that affliction for our good.
For example, there is Psalm 34:18 which reads “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” This passage reminds us how close God is when we are feeling overwhelmed by sorrow or grief—and serves as a reminder He will never abandon us in our time of need.
1 Peter 5:10. 10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
Meaning – struggling with the “meaning” behind life, relationships, and the world around you. Forgiveness – pain that stems from forgiving others, ourselves and God. Relatedness – dealing with relationships, whether good or bad. Hope – feeling like there is no hope or it doesn't exist.
It's normal to feel some pain, swelling, and heat around a wound as it starts to heal. But if the pain doesn't go away, it might indicate a non-healing wound. Non-healing wounds can cause worsening pain over time. You may notice increasing swelling, redness, and even develop a fever if infection occurs.
In your pain, in the dark night of your soul, in your storm, in your confusion, in your sadness, wherever you are, He is. God is on the side of the sufferer. Scripture bears witness. Take a glance through the gospels and where do you find Jesus?
Be near me in my time of weakness and pain; sustain me by your grace, that my strength and courage may not fail; heal me according to your will; and help me always to believe that what happens to me here is of little account if you hold me in eternal life, my Lord and my God.
He takes everything you've ever done wrong—the guilt, the regrets, the shame, the hurts—and He replaces your bad memories. God sees you without a single fault because of what Christ's love has done for you. That's the good news. You need to replace your bad memories with God's truth.