The woman and her daughter approached me after I had spoken on the way God can transform pain into something good. The daughter, Kate, was too distraught to talk, so her mother spoke for her.
“Last year Kate’s husband was arrested on charges of indecent dealings with children,” she said, “including his own daughter. Since then Kate has lost her husband, her kids, and many of her friends—no one wants to be associated with something like this. We’ve been touched by what you’ve shared today, but what good could possibly come from this?”
I prayed silently before I answered. The last thing Kate and her mother needed was false hope or some pious platitude.
The apostle Paul knew pain too well to treat it lightly. He’d been whipped, beaten, and abused for following Jesus (2 Corinthians 6:5). His friends had abandoned him (2 Timothy 4:9-11). But in walking through this pain with God he had made a profound discovery: His suffering was uniting him with the suffering of Jesus, and through it Jesus’ resurrection life was being revealed through him (2 Corinthians 4:10). The “death” Paul faced was resulting in life for others (2 Corinthians 4:12,14-15). His deep wounds were bringing healing to those around him.
“Kate,” I said, “your trust has been deeply broken by those closest to you. But if you were to walk through this pain with God and document what you discover as you learn to trust others again, you could help many people rebuild their trust after their own betrayals. That would be a powerful way your pain could be transformed into something good.”
Paul found that God redeems our pain in the same way He redeemed it for Jesus on the cross—by turning our deep wounds into deep healing for others.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Luke 10:25-42
More:
Read 2 Cor. 12:9 and consider what happens as we seek God’s grace in the midst of our suffering.
Next:
Do you view your wounds as God’s tools? How are you stewarding your pain and disappointments for the benefit of others?
jesusking32597 on August 1, 2016 at 2:22 am
Looking back on my past life, which I don’t particularly like doing, I was in a lot of emotional pain. I trusted people with my private thoughts and other things. After I had told them those things, I was shocked, disappointed, angry and downright depressed that these people told others my private thoughts. In the moment, I thought I couldn’t trust people again. However, without me even knowing it, God was using me and my situation to teach others the consequences of trusting men rather than Him. Now that I am saved, I can confidently say that God used my experience as a tool to warn others to trust in Him and not humans.
hsnpoor on August 1, 2016 at 8:09 am
Yes, that was and is a good lesson hard learned. But I hope and trust it wasn’t the only lesson you came away with. I do believe that we are meant to share both our joys and our sorrows with each other, but not indiscriminately. We need to look and pray for the wisdom that only comes from above as to who, when, where, what and how we share our hearts with others because God will place people in our lives for exactly that reason. If we fail to recognize and expect those encounters in our lives, we could very well be closing a door to a blessing from The Lord, not just for ourselves, but for others too.
hsnpoor on August 1, 2016 at 8:33 am
jesusking32597, you may want to take a look at doctorperspectives comments on the ODB site for 7/27/16. I think you may find them to be very on point to the issue you raised and helpful. GBU!
gagirllive on August 1, 2016 at 8:51 am
Amen, Kim!
sandy229 on August 1, 2016 at 9:55 am
Amen Kim! This is sooo true!!
Gary Shultz on August 1, 2016 at 6:48 am
Hi Sheridan, no one I know looks forward or enjoys pain, suffering, or the shame associated with it. Your phrase “consider what happens as we seek God’s grace in the midst of our suffering.” Is where the victory is found. If we turn to God He will use this “thing” to work His will in it. And as you say also become His “tool” to do His work. Like Job, we may not know why, we may think or feel we are at life’s end, but as long as we draw breath God has a reason. The following steps belong to us, will we obey, will we remain steadfast. We may not find the answer, but we will find peace, we will have found God in our difficulties. Hopefully strengthening our faith and possibly becoming the “tool” to bring blessing to others, lifting us. Thanks Sheridan
gagirllive on August 1, 2016 at 8:49 am
Great word for us today, Sheridan. And your thoughtful response to the woman and her daughter was kind, wise, and true. As I read the story of what Kate had gone through, my heart ached for her. Even in this moment I want to put my arms around her. I know her kind of pain. As a child my own father was imprisoned for pedophilia, so I grew up in the shadows of that ugliness. Shame was my closest companion as a girl and even into my adult years. Sadly, the stigma surrounding that kind of thing nurtures isolation. People—our church community as well as extended family and friends—didn’t know how to respond to us. We did not come close to getting the emotional support that we needed. But God—those two little words—made all the difference. He was there then carrying us through the hurt, and He’s here now using that painful experience for His glory and for my good. It wasn’t always that way though. I wasted the pain for a lot of years before I gave it to God. But once I let Him have it, the healing began…and the redemption of it. God has taken one of the deepest wounds of my life and used it to prepare me and make me useful in His Kingdom. He won’t waste one thing in our lives if we give it to Him. And here I am again today facing another high hurdle, having to remind myself that He’s still working out His good plan in my life and waiting to see how He wants to use this to bring Him glory too. Like your advice to Kate, I’m keeping notes as I walk this journey with the Lord, paying close attention to His voice. He is close to the brokenhearted. He will not fail or forsake His own. And He won’t waste our pain if we trust Him with it. Thanks for the encouragement today, Sheridan. Grace and peace to all.
hsnpoor on August 1, 2016 at 8:59 am
Thank you for your testimony, GG. But God….. So right! I’m so sorry for your hurt and pain, but you are a living, walking example of the wonder of how God can use & transform that pain to understand and help others to get through theirs, which in turn helps to mitigate your own. What an awesome, amazing God who cares for us! Only He could….
gagirllive on August 1, 2016 at 9:15 am
Amen! “Only He could”. Thanks, Kim!
sandy229 on August 1, 2016 at 10:16 am
I am so sorry for all the pain you had to endure GAgirl. Kim is so right in what she said, I could not have said it better. “But God” does make all the difference. He uses our pain to make us stronger as I have seen in recent days. No matter what kind of pain we have, God uses it for His purpose and is willing and capable of giving us victory in any challenge we face even though at times it may seem impossible. Grace and peace to you too! Thank you for sharing your testimony!
gagirllive on August 1, 2016 at 10:52 am
I couldn’t agree more, Sandy… and thank you!
philipforchrist on August 1, 2016 at 1:55 pm
Glory be to God! He always has the interests of His children in all He does, and what He allows to happen in our lives. The wonderful testimony of gargirlive is a testimony as to how God turns sufferings to blessings. But when the suffering lasts, it is not an easy walk through it except through the help of the Holy Spirit, and in this area, the community of God’s children should be on hand to encourage, care, and pray for the ‘victims’. Grace and paece to all in Jesus name. Amen
gagirllive on August 1, 2016 at 4:35 pm
Philipforchrist, my family did not experience the support of Christian community during that time, but God provided in His own way and got us through it. I had hoped that our experience was exceptional, but it still grieves me to know that even today victims (and perpetrators) of these particular crimes/sins are still often marginalized. As God’s people, we have to do better. Don’t you think so?
philipforchrist on August 2, 2016 at 4:38 am
I honestly think so, Ma’am! I believe the church of the 21st century in so many ways are not doing enough in engendering the all-round well being of her members. What you went through was grave, and some other people may not be the same again if they had the same experience but we thank God for seeing you through, and I pray He would never leave you. If we look at the early church during the pentecost era, it was not ‘all man for himself’, rather ‘one for all and all for one’. They were together and shared real love with one another. I pray that God would help us- christians to be who He really wants us to be, to love, care for and pray for, one another at all times. When we do this successfully, reaching out to the world in love won’t be difficult. God bless you in Jesus name. Amen
gagirllive on August 2, 2016 at 7:48 am
I totally agree with you, brother.
godlove on August 2, 2016 at 9:38 am
gagirl, thank you for your honesty and for sharing your personal story with us on this forum. I’ve been blessed by your testimony and your comments on this topic. Thanks to God for helping you transform your pain into something beautiful. “[God] has made EVERYTHING beautiful in its time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Deep wounds are indeed a very delicate thing to handle, no matter our level of faith. This is a reminder that we need and we will always need God’s Grace for everything throughout this life, and we should never fall into the temptation of thinking that we stand strong. Thank you too, Sheridan, excellent lesson on how to respond to the tough questions of someone who is hurting. Sorry for my very tardy input. Blessings to all.
gagirllive on August 2, 2016 at 10:12 am
Amen, godlove. Thanks so much.
Sheridan Voysey on August 5, 2016 at 9:21 am
Thank you so much for this testimony, gagirllive. I can only imagine what you’ve been through. And I can’t wait to see what God does with it.
gagirllive on August 5, 2016 at 9:34 am
Thank you, Sheridan!
hsnpoor on August 1, 2016 at 8:50 am
There is something in our humanness that tends to generate a lukewarm temperature, on our part, towards our Lord & Savior, when things are going well. Oh, but let the waters of life get rough and the temperature turned up…..that’s when we seek hard after God. I’ve often wondered why that is. I’m not sure, but I think the closest I’ve come to touching on understanding is when I think of falling in love. It’s been awhile, but as I remember, I can’t help but think who could live on that emotional razor edge for long without getting cut to pieces or losing your mind? It’s a wonderful high, but it has to mellow into “being in love”, at some point. Anybody following me here or did I just take a magic carpet ride all by my lonesome?
gagirllive on August 1, 2016 at 9:10 am
I would take it a step up and say that it has to mellow into “loving”, Kim. To me, “being in love” suggests that there is still some selfishness involved. Loving, in its truest form, sounds like an unselfish offering to the one loved. But yeah…I get your point. Conversely, I’ve seen seemingly faithful Christians run from God when the heat is turned up. I think it all depends on one’s frame of reference and view of God. Today’s devo reminds me that people all around us have deep wounds to overcome and the journey is going to be different for each person. Ya know?
hsnpoor on August 1, 2016 at 7:31 pm
I see your point and could take that step up with you, but not on my own strength or by my own will. I can’t discount that the main trait that characterizes humans is, indeed, our selfishness. That’s why we’re so cozy when life is going well. I wasn’t only thinking of my earthly loves, I was mainly thinking of what it was like to fall in love with Jesus. As much as I love Jesus, and it’s a huge lot, I would be lying if I didn’t admit that my love for Him is tainted by my own self-interest. But God…… I know you’re right about how some Christians run from The Lord when the going gets tough. I just have absolutely no frame of reference for that. It violates all realms of sense; physical, spiritual, emotional and mental. Where do they think they’re running to? John 6:68 (2nd time today I’ve quoted that address). But, yes, I do know folks do it; some repeatedly go down the same dead-end path. Hard to watch that happen.
gagirllive on August 2, 2016 at 8:50 am
Hi, Kim. I’m playing catch up to your response yesterday. It is illogical that we would run from God—the only source of real help and hope in times of crisis. I’m glad you’ve never experienced that, but I have…at least for a season. And I’m so thankful that scripture is replete with examples of others who’ve struggled in this way too. Speaking from my own experiences, deep pain has the power to really skew truth and reality. And of course, we have an enemy who forever tries to discredit God in our eyes. Combine that with not having a support system to bring you truth and encouragement and you’ve got a cocktail for deep discouragement and checking out on God. But thankfully He never checks out on us! He remains faithful when we are not. He seeks out the hurting, wounded, and wandering souls. Even those who are angry and disappointed in Him will find Him to be a patient, faithful, and seeking Father who comes for His children over and over again. I’m so glad you don’t have a frame of reference for that, Kim. Count yourself very blessed. My faith, given the right set of circumstances, can be pretty fragile, I’m afraid. My only consolation and hope is that He won’t let go of me. I’m secure in that. A blessed day to you, dear sister of mine!
crossman61 on August 1, 2016 at 4:16 pm
Kim I don’t think i can follow my magic carpet doesn’t seem to want to move 🙂 Just kidding . I know what you mean . Good analogy .
hsnpoor on August 1, 2016 at 7:11 pm
You’re a love, Gary too!
sandy229 on August 1, 2016 at 8:43 pm
Lol
sandy229 on August 1, 2016 at 10:23 am
Thanks for the great word Sheridan!
youssef1777 on August 1, 2016 at 11:12 am
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST WILL BE WITH US ALL THE TIME . NO MATTER WHAT WE FACE IN OUR LIFE THE LORD WILL BE IN THE CENTER OF IT . WE WILL HAVE VICTORY. TRUST IN HIM HE WILL NOT FORSAKE US. PRAISE TO MY MY LORD JESUS CHRIST I LOVE IN ALL MY LIFE . THANKS TO ALL ANA GOD BLESS YOU ALL .
youssef1777 on August 1, 2016 at 11:18 am
THE LORD IN THE GREAT HEALER . HAVE FAITH IN HIM HE WILL CURE YOU SICKNESS NO MATTER HOW BAD IT IS . PUT SMILE IN YOUR FACE AND HOPE FOR THE BEST . GOD BLESS
crossman61 on August 1, 2016 at 3:45 pm
Thank You Sheridan , and I like the Wisdom you used , you first Prayed silently . And found the best way this horrific event , could turn into something good . I don’t think I would have had such Wisdom with this situation ? Thank you gagirlive for that testimony , I am very sorry you had to go through that . Although Its good to see such a horrific childhood , can be used by God to help others , that the enemy in this world intends to destroy so many . I know you chose the right side , to follow and trust . What the enemy intends to use for evil , God can use for His GOOD . A lot of people would have gotten angry at God , But you are one of the few that drew closer to Him . Gary
crossman61 on August 1, 2016 at 4:09 pm
I am familiar with pain/suffering physically . As I turned about 30 I had my first back problem , then over 20 years later and a lot of pain through the years it lead to back surgery . After I had 6 screws and 2 plates , it was more pain . I look back at all the pain and suffering I went through , and now know it was for my own good . I compare it to Apostle Paul’s thorn in his flesh 2 Corinthians 12 . We do not know what kind of ailment he was given by a messenger of Satan . I have heard a few different theories . All I know is without this pain I would most likely be on a different road . When I was young I felt invincible , conceded , proud , selfish . ( I know Very Stupid way of thinking !!! ) Buts its the truth , it made me, to KNOW I was not in control of my life anymore . I depended on this body to earn my living . I needed some correction with that . Now that I am old/er , I depend and Trust in Our Savior Jesus Christ in all i do . Gary
gagirllive on August 1, 2016 at 4:56 pm
You know, crossman61, I think God wisely left us ignorant about knowing what Paul’s thorn in the flesh was. In our human nature, we like to compare ourselves to others so much…even our suffering. I think God wanted it to be nameless so that we could fill in the blank with whatever our own struggle is…so that the emphasis would not be on the wound, but the Healer…not on the problem, but the Redeemer. In fact, I prayed and hesitated a long time this morning before I decided to disclose my own “thorn” because I didn’t want the issue to be the focus. It was bad, no doubt about that, but God’s grace was and is sufficient. Your pain with your back, the emotional pain that I suffered then and now, our dear sisters’ (Sandy and Kim) health issues, countless of other stories that could be shared on this forum—that’s not the most important thing. Jesus is. He is the One who binds up our wounds and holds us through the pain. Then He takes it and recycles it into something good and glorious. We find that we can make it another day, hour, minute, and second because He’s holding us and using us to reflect His glory. Amen?
crossman61 on August 1, 2016 at 5:02 pm
Yes Amen gagirlive , I totally agree with you 100% !!
hsnpoor on August 1, 2016 at 7:39 pm
AMEN!!! To God be the Glory!
sandy229 on August 1, 2016 at 8:46 pm
Amen GAgirl!!
jef on August 1, 2016 at 4:39 pm
Yeah just like David when his child’s fate is sealed; anorexia sets in fingers crossed and earnest seeking till we come to a point of realisation that our constant worries can’t change the situation.
gagirllive on August 1, 2016 at 5:02 pm
Amen, jef. I’ve learned that I can experience and enjoy God’s peace to a greater degree when I learn to accept His will…both perfect and permissive.