Lord, why so much pain? If you have never been faced with any trails, then you are truly a blessed person, or maybe not. Most of us have had to ask God the why question, especially when you know without a shadow of a doubt, that you are sold-out to Jesus. When you are operating in the world, you expect to have some ups and downs in life, some hills and valleys experiences. You are prone to take chances, you do things that you know would bring repercussions in your life, but you just don't care. As a matter of fact, maybe your philosophy was probably, "you win some and you lose some." As you accepted Jesus, you probably look at your past and realized you were a gambler, in the sense that you took a lot of chances.
It was the grace of God that kept you safe and He continues to keep you safe, although God was not happy with your conduct. Yes, I have done some stupid things in my life, and I regret them all. There were some things that I did that I had a very hard time forgiving myself for. You see, I joined the church when I was a child, but I continued to suffer pain and disappointment. Back then I didn't really have a very good understanding of what joining the church was all about. I didn't realize that the church is a place for sick people, and the church is a place people where people can bring their problems to the Lord and leave them there, with an expectation that the Lord will make things better. I didn't realize that everybody that joins the church is not save, but I rather be in the church, being with the Lord, than in the world.
In life we all will experience some highs and lows, but God promised us that He would never leave us nor forsake us. Whatever we may be going through, God is with us in both life's hills and valleys, the good times and the bad times. Throughout the Bible, hills and valleys symbolizes life's ups and downs. The Bible tells us that the Israelites had many hills and valleys experiences. God sent Moses to rescue them from the Egyptians. When they entered into the desert and reached the Red Sea, the Egyptian Army thought they were conquered, but God parted the Red Sea, and they crossed over on dry land and the entire Egyptian army was killed.
Years later, God had Moses to explore the Promised Land before they attempted to enter it. They thought they could not possibly defeat the giants. God punished them for their unbelief and for their disobedience. As their punishment, they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. If God can bring you to it, He will see you through it. After the 40 years in the wilderness, the Israelites were about to enter the promise land, and God clearly tells them, "But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of hills and valleys..."(Deuteronomy 11:11). When Moses delivered God's Word to them, it was quite simple, because individually and collectively they were going to have some good days (hills) and some bad days (valleys). This is real life rounded up in a nutshell, but a relationship with God and obedience will make all the difference, if you are a Christian.
Today, these words (hills and valleys), are compacted into a short and to the point statement, "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son purifies us from all sins" (1 John 1:7).
Now you maybe asking, what has this to do with the subject, "Lord, why so much pain?" Well, the Lord knew that His people would have some difficult days, although He was with them as a cloud by day and fire by night. God also knew their propensity and their inclination to do just the opposite of what He required of them. He had in the past used the rod of chastisement to discipline them, and they should have known of, "His miracles, and his acts, which he did in the midst of Egypt unto Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and unto all his land" (Deuteronomy 11:3). They didn't just hear about the miracles of the Lord, but their eyes had seen all the great acts the Lord did.
The Lord wanted them to remember how He delivered them from Egypt and how He kept them as they marched through the wilderness. And now, He didn't want them to forget, as they entered into their new inheritance, which was before them. He wanted them to know, that if they remained obedient to Him, He would be there for them. Scripture tells us, "You little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world" (1 John4:4). The key here again is having a relationship with God.
This relationship with God does not guarantee that you will not have ups and downs, hill and valleys, or pain and suffering. As Jesus was preparing to leave His disciples, listen to what he said to them, ""And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved" (Matthew 10:22). He further stated, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). The Christian life is not a bed of roses, but God overcame the world and now is sitting at the right side of the Father, watching over us while we endure.
When you accept Jesus as your personal Savior, you have entered into a new relationship with Him. Some may think or believe that they are now very safe and there will be no more pain nor suffering. Wrong! Satan is not satisfied with your new decision and he will do everything possible to show you that being a Christian is no different than being in the world.
As a Christian, you accepted Jesus and joined a church, supposedly by faith, and by faith, God is looking for you to go forth and conquer strong-holes and to "walk by faith and not by sight." Today, many are falling short of their inheritance, just like the Israelites, and the result of the unbelief and disobedience, will bring about much pain and suffering, and without repentance, spiritual death.
In the Bible, you may not have noticed, that most of the great people went through much pain and suffering in order that God could use them. They were tried and tested. You are being tried and tested today in your spiritual walk.
In the Bible, look at the trials, suffering, and pain those warriors of faith endured. We see the toil of Abraham wrestling with not having an heir, although the Lord promised that He would give him an heir. Do you not hear Job saying, "Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble." We find Isaac trembling because his son had tricked him. Jacob wrestled all night with an angel, until he was willing to surrender to God. Do you not hear Moses crying out to God, "I am not able to bear all this people alone - kill me, I pray thee." What about Sampson being in pain and betrayed by the woman he loved, and the treatment of the Philistines plucking out his eyes? What about David hiding in a cave and wondering if the crown would ever be on his head? The prophet Isaiah lamenting, "I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain." When John the Baptist was in prison he sent his disciples to Jesus to ask, "Are you the Messiah or should we look for another." Yes Paul the great theologian expressed his pain in these words, "For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life."
These men knew what it was like to go through the valley. There will be many times in our Christian walk, that we will have a valley experience. Oh believe me, when you are in the valley, it really is a valley. Some valleys are deeper than others. The problems that we will face, can go from bad to worst. Some valleys are of the most deepest in sorrow and pain. We don't know why it is happening, we just have to trust God. Why do God permit the pain and suffering to come in our lives? We learn some lessons in the valley that we could never learn while on the mountaintop. It is in the valleys that we grow. We learned to totally and completely trust and lean on Jesus. During this process we grow in faith. Our faith is being tested. Why? Only God knows. Your valley experience was ordained by God, because nothing can happen to you without God's permission. Everything that happens is being orchestrated by God.
Do you think that David could have written the 23rd Psalm if he had never known the trials of the valley, "yea though the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me." Suppose Paul had never gone through the pain and suffering with the thorn in the flesh. Could he had written, "My grace is sufficient for thee." Jeremiah did not earned the name, "The Weeping Prophet" without suffering. God could have kept Jesus, His beloved Son, from dying on the cross, but He allowed Him to suffer and die for us, so that He could become our Redeemer. I heard Bishop T. D. Jakes say, "God specializes in turning our crucifixions into resurrections."
While you are in the valley, you will have to go through the storm, but you are never alone, because God is always with you and He will never leave you. God is still God while you are in the valley, and also when you reach the mountaintop. The Bible tells us that we will suffer in this life and be rewarded in heaven. Our valley experience is God's training ground. Being in the valley teaches us to rely on God and not on ourselves. We have no power, but God has ALL power.
The valleys are our training ground. Training ground for what? He will use this adverse situation to make you more like Christ. "Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it" (Hebrews 12:10-11).
When in the valley, Satan will try to tempt you to give up on God and there he will present to you many temptations, because when we are in the valley, we are at our weakest. But remember, "For it is God who works in you to will and act according to his good purpose." When you become discouraged remember this Scripture, "But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31). Even Jesus was tempted while spending 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness after His baptism, but after He endured, God sent angels to attend to Him. God will do the same for you.
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