The Presence of God in Our Pain

Psalm 51:17 My sacrifice, Oh God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.

When your heart is broken it is hard to see good out of what you are suffering.  Yet the love of God has such a way of becoming so much more real when we are in pain.  His presence, in our pain is like turning on a light in a darkened room.

I so appreciate how His presence in my pain enables me to see the truth about what I want, and as the sub-currents of my lusts are forced to the surface, I see their vain brokenness and can all the more easily lay them down. Our God loves truth, and is always eager to be with me in these times of testing and trial to bring His marvelous light.

He has no needed agenda for us, other than to love us and see us formed and shaped to reflect His Son’s image.  I so appreciate how it is that when I am in pain, His love becomes so much more alive to me.  The things of this world become mere shadows as we see our true need for the love and presence of our Father in heaven. 

Our Father is never the author of sin, sickness, death that we must suffer with.  He is, however, the great redeemer!  He comes to our broken hearts and reveals His love and truth in amazing ways.  He takes His light and shines it into these old darkened rooms of our hearts as our pain motivates us to invite Him in.  

Will you invite Him in?  Realize that in the humility and truth that your pain brings, your Father is eager to come with His loving grace.  Invite Him in afresh.

How has God made His presence clear to you during painful seasons?