God's Purpose is in Everything

"And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

I had a whole different verse and a whole different write up for today that I wrote last night so I would just tweak and post. But it turns out I didn't use that one...God had a different idea. 

I in so much pain right in my head. I am familiar with the kind of pain and in fact yesterday I suffered from the same thing. It is not a migraine or a normal headache brought on by stress, it is located in the area behind my ears. My head hurts horribly, my ears are ringing and I am dizzy. For those who may not know me, I have been battling two brain tumors for over a year now, one on either side. They have caused significant loss in hearing and effect my stability, balance, dizziness, weakness, fatigue and more. I have had radiation and they hopefully will start to shrink soon. Now it is normal that cause my head to hurt, but not this often lately as it has been two days in a row and not this intense.  

There is a passage in John where the disciples ask Jesus why is a man blinded from birth and He replies "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." (John 9:3) I struggle with my situation at times, what I have lost and the hard aches it brings. I find myself in tears, wondering why this has happened, why am I in so much pain and often times sink into depression. But as today's verse as well as the one in John says, I know that these tumors and everything else that happens in my life happen so that God may work in me so that He may be glorified. I know that He has a purpose for this and not just in one area, but many...

I know from James 1:2-3, which says “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance" that I should have joy in knowing that God gives me these trials so that He may work in me to give me strength and improve my faith. 

I know that this pain is nothing compared with what Jesus went through and I should be thankful of His sacrifice of love for us. The years of anticipation and persecution then beatings, punches, thorns piercing his brow, staggering under the weight and splinters of carrying the cross, being nailed to the cross, being naked hung up high in the cold wind, suffocating to death, and all the emotional pain of the betrayal, trials, and abuse. No pain we face can even begin to be measured against that pain Jesus suffered willingly out of love so that we might find peace and hope and a way to be with God.  

I know from 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 ("Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.") that He gives me pain and comforts me so that I may use what I have experienced to comfort others, to share the comfort and hope of Christ with them as a witness. Maybe pain sometimes is a way that we're to take up our cross and follow Jesus. Just like Jesus is our cross carrying a path to joyful intimacy with God and blessings, we can pass knowledge and comfort on to others in His name and for His glory. 

I know that I can have hope that this pain is temporary, even if it lasts my entire lifetime. I know that because in Heaven there will be NO pain. “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4) He gives me pain so that I may remember His promise; so that I may praise and thank Him for making a way to be saved and for loving me enough to do so.

Now I am not the only one that suffers from pain, we all do in form or another. Whether it be emotional, spiritual, or physical and God is right there in the midst of us. I pray that we remember that God gives us these trials so that we may become closer to Him; that our faith would be renewed and that we may use what we have gone through to comfort and give hope to others as well. I pray that we are reminded of the excruciating pain Jesus went through Himself, both the emotional and physical pain, all out of love just to bring us a way to salvation. I pray that we are also given hope that one day we will be in Heaven and the pains of this world will be no more. Let us remember that the Lord has a purpose in everything that happens and in the midst of our pain, let us praise Him for the chance to be a part of it; glorifying and praising God in spite of the storm.