Your Pain Has His Attention
“The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin and Ephraim; Israel was in great distress. Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord, ‘We have sinned against you, forsaking our God and serving the Baals.’
The Lord replied, ‘When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from their hands? But you have forsaken me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you. Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!’
But the Israelites said to the Lord, ‘We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now.’ Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the Lord. And he could bear Israel’s misery no longer.”
Judges 10:9–16
God has a strong distaste for suffering. Were you aware of that? Today’s Scripture tells us that the Ammonites cruelly oppressed the little nation of Israel until the people were “in great distress”; finally cleaning up their act and getting rid of their idols and false gods, they “cried out to the Lord.”
At first, God said He wasn’t going to help them. But then “he could bear Israel’s misery no longer” and set out to deliver them from their enemies. This passage shows beyond all doubt that God’s tenderness is aroused when people hurt. The fact is, He knows Your suffering today. He’s touched by your tears. He aches to show you compassion. And He will come to your aid.
How will He come? Probably in a way you never expected. But no matter how your relief arrives, it has its origins in the Lord of the universe. Your pain has His attention, so look for His touch today.
Thank You, God, that my situation today—this very moment—has Your direct attention. I don’t have to give You a long explanation, fill You in on the backstory, or pinpoint my pain level on a one-to-ten scale. You are a Physician who not only sees my chart but also loves me like the Father You truly are.
Joni Eareckson Tada Shares Her Heart on Chronic Pain
Welcome to this installment of Joni Eareckson Tada’s “Heart of the Founder” series where Joni shares a surprising truth: After more than 57 living with quadriplegia, paralysis is not the most difficult part of her life. No, what troubles Joni more than her visible disability is the chronic pain that often feels crushing.
