Topic: Pain propels you towards a better future

Text: 1 Chronicles 4:9 -10

Key verse:  He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, \”Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!\” And God granted him his request. ! Chronicles 4: 10

I want to start today\’s devotional with a quote from C.S. Lewis. \”Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.\” Can you hear God through the pain?

 Jabez was born in pain, so he was called sorrow from birth. He must have asked questions about why his name was different from that of others. He lived with a constant reminder that he was an instrument of pain.

When you have lived with pain for a while, either pain from verbal or physical abuse, you tend to accept it as usual. This mindset prevents you from finding a way out and making excuses for the abuser. 

Do you know that pain can be the tool that drives you into God\’s presence in prayer to find answers? Prayer is not just an opportunity to ask for relief but a time to hear God\’s heart about the situation. 

\”But I will court her again and bring her into the wilderness, and I will speak to her tenderly there. Hosea 2:14(TLB)

Hannah\’s pain drove her from her food to the altar; she realized her need was not as critical as the need for a priest to serve in God\’s house. Her request changed when she discerned God\’s will, and her prayer was not just to be a mother like every other woman, nor was her motive to relieve her pain; instead, she wanted to meet God\’s need and become a vessel to birth a Prophet. 

Then she made this promise: \”Lord of heavenly forces, just look at your servant\’s pain and remember me! Don\’t forget your servant! Give her a boy! Then I\’ll give him to the Lord for his entire life. No razor will ever touch his head.\” 1 Samuel 1:11(CEB) 

Pain doesn\’t need to last a lifetime; Jabez\’s name was like a scar, a constant reminder of the event that caused the pain until he realized he didn\’t have to live his life that way. He heard of the power of prayer and resolved to give it a shot.

\”He prayed to the God of Israel….\”

A prayer is a tool that gives you access to the riches of the God of grace. Often, we rely on ourselves to fix our pain until we are at our wit\’s end. Pain should push us towards God and propel us into a better future. Don\’t waste time and emotional energy on the past by blaming yourself or another. Jabez knew that a blessing from God could earn him a new and better name.

I wallowed in grief until I believed in my future to have a new name, another baby, contracts, and breakthroughs. Be specific about asking for fresh possibilities. God gets the glory from new beginnings, impossibilities, and changed lives. That\’s one purpose for your pain!

Blessings

Pastor Ada

Reflection

Where am l feeling pain now?

What has God said about this situation?

How can l respond differently to it? 

How can l pray like Jabez?

Photo by Vultar Bahr on Unsplash