Praising God in the Pain

Did you know your circumstances don’t determine your attitude? We have free will when it comes to our attitude, despite life’s unfair circumstances. 

In Habakkuk (the fifth-to-last book of the Old Testament), we see the example of a prophet who witnessed brutal injustices in his own country. He begins his book with a complaint to God. God walks Him through a conversation, and reminds Habakkuk who He is. At the end of the book Habakkuk exclaims,

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my savior.” (Habakkuk 3:17-18)

Just like Habakkuk we should not find our joy in fleeting things. We can find true joy in our unfailing Lord. In fact, we can even be thankful for the pain in our life, because it draws us nearer to Him. 

He is above any and all pain we will ever face.

I am terrified even talking about the pain in this life, because I know it is inevitable. Physically and emotionally, I am repulsed by pain. I have to remind myself: pain is temporary. Everything on earth is temporary. Except our salvation. We can hold onto the hope of salvation like a newborn baby grips the finger of their mother. 

So this Thanksgiving let’s learn what it means to be thankful beyond life’s momentary blessings. Let’s be thankful and praise God for the pain in our lives. Not for the pain, but that God is greater than our pain and that He will use it for good. 

What is something good that came out of pain you experienced that you are thankful for? 

I am thankful for a time when I experienced God’s protection through a painful situation. 

God bless

Love brits