He Knows Your Pain by Our Daily Bread Ministries

He Knows

Your Pain

When God permits trials, He also provides comfort.

Your

Pain When God permits trials, He also provides comfort.

He Knows Your Pain

God Knows Your Pain

Life is filled with difficult moments, and few hit us more personally and intimately than when we struggle with illness or traumatic injury. Fear, Lifeaissevere filled with difficult moments, and few hitdoubt, us more anxiety, and despair strike at our heart. Coupled with personally and intimately than when we struggle with a the physical pain, the times when life hurts can be severe illness orComfort traumaticseems injury. unattainable, Fear, doubt, anxiety, overwhelming. and hope’s beyond reach. and despair strike at our heart. Coupled with the physiWepain, longthe fortimes relief from pain answers for cal when lifeour hurts canand be overwhelming. our questions. In the Discovery Series booklet Does Comfort unattainable, and hope’s reach. God Want seems Me Well? Herb Vander Lugt beyond writes these We long for relief from our pain and many answers for our insightful words: “Without question, people turn away from God because of the problem of pain. questions. In the Discovery Series booklet Does God They find it hard to believe that a loving and allWant Me Well? Herb Vander Lugt writes these insightful powerful God would permit good people to suffer the words: many people turn away from way they“Without do. On question, the other hand, thousands have testified that itofwas during aof time deepfind sorrow orto God because the problem pain.ofThey it hard intense anguish that they found God more real and believe that a loving and all-powerful God would permit precious than ever before.” good people to suffer the way they do. On the other God can use sickness in the lives of His children to hand, thousands have testified thatHe it was during a time make them wiser and better people. knows our pain. Our Daily Bread are designed ofThese deepselections sorrow or from intense anguish that they found God tomore help real you and findprecious your hope thebefore.” God of all comfort. thaninever If you have enjoyed these articles and would like to Godthe canOur useDaily sickness the lives ofjust His complete children to receive Breadindevotional, make themform wiseronand better people. Hereturn knowsitour the request this brochure and to pain. us. Our These materials are offered no Bread charge.areWe are selections from OuratDaily designed supported by the freewill donations of our members to help you find your hope in the God of all comfort. and friends.

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Day 1

Unexpected Grief

ince 1988, I’ve enjoyed writing several Our Daily Bread articles each month. I’ve felt blessed to dig into Scripture, observe life, and provide spiritual help in this publication. But on June 6, 2002, I found myself unable to offer help. On the last day of her junior year of high school, our 17-yearTODAY’S READING old daughter Melissa was 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 killed in a car accident. Blessed be the In one horrible instant, God and Father everything we knew about of our Lord Jesus God and the Bible and heaven Christ, the Father was put to the test. We needed of mercies and the Christian community to God of all comfort. guide us toward hope as 2 Corinthians 1:3 we stood at the funeral of a beloved young woman who had touched so many lives with her smile, her godliness, her love of life, and her care for others. For many weeks, I couldn’t write. What could I say? How could I find words to help others when my family—when I—needed so much? Now, months later as I begin to write again, I can say that God has not changed. He is still our loving heavenly Father, the “God of all comfort” (2 CORINTHIANS. 1:13). He is still the source of hope in the face of unexpected grief. I write of Him with a renewed sense of my need for His touch, His love, His strength. Broken, I write of the only One who can make us whole. DAVE BRANON I have been through the valley of weeping, The valley of sorrow and pain; But the God of all comfort was with me, At hand to uphold and sustain. ANON.

When God permits trials, He also provides comfort.

Day 2

Don’t Forget Me, Lord!

o you ever wonder if the Lord has forgotten you? Does it seem as if He’s not paying as much attention to you as He once did? If so, remember that appearances can be deceiving. Regardless of how it looks right now, the Lord is not far from you. He may be giving you an opportunity to trust Him and wait for His help rather than TODAY’S READING rely on your own resources. Psalm 13 We are all familiar with How long, O Lord? a similar kind of testing in Will You forget me everyday life. What parent has forever? Psalm 13:1 not told his child to stay in a certain place until he returns? And what parent is not distressed if that same child is unwilling to wait but quickly runs off on his own? David, the author of Psalm 13, reflected the thoughts of a child of God who certainly must have pleased the heavenly Father. He was being put to the test. He knew the experience of feeling that he had been abandoned by the Lord. Yet he remained convinced that his only real hope was in God, and that He would reward his faith. Are you being tested right now? Does God seem far away? It’s your opportunity to learn what David learned—that the Lord never leaves you. He sustains all who put their trust in Him. MART DEHAAN I’ll walk this day in faith, dear Lord, No foe, no storm I’ll fear; But trusting in Your precious Word, I’m safe, for You are near. ANON.

Trusting God’s faithfulness dispels our fearfulness.

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Day 3

Is It Time To Pray?

hen people face trials, they often turn to prayer only as a last resort. I knew a man who was fighting a valiant battle with cancer. As people observed the gradual effect on his body and lifestyle, one person said, “Well, they’ve tried everything else. I guess it’s time to begin praying.” Another man was going TODAY’S READING through an extremely difficult Philippians 4:1-9 time at work. It was a crisis In everything by of major proportions that prayer and suphad ominous implications for plication, with him and for the future of his thanksgiving, let company. He just couldn’t your requests be resolve it. Finally he said, made known to “I’ve tried everything I know God. Philippians 4:6 to get through this situation and nothing has worked. It’s time to start praying.” In both of these instances, prayer was seen as a lastditch effort to resolve the problem. Only after all other options were eliminated did the person decide to pray. It was a desperate “grasping at straws.” Instead of prayer being a last resort, it should be one of the first things we do. The Lord answers prayer, and He wants us to come to Him continually with all of our needs (1 THESSALONIANS 5:17). The Bible tells us to “be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer . . . let your requests be made known to God” (PHILIPPIANS 4:6). So don’t wait. It’s always time to pray. DAVID C. EGNER

Any hour when helping others Or when bearing heavy care Is the time to call our Father— It’s the proper time for prayer. ZIMMERMAN

Prayer should be our first response rather than our last resort.

Day 4

Thanks For Thorns

o give thanks in every situation is sometimes very difficult. When your body is wracked with pain, or you have just learned that you have a physical problem for which there is no cure, or you have lost your job, or a cherished relationship has been broken, it’s hard to feel grateful. But we can learn to thank God because TODAY’S READING He gives us strength when we 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 feel weak. I take pleasure That’s why Paul could say, in infirmities, . . . “I take pleasure in infirmities, in distresses, for . . . in distresses, for Christ’s Christ’s sake. sake” (2 CORINTHIANS. 12:10). 2 Corinthians 12:10 And as believers, we can be grateful that through such experiences God is accomplishing what is best for us. Even through our suffering, He is working for our good (ROMANS. 8:28). Scottish author and preacher George Matheson (1842-1906), who was blind, expressed this prayer: “I have thanked Thee a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my ‘thorn’ . . . . Teach me the glory of my cross; teach me the value of my ‘thorn.’ Show me that I have climbed to Thee by the path of pain. Show me that my tears have made my rainbow.” As we surrender ourselves to the Lord and remember that He is working in everything to accomplish our ultimate good, we can thank Him even when we are pierced by “thorns.” RICHARD DEHAAN

We can give thanks in everything And say, “Your will be done,” For God’s at work in everything To make us like His Son.! D. DEHAAN

It’s easier to bear the burden of suffering when we carry it with gratitude.

Day 5

Hearts And Stars

stronomers used Australia’s largest optical telescope to map 100,000 galaxies that surround our own galaxy, the Milky Way. The 3-dimensional map covers 5 percent of the sky and allows us to see 4 billion light-years deep into space. The number of stars included defies our imagination, but not the TODAY’S READING knowledge of God. Psalm 147:1-11 How amazing to read, He counts the “He counts the number of number of the the stars; He calls them all stars; He calls by name. Great is our Lord, them all by name. and mighty in power; His Psalm 147:4 understanding is infinite” (PSALM 147:4-5). Even more amazing, though, is the psalmist’s affirmation that God, who is far greater than the universe He created, cares about our sorrows. Instead of being remote and aloof, He is close at hand with love and mercy for His own. “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds,” wrote the psalmist. “The Lord lifts up the humble; He casts the wicked down to the ground” (VV.3,6). Jesus Christ, the creator of the galaxies, visited our planet to pay the penalty for our sin and open the way to friendship and fellowship with Him. Today He stands ready to bring healing and wholeness to our deeply wounded spirits. From naming stars to mending hearts, nothing is too hard for God. DAVID MCCASLAND

The Maker of the universe Knows every need of man, And made provision for that need According to His plan. CRANE

In creation we see God’s hand; in redemption we see His heart.

stronomers used Australia’s largest optical telescope to map 100,000 galaxies that surround our own galaxy, the Milky earts Way. The 3-dimensional map covers 5 percent of the sky and nd tars allows us to see 4 billion lightyears deep into space. The numread: of Our starsDaily included Your gift147:1-11 of any amountber helps Breaddefies our Psalm but not Ministries reach peopleimagination, in Indonesia with thethe life-knowledge of God. changing wisdom of the Bible. We are not funded or How amazing to read, “He endowed any group or denomination. He countsbythe counts the number of the stars; number of the stars; To support our ministry efforts, you can send He calls them all by He calls them all by name. your gift to “Yayasan ODB Indonesia” Great is our Lord, and mighty name. —Psalm 147:4 BCA Green Garden A/Cin253-300-2510 power; His understanding is BNI Daan Mogot A/C 0000-570-195 infinite” (Psalm 147:4-5). Even118-000-6070-162 more amazing, though, Mandiri Taman Semanan A/C is the psalmist’s affirmation that God, who is far greater than the universe He created, cares about our sorrows. QR Code Standar Nasional Instead of beingPembayaran remote and aloof, He is close at hand with love and mercy for His own. “He heals the brokenScan this QR code to donate hearted and binds up their wounds,” wrote the psalmist. using any e-wallet app below: “The LORD lifts up the humble; He casts the wicked down to the ground” (vv.3,6). Jesus Christ, the creator of the galaxies, visited our planet to pay the penalty for our sin and open the way to friendship and fellowship with Him. Today He stands Yayasan ready to bring healing and wholeness to our deeply ODB Indonesia wounded spirits. From naming stars to mending hearts, for inform God. —David Ifnothing makingisatoo gift,hard please us by: McCasland day 5

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WhatsApp: 0878-7878-9978 The Maker of the universe E-mail: indonesia@odb.org Knows every need of man, SMS: 0815-8611-1002 And made provision for that need According to His plan. —Crane In creation we see God’s hand;

Dear

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