Pain

I have been suffering with an earache that will not go away and am going back to the doctor yet again today. I would have a ‘pity-party’ for myself, but then I think of a friend of mine in Jacksonville that is currently undergoing aggressive’ treatment for cancer which includes radiation and chemo therapy. My little earache is not that big of a deal when compared to the suffering of my friend and millions of others throughout the world who are suffering daily from one malady or another.

Paul wrote in Romans that he considered the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. It will be a glorious day indeed when the Lord returns for His children, but until then it will be no picnic.

In this same chapter in Romans the Bible describes the whole creation as groaning and laboring’ with birth pangs. Ouch! I have never had birth pangs’ but I understand that it is a painful and exhausting process. I already feel sorry for my petite little daughter-in-law who will experience double-trouble’ birth pangs when she has my twin granddaughters in a few short weeks. It will be painful and laborious to deliver those little bundles of joy, but once they are delivered, tremendous happiness will be in store for us.

The Bible is amazing in its descriptions don’t you think? When you think about it, the same is true for us. Similar to birth pangs, we labor and groan with the pain of this present world; however those of us who know Christ Jesus as our Savior will be delivered by Him and exchange that pain and suffering for unparalleled joy in the future. And if we take it further, if there had been no pain endured by Jesus Christ on the cross as He willingly accepted the punishment for ‘our’ sins, we could have never been adopted as children of God and there would be no gain; hence the following would not apply: ‘No pain no gain’!

Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work
together for good to those who love
God, to those who are called
according to His purpose.