Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
— 2 Corinthians 4:16-17
Author Jay Kesler told a story of his first car accident. He had just gotten his driver’s license and was driving too close to the middle of a narrow road. He accidentally sideswiped an oncoming vehicle, tearing off the front fender, two doors, and the rear fender of his father’s car.
After getting out and finding everyone was okay, he stood in the ditch and prayed, “Dear God, I pray this didn’t happen.” Then, he opened his eyes to see the car was still wrecked. So he prayed again, “Dear God, it didn’t happen.” He opened his eyes again. The wreck happened anyway.
Very often in dark times, it can feel like you’re hearing nothing but silence from heaven. It can almost seem as if God has checked out and has abandoned you to your circumstances. But nothing can be further from the truth. In dark days, God is as near as ever if we’ll only make the decision to seek Him.
Is your pain God’s plan? Yes. And while we may not realize the rhyme or reason for the anguish we experience, we know that a day will come when we’ll enter eternity and see the purpose for every single bit of pain we’ve ever experienced.
Your pain has a purpose – even though you may not see it yet. Trust God in your darkest times and look forward to the day when today’s pain will seem as a light and momentary trouble!
Prayer Challenge
Pray now and ask God to give you peace as you long for the day when today’s sufferings will pale in comparison to the greatness of eternity with Him.
Questions for Thought
How does it make you feel that your suffering on earth has a God-driven purpose behind it?
What does it say about our eternal home that the worst pain imaginable today will seem like a “light and momentary trouble” when we’re there?