In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. Isaiah 63:9 NIV
Ever wonder if God sees your pain? Is He focused on your life enough to notice how bad it hurts? Absolutely! Not only is He completely aware of everything you are going through, He is right there beside you, going through it with you. In all your distress, He too is distressed. His love for you is so strong, that your pain causes Him pain.
So where can you find relief? In His presence. Find a quiet place where you can seek the Lord and cry out to Him. Focus not on the source of your pain, but focus on the source of your strength. God alone can give you peace of mind and strength to endure. Consider His faithfulness, His power, and His love, and worship Him. Recall to mind His blessings and thank Him. In His mercy and love, He will comfort your heart. When you can’t find the strength to keep moving forward, He will lift you up and carry you!
If you find it difficult to focus on anything but your pain, turn to His word and allow it to guide you and remind you that you are not alone. The Psalms are a great place to start.
Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them. Psalm 10:17 NLT
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1 KJV
Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free. Psalm 118:5 ESV
The LORD gives his people strength. The LORD blesses them with peace Psalm 29:11 NLT
But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress. Psalm 59:16 NLT
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26 ESV
In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears….He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me. Psalm 18:6, 16:19 NIV
Whatever circumstance you are struggling with today, remember, you are not alone. In all your distress, He too is distressed.
Here’s a song that I find comforting when I’m struggling: I Can Feel You by Jenn Johnson and Bethel Music.
This is great timing for me to read today. Sometimes it can be hard to understand why God is there for us and still loves us in our pain, even more so when we were doing wrong when we got ourselves into the mess that caused the pain. This is a weird analogy, but as an animal lover, it helps me understand God by thinking about my own relationship with my dog. I love her unconditionally. If she gets hurt, I feel hurt too. If she’s home alone for too long, which makes her look pitifully sad, that makes me sad and I want to come home quick to spend time with her and make her feel better again. When she does something I don’t like, she gets in trouble, but I don’t stop loving her. I teach her what’s right, she goes through her punishment and then it’s done. I feel sad for her when I have to crate her as punishment, but I don’t leave her I just sit and wait a few minutes through her pain and then help her out. If I am just a person, and I have love and compassion for a dog, I understand that God who is perfect is so much greater toward us in our need than I can even comprehend.