Where Is God in Our Pain?

I have seen many things that are wonderful. I have seen babies born and brighten the whole world. I have seen people succeed in business and spread their wealth and joy with a multitude of people I have seen people marry and be so in love that it makes you sick!

But I have seen terrible things as well. I have seen people walk with their loved ones through a terrible disease which ends in death. I have seen marriages break up and both hearts get broken. I have seen people have their homes repossessed and their dreams drained from them. I have seen singles whose hope for marriage get washed away like sidewalk chalk drawings in a summer thunderstorm.

Where is God when we hurt so badly? Is He stoic, not showing any emotion? Is He the instigator of all this pain so that we will learn a lesson? Is He around at all?

I have learned much from the raising of Lazarus. Lazarus was sick and someone was sent to tell Jesus. Jesus waited before He went to Lazarus. He waited so long it looked as if He could do nothing about the sickness for Lazarus died.

Sometimes God just waits during our pain. I have a hard time here. I wished He would never wait. I assume He does so for a reason but I hate when God merely waits. I can't see Him. I only have faith that He is around. I only have faith that He will be here with me. . . and for me. I suppose it increases my faith but I really don't like it. I hate it when God waits.

Jesus goes to Lazarus' home to find his sisters, Mary and Martha mourning. Jesus sees all the crying people. Then, Jesus wept.

Have you wondered who Jesus wept for? He wasn't weeping for Lazarus because He knew He was about to call him out of the grave.

He wept because those He loved were in pain.

Never forget, you will never weep alone. God will always weep with you. He is not stoic. He loves and cares for you. It pains Him for you to be in pain even when He knows that He will fix the pain.

Jesus went to the grave and told people to remove the stone from Lazarus' grave. Have you ever wondered why? Surely the Person who can call a dead man to life with a word can move a stone with one. God expects us to do what we can. He will do what we can't. Naturally, this seemed like the wrong thing to do because Lazarus would smell by this time.

Jesus commanded Lazarus to come out of the grave. Jesus worked what only He could do. He changed everyone's perspective of who He was in a moment.

After God waits and weeps, He works. He makes something that you never expected. He makes it better.

That doesn't mean that He will always heal or always send a check in the mail. It means that He will act to show Himself to be the loving God that He is.

God knows your pain. He knows exactly where you are. Jesus said that in this world we will have tribulation. But also remember that He said that we should be of good courage because He has overcome the world!

Do me a big favor please. Send this to someone you is in pain right now if you believe it would help them. I want people to know that God loves them even in the middle of their pain.