The Upper Room Daily Devotional Nashville, Tennessee, United States “Embrace the Pain" for Wednesday, 28 January 2015 - Scripture: Romans 8:35-39

The Upper Room Daily Devotional Nashville, Tennessee, United States “Embrace the Pain" for Wednesday, 28 January 2015 - Scripture: Romans 8:35 Can anything separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, suffering, and hard times, or hunger and nakedness, or danger and death? 36 It is exactly as the Scriptures say,
“For you we face death
    all day long.
We are like sheep
on their way
    to be butchered.”
37 In everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us. 38 I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love—not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future, 39 and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord!
Consider it pure joy . . . whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.[James 1:2-4 (NIV)]
When I was a teenager, my father died suddenly. He was the first person I really and truly loved whom death had taken from me. It was devastating, and I was inconsolable. But as I look back at that event now, I can see the blessings of the Lord on the life of our family in spite of my grief and our loss. While we missed my father terribly, our family grew much closer as a result of his passing. We were able to show our love toward each other in ways we never had while he was alive. The truth was that in spite of the pain, I became a stronger and better person after my father’s death.
Sometimes it seems difficult to have the proper perspective when we are going through a trying time. When we experience a great loss, such as financial ruin or the loss of a significant relationship, we can easily emerge with a broken heart or broken spirit. But to continue to allow our feelings of despair to overwhelm us is neither healthy nor wise. Instead, we can remember the words in today’s quoted scripture — that God works through distress to bless. Every trial can bring us closer to God — if we let it.
The Author: Anthony Collins (Tennessee, USA)
Thought for the Day: Every test of life can bring us closer to God.
Prayer: Dear God, help us to embrace the pain of our lives and find you at work even in our grieving. Amen.
Prayer focus: Fathers
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