Pain at Just the Right Time

[The Midweek Encounter is a ministry of Encounter Church in Kentwood, MI. These posts are reflections on Sunday's message, which can be heard here each week: http://myencounterchurch.org/#/messages-media]

I have only been grounded once in my life, and it is one of the most vivid memories from my teenage years. As a fifteen-year-old girl, I thought I was in love with an eighteen-year-old boy and would do anything to see him, even though my parents had set strict boundaries around our time spent together. We were supposed to be in a large group of people in a public place or at a friend’s house—never alone and never in private.

I decided it would be a good idea to tell my parents that I was going for a run [I am not a runner… the fact that I thought this would work is still comical]. So, I left my house and went for a jog until I was far enough away from home that my “boyfriend” could meet me alongside the road. After a few minutes of talking, I saw my parents’ very distinct black SUV pulling up behind us and my dad rolled down the window… and the rest is history. At the time, it didn’t seem like my dad had my best interest in mind—after all, I just wanted to spend time alone with the boy I “loved.” Looking back now, I can appreciate my father’s perspective; he knew that this older boy was going to hurt me and he was simply trying to save me from unnecessary pain. Being grounded was the right discipline given at the right time.

In a similar way, God kept the Israelites in a “layover” period in order to protect them from their own sinful ways. While the Israelites simply wanted a change in geography and diet, God saw the root of their problem—rejecting the Lord who was among them (Numbers 11:20). He decided to give them what they wanted, food other than manna, just not in the way that the Israelites had expected. The Lord brought an overabundance of quail from the sea and let them fall around the camp. Even those who gathered the least collected approximately 4,000 pounds of quail!

However, because the Israelites had rejected the Lord, they were subject to God’s discipline—the kind of discipline that had their best interest in mind. Numbers 11:33 says, “While the meat was yet between their teeth, before it was consumed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord struck down the people with a very great plague.”



Photo Credit: Tristan Colangelo

God struck down the Israelites with a great plague in order to rescue them, and in the same way He also reaches into our lives in order to save us from our sinful behaviors. In an attempt to rescue us from the stronghold that sin has on our lives, our Heavenly Father can use pain as a way to share His grace and provide for His children. Rather than fighting the pain or ignoring the promptings of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we need to learn from the pain. It might be just the right amount of pain at just the right time, sent from a God who desperately wants to rescue us and bring us back to Him.

[Megan Stephenson is a recent graduate of Grand Valley State University and works for a private education group in Grand Rapids as an Assistant Registrar. She loves spending time with her husband, Ben, trying out new breweries, restaurants, and local attractions. She also self-identifies as a crazy cat lady, despite owning no cats of her own, thanks to her loving and allergic husband.]

Into the Furnace

[The Midweek Encounter is a ministry of Encounter Church in Kentwood, MI. These posts are reflections on Sunday's message, which can be heard here each week: http://myencounterchurch.org/#/messages-media]

Many of us have heard the saying that “God won’t give you more than you can handle.” We often use these words to offer comfort to others in a time of sorrow or suffering, but are they really true? As Christians, can we honestly say to one another that God gives you just enough sorrow and pain so that you don’t get pushed to the edge?

As we read this week in 1 Kings 19, Elijah was fleeing from the threats of Jezebel, King Ahab’s wife. He ran into the wilderness to escape the hand of Jezebel, but also to attempt to flee God’s presence. He prayed that the Lord might take his life—Elijah was on the edge and ready to jump. He had reached a point that seemed so desperate and helpless that death was the only answer.

God gave Elijah more pain than he could handle, and it was in this moment that the Lord showed up. Instead of comforting Elijah with words or empty sayings, an angel of the Lord appeared to him and simply said: “Get up and eat.” God provided the much-needed nourishment of breakfast to sustain Elijah through his difficult journey. After Elijah rested once more, the angel appeared again and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” This time Elijah was strengthened and continued his journey, finally arriving at Horeb, the mountain of God.

During Elijah’s most vulnerable moments, even when he had given up on his own life, God reached down and merely offered him something to eat. This simple comfort amidst extreme suffering was the turning point for Elijah. The angel also recognized that Elijah could not handle the journey alone; he needed help along the way to strengthen and sustain him.

God recognizes when we have reached the edge, and it is during those times when He shows up in our lives—often in the form of family or friends. While I have dealt with pain in my life, my suffering seems like nothing compared to the sorrows I have seen my family and friends go through: loss of a loved one, depression, bankruptcy, and terminal illness to name a few. Standing on the outside looking in is often difficult—we don’t know what to say or do and are afraid of offending or of being vulnerable.

However, as we saw illustrated in Elijah’s story, God calls us to purely be with our brothers or sisters in suffering. Whether that means cooking a meal, saying a silent prayer, or listening with an open heart, we might not know which is best. But in those moments, God shows up with us in the furnace and offers healing, peace, and redemption.

Photo Credit: Flickr user erix!, Creative Commons

1 Peter 5:10-11, “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

Maybe we need to reconsider how we view fellow Christians and human beings during their intense times of pain and suffering. Instead of simply offering empty words and clichés like “God will never give you more than you can handle”, maybe we are called to step into the furnace with our brothers and sisters during their darkest times in life.

Who do you know that simply needs a brother or sister to walk into the furnace with them today? Pray that God opens your heart and eyes to see what He sees, that you might listen to the Holy Spirit’s calling and jump into the furnace with your brothers and sisters in Christ.

[Megan Stephenson is a recent graduate of Grand Valley State University and works for a private education group in Grand Rapids as an Assistant Registrar. She loves spending time with her husband, Ben, trying out new breweries, restaurants, and local attractions. She also self-identifies as a crazy cat lady, despite owning no cats of her own, thanks to her loving and allergic husband.]