The Pain of the Past
Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord God is on me. The LORD has chosen me to tell good news to the poor and to comfort those who are sad. He sent me to tell the captives and prisoners that they have been set free.
So here we are in this funny little week between Christmas and New Year. It’s an odd time of year. Okay some people still have to work, but for many, it’s a time for a bit of a break; a pause from the busyness of our year. And it’s funny how at this time, we tend to reflect on what’s been in this year that’s fast closing out, as well as pondering the things that might be in the year ahead.
Perhaps in this past year you’ve experienced loss and pain. Anybody who’s taken more than about one breath on planet Earth has experienced pain. Babies experience pain during birth. That’s why the first sound a baby makes when it’s born, is to cry.
So, if it’s been a year with some pain mixed in, chances are it feels to you as though you’ve been the only one who’s suffered. But let me assure you, you’re not alone. So, allow me to share some good news with you today.
As certain as pain is in God’s plan, it’s equally certain that part of His plan is that we should get over the pain. If a baby is constantly crying, you take it to the doctor, right, because clearly there’s something wrong.
So, whilst it’s entirely normal to experience pain, it’s also normal to get over the pain. Sadly, sometimes we get so caught up in the first half of that truth, but we forget the second half.
Jesus came into our world with a very specific purpose in mind. Have a listen to what He said right at the beginning of His public ministry about the reason that He became a man. He unrolled the scroll in the synagogue and read this passage:
The Spirit of the Lord God is on me. The LORD has chosen me to tell good news to the poor and to comfort those who are sad. He sent me to tell the captives and prisoners that they have been set free. (Isaiah 61:1)
You and I have experienced tragedies in our lives and as we’ve lived through them … they hurt. But you and I too, are meant to experience healing in our lives and as we live through that, things get better.
In fact, that’s the very reason Jesus came. To bind up the broken hearted.
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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