“Redeemed pain is more impressive than removed pain.”
Philip Yancy
Redeemed pain. While this resonates with what I know to be good and true it’s still such a hard pill to swallow. I can look back in the rearview mirror of my life and believe that God redeemed the pain in the loss of a child, in living through cancers, in the loss of relationships and death of loved ones. But it is in each new day, often moment by moment, that I have to turn again to Him when pain presents itself.
Currently, I am living with pain. For any of us, it could be a difficult child, a disappointing relationship, a diagnosis or just a disorienting direction life is taking.
Here is what I have to hold on to. Each wave of difficulty that arrives must drive me deeper and deeper to Him. This is where Jesus lives in the depth not walking after the flesh but after the Spirit. This depth is where I am delivered and find hope. Counterintuitive to my flesh, there must be a burning of a bridge and cutting of a rope to depend on my ability to remove.
In this world, you will have trouble, many trials (John 16:33). We find out how real God is when we accept these rather than rejecting them. And because God is real we have the increased revelation of His Realness and we can then live as Christ lives.
I have to be honest though, I am a recovering remover and each morning in the minute my eyes open needing to look for His redemption in the day. I don’t have to be resigned, I can trust Him day by day to step into His Holiness and Grace. I can trust Him to have eyes to see what He plans to redeem and restore. As I trust and turn this becomes God’s gift to me, His presence, my life.
For decades now, this verse comes to my mind in closing my prayers. Redeem your day with me as we consider these words for ourselves.
Isaiah 61:3 KJV
(The Spirit of God is upon me (vs1))
To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them
beauty for ashes,
the oil of joy for mourning,
the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. (my bold) Is 61:3 KJV
Don’t dispose of your difficulty. This requires a receiving of His Grace not based on your worthiness. “I do what I can in order for God to work in me what I cannot.” (Dallas Willard)
We can stand here together believing that God will not only redeem our pain but He will be glorified in our deep trials.
“Redeemed pain is more impressive than removed pain.”
Philip Yancy
That quote was enough to get me to listen to this podcast. I recommend it to you.