Heaven with the Father will be so wonderful, but is there emotional healing on this side too?

Whatcha dealin' with today? 

Emotional healing is something that every individual needs. Sure, to one degree or another, for we humans are in this sin-cursed world where lots of hurts happen! Sometimes intentionally.  We've all been wounded emotionally in some way or another. Man, I try to get myself away from mean people who hate people and hurt them. Some have for years built that--they've earned the gift of a bit of distance. 

You already know there are many variations of emotional brokenness and pain in this world of broken relationships—I guess you could say as many as there are types of people here (carnally lukewarm, lost or saved). 

Whether the cause is natural or because of another person’s sin, the majority of people fight some type of emotional battle in life. It's of course, better on some days than others. 

May I ask: From that specific harm you personally went through, have you experienced some sleeplessness, detachment, depression, anger, isolation, bitterness, ongoing frustration, or fears? Need some prayer, or care to elaborate on that some? Email me. 

What are some of the causes? Abandonment from the Cancel or Cut-off Culture, broken trust, family rebellion, chronic pain or illness, rejection, the lack of warmth with community, and a sense of life’s meaninglessness? 12-step programs will come up short (none are perfect), but in this modern culture of brokenness is a veritable breeding ground for these emotional destroyers, but you can overcome through Christ!

Hello, first-world Christian in the Western world, you really have had much physical persecution, but you have endured some persecution, severe trials and emotional pain, and mistreatment during your like and walk with the Lord. There is a way to overcome all that through Christ.. even though you and I can't erase what we went through. Have you asked: How can I receive emotional healing?

Any Wounded Soul Can.. In Christ.. Experience Real Healing

I've had alcoholics above me, right next to me, and below me too, and it's not been easy (some individuals are a lot alike and caused pain), but I remember how I used to drink to ditch the pain in the 70s. 

We Christians, are not better than, but we are better off. 

We don't always get what's best, but we are to always make the best of what we get. 

You may carry wounds no one else can see—memories that still sting, words that still echo, losses that still ache. You have followed Christ, yet the scars remain. That tension is real. It does not mean your faith is false—it means you are human.

Listen, a broken bone, if reset properly, often becomes stronger at the point of fracture. So it is with the soul—when Christ restores it, the place of deepest pain can become the place of greatest strength as we continue to rely upon the Lord. Put your confidence in Him. 

Scripture never denies this reality. It speaks directly into it.

“He restores my soul.” (Psalm 23:3)
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3)

A. There are lots of false teachers and so-called faith healers, but God is really the healer—emotional healing arrives not really from self-effort

• Psalm 147:3 — “He heals the brokenhearted”
• Luke 4:18 — That's a reason Jesus came “to heal the brokenhearted”

B. Healing can be a process. Get saved, and for you it might be an event

• Matthew 26:41 — “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak”
• Romans 7:18–25 — Paul had an ongoing struggle

True emotional healing is not always instant relief—but it is a restored soul through a daily, surrendered walk with Jesus as Lord of all. 

Read all of Psalm 23. If Jesus is not yet your Shepherd, how can he restore your broken heart?

“The Lord is my shepherd.. He restores my soul.” v. 1–3

Emotional pain is universal. Some wounds come from betrayal, others from neglect, rejection, loneliness, or prolonged suffering. The symptoms often surface quietly—restlessness at night, a short temper, lingering sadness, a guarded heart, or a deep sense of disconnection. These are not small things; they are signals of a soul that needs care.

Modern culture does not help—it fragments rather than heals. It offers distraction instead of restoration, self-focus instead of true community, and instant relief instead of lasting transformation. What it cannot give is what the soul most needs: truth, reconciliation, and renewal before God.

Is There S Shortcut—Or Is There A Sure Path?

There is never an instant cure outside of a relationship with Christ (not for all eternity). Even the apostle Paul described an ongoing inner struggle:

“For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh..” (Romans 7:18)

And Jesus Himself said:

“The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)

Healing, then, is not an event—it is a process. A daily returning. A steady walking with God.

A. Everyone here carries emotional wounds--that's the reality of it.

• Psalm 34:18 — “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted”
• Ecclesiastes 1:18 — “In much wisdom is much grief”

B. Symptoms of inner brokenness

• Anxiety, anger, isolation, fear, bitterness
• Proverbs 14:13 — “Even in laughter the heart may ache”

C. Cultural pressure makes it worse

• Isolation, self-focus, loss of truth

* Need a Few Stats:

• About 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year (National Institute of Mental Health, 2023)

• 38% of pastors considered quitting ministry due to stress and loneliness (Barna Group, 2021)

The heart of the problem is the problem with the heart. Ask God to give you a new heart instead of that hard and wayward heart. The prob of sinful hearts with wicked minds here is so widespread—even among some worldly believers.

Is There Really A Way of Restoration? Sure. 

Emotional healing begins—and continues on—close with God Himself. Not merely belief in Him (many people of every generation have given mental assent to the facts of Scripture, but don't obey. The devil believes), but in surrender to the Lord.

"Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble." James 2:19

Can a person believe in some sense but not be saved?

What is the meaning of “I believe; help my unbelief” in Mark 9:24?

Are Jesus and Satan brothers as Mormons teach? Nope. Satan is a created fallen angel, and Christ, as God, was never created.

Do Christians have the authority to rebuke the devil?

What does it mean to grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30)? 

What does the Bible say about overcoming grief?

My dad Kim, is not doing so well, and it hurts to see him and my mom struggle. Glad for all the years we've had them. Have you lost someone? How can we find comfort when an unsaved loved one has died?

Why did Nehemiah say, “The joy of the Lord is your strength"?

How do I find comfort and peace when I have suffered a loss?

What does the Bible say about grief?

What does the Bible say about mourning?

What does it mean that there is a time to mourn?

What does it mean that Christians do not sorrow as those who have no  hope?

What does the Bible say about bereavement?

What does “blessed are those who mourn” mean?

What does it mean that we are children of God (1 John 3:1)? Not all are--some people are merely His creations?

Does Satan really exist? Have you seen some people talk and act just like him?

1. Man, getting over times of mourning ain't for sissies. Anchor your mind in God’s Word
   Truth stabilizes what emotions distort.

   “They are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.” (Proverbs 4:22)

   “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim..”

2. Confess sin honestly and quickly
   Hidden sin deepens inner turmoil. Cleansed sin brings peace.

   “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive..” (1 John 1:9)

3. Take your thoughts captive
   Your mind must be trained by truth, not ruled by feelings.

   “Taking every thought captive to obey Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5)

4. Walk away from old patterns and bad situations. You don't have to become a part of the Cutoff Culture.. going non-contact like is popular today. 
   Healing requires new obedience.

   “We too might walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4)

5. Forgive—deeply and deliberately
   Bitterness poisons the one who carries it.

   “Forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

   “Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.” ~ Corrie ten Boom 

6. Believer, see yourself as God sees you
   Not as damaged goods—but as fully redeemed.

   Loved (Romans 5:8)
   Free (John 8:36)
   Made new (1 Corinthians 6:11)

7. Re-enter a Bible-based, godly fellowship with spiritual Christians
   We are to live a separated life of holiness unto the Lord (separate from sin), but isolation only deepens wounds; fellowship helps heal them.

   “Bear one another’s burdens..” (Galatians 6:2)

What Healing Really Looks Like

Healing does not always mean erasing the past. It means the past no longer rules you. What's it look like?

• Peace where there was panic
• Softness where there was anger
• Trust where there was fear
• Hope where there was despair

Jesus does not promise a life untouched by pain—but He does promise His presence in it:

“Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
“My peace I give to you… not as the world gives.” (John 14:27)

A Final Word of Clarity

You overcome not by denying your wounds—but by bringing them fully into the light of Christ. He's the Rock that does not wrongly rock or move. 

“I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages.” ~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon

---

Emotional healing is not found in escapism time, or self-effort—but in seeking the Lord first, in a steady, surrendered walk with Jesus Christ, shaped by truth, obedience to authority, forgiveness, and fellowship. He indeed has a will for your life if you will ask Him about that. Slowly, faithfully—He restores the hurting soul.

Come to Him now as you are. Here and now. Bring yourself and your wounds and put em on the altar so to speak. Give yourself and them fully to Christ—and then do that daily—walk in truth, obedience, and forgiveness.. and over a short or longer time, the Chief Shepherd will restore your soul.

“The Word of God is the food of the soul.” — George Müller

• 1 John 1:9
• Psalm 32:3–5

* Hidden pet-sins only deepen the emotional pain.

• 2 Corinthians 10:5
• Philippians 4:8–9

* You cannot heal while believing lies--take your mind captive. You can't do that for another person.

• Romans 6:4–6

* Healing requires obedience to Direct Authority and delegated authorities (short of sinning), not just inner intentions.

• Ephesians 4:32
• Hebrews 12:15

Let it go (you don't have to stay best/closest friends with them if they are untrustworthy). In your heart, forgiveness is an act of the will. Have you or a loved one suffered loss? Do you think that God has hurt you or your family?

* Bitterness blocks emotional healing.

You are not your wounds—you are redeemed. Your identity is to be in Christ, and not in your educational degrees, or title, or pay, or corner office, or fast car, or big house, or in in what you do.

• Galatians 6:2
• Hebrews 10:24–25

Did you obey God's word and get your butt to a healthy church fellowship? Isolation delays healing; Bible-based loving fellowship accelerates it and spiritual growth. There is no spiritual growth apart from the living Word. 

There will still be some trials here. When healed, will you never have more pain here? Healing is not the removal of all pain here—but transformation:

• Peace replacing anxiety (John 14:27)
• Hope replacing despair (Romans 5:1–5)
• Trust replacing fear (Proverbs 3:5–6)

“It is well with my soul..”

Jesus invites all who are weary and heavily laden.

• Matthew 11:28–30

• 1 Peter 5:7 amp — "casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully]." 

• Psalm 1:2–3
• Proverbs 4:22

Passages to Prayerfully Meditate Upon:

“The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (See Matthew 26:41, Romans 7:18–25, Psalm 23:3, Luke 4:18, 1 Peter 3:8–12, Philippians 4:4–9, 2 Corinthians 7:1). 

As a cow chews on the cud, opt to ruminate upon the truth of God’s Word. That's the Bible. God’s instructions are “life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body” (Proverbs 4:22). 

The person “whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night” is blessed (Psalm 1:1–2). 2)

Confess any known sins to God and ask for His forgiveness “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). 3) 

Allow the Holy Spirit in you (if you are saved) to ake control of your thoughts— In the Spirit, “we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). 

Refuse to fall back into old, sinful habits. “We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin” (Romans 6:6).

Choose to daily walk in holiness by the Spirit in newness of life (Romans 6:4). 5) 

Life is too short to live bummed out and bitter. Forgive (in your heart) those who have hurt you. “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32, Hebrews 12:15). 

Christian, see yourself from God's perspective -- yes, as God sees you: free, valuable, gifted, washed clean, justified, sanctified, and loved (Romans 5:8, 2 Timothy 1:7, John 8:36, 1 Corinthians 6:11). 

Get involved in a prayerful, Bible-teaching local church and small group and open yourself to their fellowship and teaching ministry. 

God does give spiritual gifts to real believers -- use them for His glory “to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up” (See Ephesians 4:12, Galatians 5:22–23; 1 John 3:19–24, John 7:38). 

Healing is to be had for Christians (See Psalm 73:23–26; Psalm 34:17–20; 1 Peter 5:7; Psalm 147:3; Psalm 30:11; John 14:27; Matthew 11:28; Romans 5:1; and Romans 8:32).

When “All Things Working Together For Good” Really Hurts!

When A Believer's Loved One Dies In Front Of Their Eyes .. Unimaginable Ouch.. 

..Or It's Just Way Too Close For Comfort As Those We Care About Fade.. Almost Die ..And Yet All Things Are Working Together For Good!

Really? Some Nights Romans 8:28 Has Felt Too Heavy To Hold On To.

Let's Hold Onto Jesus Through It. God Is Close..Totally Trustworthy And His Word Remains True. 

I remember when my second Nathan son died, and when my mom almost died from Covid. She came very close. 

Glad my other loved ones haven't passed -- am thinking about other families today. 

The NICU at 3 a.m. is no place for some two-dollar shiny bumper-sticker type of theology. 

While a baby is gasping for air, please remember this, believer, a bright smile with a random partial quote of a verse can often feel like a band-aid slapped over a bullet wound. 

What does it mean that we should be quick to listen and slow to speak (James 1:19)?

How should Christian parents handle the death of a child?

How do you or I find comfort and peace when we've lost a loved one?

What really happens after death?

Where did Old Testament believers go when they physically died?

Can I ask God to deliver a message to a loved one who has died?

What sort of condolences should a Christian give someone struggling or mourning?

What does it mean to walk through the valley of the shadow of death?

How can I overcome the fear of death?

Is it biblical to say 'rest in peace' (RIP) in regard to those who have lost a loved one?

How can a believer find comfort after the death of a parent?

Do believers immediately go to heaven when they die?

What does the Bible say about grief?

How can I find comfort when an unsaved loved one has died?

Context, context please, Bible context -- important! Romans 8:28 doesn’t tell us that all things happening at us are good. 

Overwhelmed with parental suffering, dead children aren’t good, ventilators aren’t inherently good (might be good for someone later), and that intense grief with a mother’s empty arms is never good. But God, His unchanging promises, and living Word are still good ..and He is there for you and me. 

All those things we believers experience that are not good—yes, even these things—can indeed be woven into God’s greater plan for eternal good. I don't reject any of Romans 8, the whole Bible is true. Read what it actually says for yourself. 

Paul penned Romans 8:28–29 not from a TV studio, but from a cold cell, knowing execution was near. The Greek word synergeō means “to work together,” like separate forces combining to produce something neither could alone. God doesn’t call the wreckage good—He steps into it, bends it, redeems it. His “good” often looks like faith purified in fire, character hammered into steel, and ministry birthed from misery.

This promise is for “those who love God”—for the saved, not for mere casual Sunday posers or CEO tourists (mere Christmas and Easter Only church goers), but for active growing, ongoing lovers of Christ (children of the Father). And His good is measured not in temporary comfort, but in eternal conformity to Christlike character (lots of people don't ever read the following verse - Romans 8:29).

Blake’s NICU fight has been demolishing much for his family.

Jobs disrupted. Plans shattered. Nightmares, and sleep is gone—but this ongoingg fight has also revealed what desperate intercession, earnest prayer sounds like. It's revealing what trusting God looks like when all human control is gone. That’s the “good.” Not some sweet fairy-tale like ending, but a soul anchored in God's living Word (Jesus) as storms roar on.

Joseph’s brothers hated and were out to kill him, but they sold him instead. Paul was beaten and shipwrecked. Neither man’s pain was good in itself—but God forged something good from it all. 

The best rescue and salvation for people is God's work (Genesis 50:20; Acts 9:16). “We are more than conquerors,” Paul wrote, because nothing at all—not death, demons, or dangerous disaster—can sever us from the love of God in Christ (See Romans 8:35–39).

Charles Spurgeon warned, “The world does not read the Bible; the world reads Christians.” 

When pain comes, the world watches to see if our theology holds out. A God who only works when our preferences are met is not God—He’s an assistant. That's not the God of the Bible. But the true God can take hell’s worst attacks and weaponize those so to speak.. for heaven’s purposes.

"Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.." Matt. 6:11-12

This isn’t divine manipulation; it’s divine infiltration. God stepping into the ashes, not always to remove the fire, but to walk with us in it.

Again Barna research shows that nearly 65% of Christians say their deepest spiritual growth came through.. not around.. hardship—not through ease. That’s not surprising. Hymn writer William Cowper, who knew both depression and faith..this might sound kind of religious, but he put it like this:

"God moves in a mysterious way,
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm."

Remember when Jesus went boardless and walked on the sea? So, believer, keep clinging to Christ in and through all storms! 

Seek Him first when the monitors scream and your pastor walks in, know this: "the good" may not at all look like what you prayed for, but Jesus is good, considerate, kind and he is there for you! He can hold your hand and help you through this mess. 

Being saved and walkin' in the Lord doesn't change what you have to deal with in this world. It changes how you (with the Bible, the Holy Spirit's anointed wisdom), deal with it (unto God's glory and for the benefit of other lost and saved people). The circumstances around us often change, the people change, the fickle feelings change, the methods change, but our loving God, His good promises, and His faithful word never do change. His loyalty, greater wisdom, and compassionate agape love are completely consistent. Let's also be consistent and share His message!

Spiritually reborn Christians (yeah, saved sinners) have nothing to be puffed up or smug about. We were freely forgiven - didn't earn or merit that. Could if we tried! We are not at all righteous people from ourselves.. those people trying to correct the unrighteous around us (those we hope will come to Christ).

"We're like one beggar telling another beggar (even if we don't beg) where to find bread." ~ R.C. Sproul

Are you hungry for healthy Bread? Time spent trying to change or reform sinners.. by any forgiven sinners (imputed with free righteousness) is a waste of time. Just win them (witness intentionally evangelize on purpose).. and not win em to self, but to Jesus.

You know that God freely imputes His righteousness to humble repentant believers through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. Simple as that, and good reason to gratefully rejoice.. with no good works added by them. We work from salvation not to merit or gain it. God credits (freely, it can't be earned).. the righteousness of Christ to those who trust in Him, rather than judging them based on their own flawed actions.

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren." Romans 8:28-29 nkjv

I know there really are unseen and seen consequences for breaking God's laws by sinning. I used to be lost as a lizard who enjoyed doing some sins. Yes, some of it can be fun for a season.

Sickness is a consequence of sin, but many sick people suffer here due to other people's sinning. Now I often think when a sinner gets physically sick or diseased, then God often allows a righteous person to also get that way too.. and hopefully that sick sinner will observe God supernatually helping the sick child of God and then choose to become a child of God in Christ as well.

"’For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.’ While the people were listening to this, Jesus proceeded to tell them a parable, because He was near Jerusalem and they thought the kingdom of God would appear imminently. So He said, ‘A man of noble birth went to a distant country to lay claim to his kingship and then return.." Luke 19:10-12a

Study Saul, who caused pai,n turned into Paul. Study his life again. It's a testament to how God really does works all things (even the bad things we experience) together for good.

Paul suffered too. Remember his shipwrecks, his beatings, his imprisonment, his murder attempts, his temporary blindness, and more—all within God’s plan to spread the gospel to lost Jews and Gentiles (see Acts 9:16 and 2 Corinthians 11:24–27).

Through it all, God remained sovereign and steadfastly working to bring about good and glorious results for people.

I love the Lord and Romans 8! After promising that God works all things together for our the good, Romans 8 concludes with the wonderful fact that God trumps everything that comes against Him and His children who belong to Him.

The reborn Christian is assured that zero, null, nada, nothing can ever separate them from God’s agape love:

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ..No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” Romans 8:35–39.

God is WAY powerful -- All-powerful. His love is everlasting, and His wisdom is wonderful and infinite. It doesn’t really matter who or what attempts to come against you to thwart God’s plan; no one and nothing can. See the context and think about where Paul is right now. All humans will exist forever in one of two places (God's holy Heaven or in Hell), but Christians will enjoy abundant and everlasting life. God will work all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

Our decision to repent and believe in Jesus (the Father's only Solution for you and me) makes all the difference. His forgiveness and new birth are free -- it's a privilege and huge reward of faith to align our will with God’s plan. He's still alive and trustworthy!

Does He allow a pattern here? (Prayfully look at the context):

• “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him” (Job 13:15). Remember how it turned out for Job?

• “We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). Paul still enjoys an abundant life and lives on minus chains.

• “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20). Hurting, rejected, sold off, accused, and jailed, Joseph received God's comfort and then became a comforter and provider for his brothers. (vv. 20-25).

Joseph firsthand knew painful betrayal, slavery, false pointing of the finger like the devil likes to do, and prison life. Job knew unthinkable loss. Paul knew harsh shipwrecks, lashes on the back, hunger, and heavy chains. None of it was good in and of itself, yet God’s own good emerged like gold from the heated fire of suffering.

Spurgeon said, “When you can’t trace His hand, trust His heart.” 

Christians in and near Ecuador on On January 8 in 1956 were struggling to reconcile the vicious violence there with the sovereignty of God.

Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Peter Fleming, and Roger Youderian where waiting on a sandy riverbank, all eager to become friends and make contact with the Huaorani people. Then these guys got murdered - all five lay dead. Nothing about that was good!

Jim Elliot had written in his journal years before:

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

It took years to see what God would do there with those people.

The NICU is a place where those of this world are sometimes reading other hurting Christians (among other places)—and they want to see if our theology holds up under the fluorescent light and the shadow of death. Some who watch us hope we fail in order to somehow gain comfort from that. 

I know statistics bear this out: Barna Research found that 65% of Christians point to seasons of pain as the turning points of their spiritual growth and going forward. Conversely, less than 15% attribute their deepest growth to seasons of ease. In other words, hardship, not comfort, often becomes the forge of faith.

Seems like most people who come to Christ to get right with the Father do so during times of pain, struggle, and suffering rather than during times of ease and prosperity. 

William Cowper, no stranger to hurt, fears and some despair, wrote in his hymn:

"Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face."

Every single experience God gives to us believers is the perfect preparation for what's ahead -- that future that only He can see.

Helen Keller is a Christian who knew lifelong limitation -- she once said, “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened.”

Even professional secular voices sometimes stumble upon this same principle.

And yet for the believer, there is something even richer than character at stake—it is conformity to Christ, eternal reward, and the unshakable presence of God who will one day wipe every tear from our eyes (See Revelation 21:4).

This is why Paul can write, “Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17). Light? Momentary? Only if you measure it against eternity.

This isn’t about divine manipulation—it’s about divine infiltration. Into our world where we live. 

Jesus did that..came and lived here for us all. 

And God steps into the fire today, even, not always to put it out, but to walk with us in it, like He did with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (See Daniel 3). Sometimes His “good” is seen in the miracle of deliverance, other times in the miracle of endurance on through (with Jesus leading).

"When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.
—John Rippon, How Firm a Foundation."

Man, how do adults even sleep near a NICU?

Those monitors blink a lot with the steady rhythm of delicate lives hanging by such fragile strands, their digital beeps the heartbeat of hope—and sometimes, putting out sounds of great loss. 

The hospital shadows stretch across those clean white-tiled-walls, with the scent of antiseptic lingering in the air nearby.. like a cold reminder that we all are mortal and life here is brief. 

Our world is filled with the brokenness from sin, the ravages of rebellion,  and we see it daily. 

I think I was born disobedient, loved to do that, so I needed to be born again. Now as a believer, I loathe what I used to love (that party lifestyle etc) and love what I used to loathe (Bible study, prayer, worship, fellowship with Christians in a healthy church). Man, God has put a new nature inside of me. 

Hey believer, "continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,  for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose." Philippians 2:12-13 nic

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." Hebrews 11:6 nkjv

Too many people are fighting against brokenness in their bodies today. It's so sad to see --  some of them are too small or too weak to fight for themselves! Pray like you mean it cuz you really do!

So when the monitors blare and the chaplain’s footsteps fall heavy on steril linoleum tiles, remember that: God is light and there is no darkness in Him. He’s “good” even when things don't look like what you prayed for. Let Jesus in.. let Him live big in you. He gets it, all of it, and His grace is sufficient for you. He and His good plan we can trust, even right here, even right now. 

Ouch.. no, more than ouch!!!

It hurts to see people hurting, scared, in danger, and suffering illness. Have you felt some of that? Some seem so mature in dealing with it. I ain't there yet but want to learn from the One who suffered for me. 

“O Joy that seekest me through pain, I cannot close my heart to thee; I trace the rainbow through the rain, And feel the promise is not vain That morn shall tearless be.” —George Matheson

Is there anything to gain from pain? Not so sure, but we can grow spiritually and get close to the Lord.. we can even learn what is really so during this hard time. Remember there is zero spiritual growth apart from the living Word. 

"As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious." 1 Peter 2:2-3

Trials, tribulations, temptations and testings come and go. We can even praise, pray and glorify Him while in it. Now that would seem counterintuitive. How could I? 

“Speak to the suffering, and you will never lack an audience. There is a broken heart in every crowd.” ~ Joseph Parker

Remember those who are suffering in hospital rooms or all alone in a dank sorta home. Many don't have any family members or friends left.

Seems Like There's Pain In Every Pew. Yeah, In There Too Sits A Broken Lonely Heart. But In Christ There's Hope for the Hurting.

“They preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples and encouraging them to continue in the faith. ‘We must endure many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,’ they said. Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church, praying and fasting as they entrusted them to the Lord, in whom they had believed.” Acts 14:22-23

"Rejoice always and delight in your faith; be unceasing and persistent in prayer; in every situation no matter what the circumstances be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Jesus (God the Son) works when we turn to, trust in, THANK AS AN ACT OF THE WILL, and even praise Him in all things. Not for all things.  

We believers have trials that work for us as we turn to the Lord in them, but those of this world have troubles that sadly work against them as they reject or forget the Lord. 

Do you have a friend or loved one, a mom dad, son or daughter that is sick? I just lost my young son Nathan-Michael, and almost lost my mom and some dear friends to Covid 19 (a plague, a last days birth pang so to speak). Perhaps you've lost some dear ones as well. So SO Sorry about that! 

Got some pain and don't get it? Have you been ill? Is your life being threatened (call the police). Do you have no so long to live according to the doc? Got cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney failure, or some other critical illness that is destroying your body? We are living in a fallen world. 

Pain and disease are in this world because of sin, and though we’ve all sinned the one suffering might not be suffering due to their own sin. I’ve seen people beaten and robbed and they didn’t nothing wrong at all. They were simply in a bad location and the wrong time when a selfish greedy violent thug came by. 

Does he or she feels alone and forsake, I mean the one you encounter? Who else has known pain like this.. have you met anyone like this? Successively, though not necessarily chronologically, he or she feels: 

• Denial (“This can’t be happening to me.”) 
• Anger (“Why me, Lord?”) 
• Depression (“There’s no hope.”) 
• Bargaining (“Lord, get me out of this and I’ll do whatever You say.”) 
• Acceptance (“May God’s will be done.”) 

These feelings are not experienced once and then forgotten, but return again and again. They are not abnormal feelings, but are generally characteristic of those facing the “valley of the shadow.” 

What do you say to such a person? How do you respond? 

How can you really identify with and help someone who is experiencing a level of suffering and a sense of finality that is probably beyond what you have personally experienced? 

You and I wanna help them right? What can we do, believer? 

1. The first thing to do is simply to listen! Listen with empathy to the feelings that are shared. Encourage the person to talk. You may want to probe gently for feelings, some of which lie close to the surface while others may be more deeply submerged. 

2. Pass no judgment on the feelings that are shared, even though they may be expressed in anger, self-pity, or bitterness. Just let the inquirer know that you are hearing what he or she says. Don’t appear to be arrogant by saying that you understand the depth of his or her feelings. You can’t possibly understand! But you may tell the person that you care. This can be put into words and also conveyed by the tone of your voice, your gentleness, and your capacity for feeling and identifying: 

“Think too of all who suffer” (Hebrews 13:3 phillips) as if you share their pain. We might not share it, but we can listen well and try to grasp what they are going through. This is probably no time for you to introduce your own experience of pain and suffering; just stay the course in the Spirit. Keep the focus on Jesus, prayer (even perhaps silent for a bit) and what the hurting one is feeling and needing most. 

3. Do not try to be some sort of “spiritual Pollyanna.” Listen, ask a few questions, find out, evaluate more. Avoid the cliches and all the typical platitudes. Don’t tell the person to “keep a stiff upper lip,” or to be an example in suffering. Do not offer false hopes about healing, or tell the individual that all illness is of the devil and with sufficient faith he or she could be healed. God may or may not heal. These are matters for the Sovereign will. What we can be sure of is that God will spiritually heal those who put their faith in Jesus Christ. 

4. Don’t discourage any reference he or she may make about death. This may be a healthy conditioning of the mind for that which is inevitable. References to death can prepare the way for you, as a helper, to ask if there might be any unfinished business to attend to. 

This is why we witness: to help prepare people for eternity. In a gentle spirit of kindness and concern, you may ask the inquirer, “If you were to find yourself at the gates of heaven confronted with the question, ‘On what grounds do you seek admission to God’s heaven?’ what would you say?” If indicated, explain the gospel message clearly. 

If the needy hurting person aka the inquirer responds affirmatively, share “How to have assurance.” You might also read other portions of Scripture, such as Psalm 23, John 14:1–6, or 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18. 

5. The commitment to Christ should prepare the way to ask whether the person has any other unfinished business, such as relationships (family, friends), financial matters (a will, perhaps), handling of details in regard to the process of dying, death itself, funeral arrangements, and disposal of the body. Encourage the inquirer to take care of all these matters, seeking either pastoral or professional advice in the process. 

6. Suggest that the hurting one, or inquirer find out if his or her community has a hospice agency. These agencies specialize in providing reinforcement to patients whose diseases are considered terminal, and to their families. 

Thanks for the pic Milada Vigerova

LIFE HERE ON EARTH, I MEAN IN THE PHYSICAL, IS TERMINAL. UNTIL THE RAPTURE HAPPENS 1 IN EVERY 1 PERSON WILL PASS AWAY PHYSICALLY. GOTTA BE READY FOR THAT. 

DO YOU HAVE THAT KIND OF PAIN AND ILLNESS.. TERMINAL? SO SO SORRY! I HATE THAT. WE EACH CAN GAIN ETERNAL LIFE IN THE SON. RIGHT NOW IS GOOD. 

Jesus is the ultimate solution for us all. God loves you and He still has a good plan. Where else or to who else will you go? He can forgive anyone and raise them from the dead. Did it before and can do it again. Check it out in the Bible.  

7. Pray earnestly for the hurting worried person in need, or that inquirer that he or she might have courage and strength to be victorious in pain, committing himself or herself to Him who bore our griefs and our sorrows. 

Spend some time in the Scriptures: Psalm 23 John 14:1–6 Philippians 1:21 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18.

1. Does God cause suffering?

What is the difference between God causing suffering and God allowing suffering?

2. What does the Bible say about suffering?

What is the Christian response to the problem of suffering?

3. Why do so many people have to experience terrible suffering before death?

Why does God allow some believers to suffer so painfully before death?

4. Why did Jesus have to experience so much suffering?

Was there any purpose in the horrible torture that Jesus endured?

5. Is suffering for Christ always going to be a part of being a follower of Christ?

Is suffering a universal fact of the Christian life?

6. What does the Bible tell us about the suffering of this present time (Romans 8:18)?

What is the meaning of Romans 8:18?

7. Why do Christians suffer?

Why does God allow Christians to suffer? Why does God allow suffering among His people?

8. Is the “The Suffering Servant” prophecy in Isaiah 53 about Jesus?

Is Isaiah chapter 53 the clearest prophecy about Jesus’ atoning sacrifice?

9. Why does God allow the innocent to suffer?

I don’t understand why God allows the innocent to be hurt.

10. What are some Bible verses about suffering?

Are there any that I need to memorize? 

1. How long was Job’s suffering?

How long did Job suffer? How much time passed between Job’s losing everything and God’s restoration?

12. Is God cruel?

God has never been cruel even one time. Does God have callous indifference to, or take pleasure in, causing pain and suffering?

13. Why does God allow sickness?

What are some of the possible reasons why God would allow someone to get sick?

14. Is it wrong to want to die?

Can we ask God to take our lives so we can go to heaven?

15. How can a Christian cope while suffering with a degenerative disease? 

Can a Christian cope while suffering HOW?.. I mean with a degenerative disease such as Alzheimer’s (Alzheimers / Alzheimer), dementia, ALS, or palsy? Why do...

16. Why is Jesus referred to as a man of sorrows in Isaiah 53:3?

Why is Jesus referred to as a man of sorrows? What is the meaning of Isaiah 53:3?

17. Jesus suffered and died for you, not cuz of his own sins. What is the passion of Christ?

Why is the suffering that Christ endured referred to as His passion?

18. What is lacking in Christ’s afflictions (Colossians 1:24)?

What does Colossians 1:24 mean when Paul says he fills up in his flesh what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions. Huh?

19. Do ya hurt? What is the doctrine of the impassibility vs. passibility of God? 

Is God impassible or passible? What are the implications of the impassibility vs...

20. What does it mean to endure hardship (2 Timothy 4:5)?

One thing, it means you have some opposition from the evil one who knows his time to hassle you is short. Doesn't have much time to work.