God Will Never Waste Your Pain

Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well. Matthew 9:22 ESV

Chapter nine of Matthew delivers story after story of lives transformed by Jesus: there’s Jairus, one of the rulers of the synagogue, desperate for help on behalf of his dying daughter, a woman who had been struggling with blood loss for twelve years, two blind men desperately crying out for mercy, and a man rendered mute due to demon oppression. Five individuals in the throes of despair, most of them snubbed, marginalized, ostracized, and shunned by a society that considered them ‘unclean.’

Until Jesus touched them. I love the way Matthew states that Jesus turned and saw her. He knew her long before this encounter, yet it wasn’t until she touched the hem of His garment that He ‘saw her.’ Not just a groveling woman, but all of her heartbreak, all of her tears, all of the days she suffered alone.

If you feel alone right now, if you are hurting and think no one fathoms the depth of your pain, know that Jesus understands. He died, forsaken, on that cross, so that you might never have to suffer your own pain alone. You are not just a face in the crowd. Jesus sees you, He knows you, He hears you. He will respond to your cries and honor your faith.

Lift your head, my friend, because you are in good company. God will never waste your pain. Just as God used these five accounts of lives transformed by God’s mercy and grace to minister to millions of people throughout generations, so will He use your own hard-won testimony to bring hope to others.

Prayer: Lord, though at times I struggle against my circumstances, I will remain steadfast in the knowledge that you never waste my pain. May my praise, even in the midst of the struggle, be the testimony that draws others to you. Amen.

Thought: Nothing you and I go through is in vain. There is always a purpose for the pain.