How to respond to pain

Let me help you find purpose in your pain with this powerful study kit. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  [Pastor Rick's Daily Hope](  {NAME}, One of the most common questions I’m asked as a pastor is this:          If God is good, why is there so much pain in the world? It’s not a new question. It’s likely one you have asked before. Perhaps you’re even wrestling with it right now. Even Solomon in all his wisdom pondered it: "Our bodies ache during the day, and work is torture. Then at night our thoughts are troubled. It just doesn’t make sense" (Ecclesiastes 2:23 CEV). I’ll be honest with you. I’m with Solomon. I don’t know all the reasons there’s such pain in the world. It’s on my list of questions to ask God when I get to heaven. But I do know this: While pain is inevitable, misery is optional. Friend, you can’t choose whether you experience pain, but God does let you choose how you respond to it. Think of it like this: When life’s journey brings you to a place of pain, the path ahead of you splits. One road will make you better; the other will make you bitter. One of those roads will draw you closer to God; the other will lead you away from him. [I want to empower you to choose the road to God in the midst of your pain by sending you my Bible study titled Unshakable.]( [Unshakeable Bible study]( I’ll explain how to get your copy of [Unshakable]( in a moment. But first, let me say again you and I won’t know the full reasons for all of life’s suffering until we see God face-to-face.                   But there are some truths we can cling to, even through our pain. We know God is good. We know he can be trusted. And we know he’s promised a day is coming when "He will wipe every tear from [our] eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain" (Revelation 21:4 NLT). While we wait for that joyful day, you and I can take comfort in knowing God is the master of bringing light from darkness and of turning evil to good. He can flood your days of pain with incomprehensible peace! Yes, you can be confident that no matter what you’re dealing with, God won’t let your pain be wasted. Here are just three of the ways God can use the pain in your life: First, he uses pain to guide and direct you. Psalm 119:71 says, "It is good for me that I was afflicted, So that I may learn Your statutes" (NASB). David is saying that God can use your pain to help you know him better and to lead you in a new direction.  Second, God uses pain to guard and protect you. Sometimes, God uses your pain to protect you from something worse. In other words, pain can be a blessing in disguise. Our problem is that we can’t see the full picture. But remember Jesus’ words: "You do not realize now what I’m doing, but later you will understand" (John 13:7 NIV). What a comfort! And third, God uses pain to grow and perfect you. In the words of the apostle Paul . . . "We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God" (2 Corinthians 1:8–9 NLT). I’ve walked with God through many seasons of intense pain—emotional, spiritual, and physical. Time and again, like Paul, I’ve found that God works through my pain to bring me into closer and sweeter fellowship with him. I want to help you experience this reality too with my Unshakable Bible study. With 8 video lessons on the book of Daniel and an accompanying workbook, Unshakable will empower you to handle life’s most unexpected circumstances and extreme pressures. [Unshakable is my thanks for your gift to Daily Hope today.]( Thank you for your generosity to touch more people with the Word of God in their moment of need—and may you know God’s purposes, presence, and peace . . . come what may! [I want unshakable faith >>]( [Get Hope Share Hope]  [Facebook](  [Instagram]( Sent to: {EMAIL} [Unsubscribe]( Daily Hope, PO Box 80448, Rancho Santa Margarita, California 92688, United States