God’s ways are not my ways…and that’s a very good thing.
If you are a Christian, all of your hopelessness died on the third day when God the Son killed death itself and rose to life again. Victory and power rests in the empty tomb of Jesus Christ, and because he holds the keys to life and death, I can trust that he knows exactly what he’s doing in my life through my pain.
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Photo: Unsplash, Martin Adams
I’ve been a chronic pain patient for several years, suffering from degenerative disc disease that puts pressure on my sciatic nerve, causing radiating nerve pain in my right leg. It’s been absolutely miserable for me, but also one of the most spiritually formative things in my life.
I’m reminded here of the eulogy former NFL player Jonathan Evans gave at the home-going celebration of his mother, Lois Evans, when she lost her battle with cancer. He admitted to the hundreds of people in attendance that he had been wrestling with God over why she was not healed and allowed to live despite all the people who were praying for her around the world.
Evans confessed that he questioned God by stating, “[Her healing] was an opportunity for us to see your glory—where are you?”1 And then Evans told the crowd that as he wrestled, God answered. Here’s what he said God brought to his mind: