Forgiveness Reading PlanSample

Dealing With Pain

Our tears and pain were never part of God’s original plan for us, nor will they be part of eternity. However, we live in a sort of parenthesis in the timeline of the universe, a “present age” (see Mark 10:30) between the garden (see Genesis 2:8) and the new heaven and new earth (see Revelation 21:1).

At the end of time, God will wipe away every tear (see Revelation 21:4). We will not experience this suffering forever. But during these present times, we see the results of sin’s contamination of the world: death, mourning and pain. We fail and let ourselves and others down. Others do the same. Instead of denying these negative aspects of our present life, we need to accept and deal with them in preparation for the time when God ends all the suffering. The Bible teaches us three keys that can help: forgiveness (see Ephesians 4:32), grief (see James 4:9) and healing (see Psalm 30:2). We must arm ourselves with these three things. They will help us grow, recover and move past the difficult times. The good news is that the pain is not the end of the story. God will give us current healing and future paradise. Our job is to be involved in the journey with him.