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GOD KNOWS YOUR PAIN
“God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” – C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain
The words and phrases found the first chapter of the book of Samuel tell a story of pain: had none... closed... provoking... irritated... she wept... downhearted... great anguish and grief... And the account notes that, “this went on year after year...”
Year after year...
It wasn’t a short term experience or feeling. This was something that continued and continued and continued... Something that had to be endured.
Hannah was childless. Today that might not seem like a big deal. Back then, in ancient Israel, it was devastating. Much of a woman’s identity was attached to her ability to bear children. Being barren was considered a curse. It was a sign that God didn’t love you.
Whether or not those attitudes were justified, they were real. Especially for Hannah.
Year after year...
She must have wondered: What did I do to deserve this? Why doesn’t God love me? How can I fix this? And she didn’t just wonder it for a few gloomy hours on a solitary afternoon or even for a few days. She wondered it for weeks, then months, then years...
Year after year...
The story is recorded in the Bible because, when Hannah finally did have a child, it was Samuel (which means: “Because I asked the Lord for him”). He would become the judge of Israel and would anoint the nation’s first king.
Why did God decide to let Hannah be barren for so long? Why did He allow her to go through such pain? And why, if Samuel was part of His plan of redemption, was his birth such an ordeal?
We’ll never know the answers to those questions. All we know is that God knew what Hannah was going through, heard her prayer, and answered it.
God knows what you’re going through. He knows about your pain. Maybe the reason for that pain will never be made clear. But this much is clear: God cares. He has plans for you. He’s listening. And He’s working His will in your situation. Even if you can’t see it.
PRAYER: This hurts. I’ve been waiting and waiting, but I see no change. No answer. No relief. I’m frustrated and confused. Help me! Do something, God!
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About this Plan
The Netflix Original Series 13 Reasons Why follows the events leading up to and following a teenager's suicide. It focuses on a subject of great concern to our culture, but does so in a way that offers little hope for those dealing with depression or suicidal thoughts. This reading plan shares the encouragement God has provided in His Word for those struggling to find reasons to keep going.
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