Last week, I talked about how God had me insert “chronically ill” into my reading of His Word. In my current suffering, every Scripture then comes to life, real and applied to my cries. No shame, no fear, but so loved by our Lord as He speaks tenderly to the pain and lovingly guides and shapes my thoughts.
What words need to be inserted before each verse to describe your suffering context right now, your present reality? Are you feeling shame about the suffering? Unable to sing to our Abba Father because you feel unworthy before Him? Afraid of Him? Keeping your Bible shut as a result?
In our suffering situation, we can both know we’re spiritually safe, and we can safely come to Him with anything, by…
Christ lives in you, beloved in Christ, in this very context of suffering. Let’s both remember we have been placed into the kingdom of light (Col. 1:13) through, by, because of, and for our Suffering Servant, our Savior. Of course, this world feels increasingly unsafe in every way, and our suffering worsens this!
But the One who willingly entered this fallen world in our place is the One who is also keeping us spiritually safe, Christ in us!
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not (Is. 53:3 ESV).
There is a place of quiet rest,
near to the heart of God,
a place where sin cannot molest,
near to the heart of God.
(“Near to the Heart of God,” McAfee, C. B., 1901)
New life in Christ, spiritually safe and without shame
But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is life because of righteousness (Rom. 8:10 ESV).
Christ’s righteousness is now ours (2 Cor. 5:21)! He’s made us “new creations in Christ” (2 Cor. 5:17)! No rejection, not now or ever. If you’re afraid our Father is rejecting you because you’re suffering right now, perhaps just come to Jesus who IS God, a believer’s “treasure in [our] earthen vessel” (2 Cor. 4:7). Do you believe Jesus is God, in the person of the Son?
For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame” (Rom. 10:11 ESV)!
There is a place of comfort sweet,
near to the heart of God,
a place where we our Savior meet,
near to the heart of God.
Tell Him all of your sorrow, tell Him about all of your own sin, where you know you’ve fallen short of obeying His standard of completely holy perfection. Because everyone has! Maybe today’s the day to tell Jesus you want Him to live IN you and change you, as the One who loved you and took every bit of the punishment you deserve for this sin that separates you from a holy God.
Or maybe you need to remind yourself that Christ already is in you by His Spirit, because You are in Him! To remind yourself of the gospel! For me, it’s daily.
There is a place of full release,
near to the heart of God,
a place where all is joy and peace,
near to the heart of God.
Ask Him to speak tenderly to your hurting heart as you read His Word, His answers, His healing and protecting words of love written for you. In this suffering, right now.
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 4:6 ESV, emphasis added).
Christ in you, the hope of glory! (Col. 1:27)
You may still suffer on earth, but those whom God has saved from sin’s deserved punishment are now and forever safe in the arms of Jesus. He holds us as our Mediator before our Father and prays for us as our Great High Priest in this fallen world’s trials as well as our temptations to sin.
Can you hear the song of hope, joy, and peace He’s given to us in this suffering, as we wait to see Jesus? What excellency of our triune God’s power and love, all from Him, in Him, and to Him in our Lord Jesus Christ! Beloved in Christ, this is the heart of our God, and as we suffer, He is drawing us both near.
This is our actual context, as those who are spiritually safe!
O Jesus, blest Redeemer,
sent from the heart of God,
hold us who wait before Thee
near to the heart of God.
Write me! I’m here to encourage you, sister in Christ! See below for the resources I’m creating as our Lord enables me…in my chronically ill and pained body. I’ll be using the playlist gift this week to sing praise to Him for the spiritually safe hope we have in Christ alone, as we suffer. If you’d like to join me, sign up below, and it will come to your email, with love.
To read more of Lauri’s writing, you can use her devotional Bible study lament prayer journals: Praying God’s Promises Into Suffering, or Near to God: A Devotional Bible Study of God’s Character as We Suffer, or Singing the Gospel to Job: Finding Hope in Suffering. In the Valleys of God’s Love is written for children aged 3-8, a perfect read for grandparents, parents, and children to share together, preparing them for suffering to come.
For Scripture devotionals, calming hymns, and encouragement from Lauri, click here for YouTube podcast
For those with chronic illness and pain, a monthly music therapy-inspired podcast of Scripture and hymns to ease symptoms
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