#PurposeInYourPain

This morning I was working in my office and I heard that familiar still small voice.."Mariann, there is a purpose in your pain." My emotions soared immediately and all I wanted to do was pen down the excitement I felt at that precise moment.

When you've been on a roller coaster of pain, uncertainty, hope, more uncertainty and more pain it can get kind of tough to hold your head up, putting one foot in front of the other day by day, being positive and clinging on to the only constant in your life, Jesus, it makes sense to get excited when He whispers into your spirit, "there is purpose in your pain."

Before I left for church this evening the Holy Spirit reminded me of the refiner's fire.
Psalm 66:10 (NKJ) For You, O God has tested us, You have refined us as silver is refined. 

Malachi 3:3 (NKJ) He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness. 

God doesn't afflict us with pain but He sometimes will allow it to bring us closer to Him. Just as fire refines silver in the smelting process, trials refine our character.  They bring us a new deeper wisdom, helping us discern truth from falsehood and giving us the discipline to do what we know is right. Sometimes we bargain with God, "God if you heal me or God if you stop this suffering, I will do this and this for You," and as soon as He does it, we forget the vow we've made. I'm not saying that you should relish in your pain and suffering and make yourself out to be a martyr for Him but to just take a moment and ask of Him the reason or purpose of it all. Sometimes He answers and sometimes He doesn't, but in all of it, we should trust Him. Trust that He is actively working behind the scenes and that He is in the midst of everything we are going through.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are
called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

I don't know what some of you are going through right now. Maybe you are caught between a rock and a hard place, facing or dealing with the death of a loved one, struggling with a wayward child or spouse, watch someone you love fade away because of some dreadful chronic disease or fighting your own battle with sickness and disease. You may not understand why these things are happening and have been praying for a miracle. God answers prayer but not always in the way that we expect or want Him to. Friend can I encourage you tonight....just trust Him. Cast your burdens unto Him. If you are going through the refiner's fire, be assured that as you are purified by God, His reflection in your life will become more and more clear to those around you. Without heating and melting there can be no purification. 

Shalom