Currently, I have a large herniated disc that is compressing the nerves that go into my right leg. I can’t sit for more than a couple minutes. I drag my leg while walking. Who would praise God when their body is incredibly uncomfortable? I would! BUT IT IS HARD. This pain is a burden, but I know praising God is good for my soul, especially now. I’d like to share 4 verses that will help train your heart to be a “Come What May” type of worshipper. Verse that reminds us to offer our thanks to Him despite our chronic pain!
Pslam 69:29-30
29 But I am afflicted and in pain; May Your salvation, O God, set me securely on high. 30 I will praise the name of God with song And magnify Him with thanksgiving.
Although David’s pain wasn’t “chronic pain” as we know now, his pain was still chronic. How else would you describe having to run and hide from your son for over a decade?
David couldn’t get comfortable anywhere. His Psalms describe his constant stress of running and traveling many miles. There was no peace for him. He probably never imagined his life would include a power-hungry, murderous son.
We may not have children hunting us, but I’m sure we can relate to the discomfort of stress, overexertion, and the inability to get comfortable in our bodies.
I love how we see David, calling out to God in his pain and suffering. Despite his pain and discomfort, David sings to the Lord and glorifies him through his thanksgiving! It is powerful to see the man after God’s own heart, surrendering to the sovereignty of the Lord and thanking him even when everything is AWFUL for him!
We are capable of this behavior also. Instead of focusing on how our pain limits us, drives us insane, wears us out… we can turn to the Lord and thank Him. Reading further to verse 31, we see that this thanksgiving is a type of offering that pleases God more than any offering of ox or bull would have. He wants our gratitude, not because He needs it, but because He knows it is good for our hearts.
Psalm 106:1
106 Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
For His mercy is everlasting.
When pain has clouded our minds, we can feel as if we are walking through a thick snowfall that sticks to us. It weighs us down. It attempts to bury any goodness we have in our lives. This verse is like a snowblower, clearing a path for us back to our Father!
When we praise Him as that sticky snow tries to white us out, it slips right off. Our eyes become focused on our maker. Our God who is Good. Our God who is merciful to see us through every painful step we take through this life.
Colossians 2:6-7
6 Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.
When our flesh and our physical bodies are struggling, it is hard to remember what we are supposed to be doing as Christ’s people. Although we feel broken and dysfunctional (which we are, but bear with me), it is ok!
Notice how Apostle Paul is encouraging us to focus on our faith being firmly rooted in Christ. He doesn’t say our muscles must be bulging or we must be able to run a marathon. It is important that we do what we can to remain physically healthy, but that isn’t the point of this verse. We are called to keep seeking Jesus, building up our faith in Him and THIS is what will bring us an overflow of gratitude.
We are called to keep our faith and walk with Jesus healthy first and foremost. When we practice this, we are told that genuine thankfulness will come with it!
1Thessalonians 5:16-18
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
What a wonderful, practical verse this is for us in the chronic pain community! Straight from God, He has expressed His will for us in this simple verse.
- Rejoice Always = God’s goodness is everywhere if we choose to seek it and dwell in it.
- Pray Without Ceasing = Prayer is to get our will in line with God’s will.
- In Everything Give Thanks = It changes our hearts when we worship Him regardless of hardship.
- This is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus = Being in God’s will is the safest place for your soul to be!
Well, What Now?
Amid the pain, it can be hard to find God, I know. It can feel as if He is not there when you’re most vulnerable. When nerve pain flares through my leg, making me feel like a cattle prod is shocking me intensely, my flesh typically turns to “HOW DO I MAKE THIS STOP.” Rarely is my first thought, “Let me open my Bible right now.” More often, curse words are the first that come to mind, not words of praise to God.
I encourage you to stop right now and go to the Lord in prayer. If any of these verses moved your heart, I pray that you would meditate on it in the presence of our God. Ask Him to bring more clarity to His message and what He wants you to learn from it. If you are able to remember anything, remember this:
God’s grace is sufficient through us, His power is made better in our weakness.
He knows exactly what we’re dealing with and He knows we aren’t always going to handle it well. Prayers and blessings to Chronic Believers!
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