Tag: Pain

Loving People When They Hurt You: Thoughts from the Life of Judah and his Dad – 2025 Day 54 (Genesis 42-44)

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Read through the Bible in 2 years: Psalm 22, Genesis 42-44

Genesis 42 kicks off with the famine having spread to the land of Canaan, thereby forcing Jacob to send his sons to Egypt to buy grain. Jacob sends ten of his remaining sons, but refuses to send Joseph’s younger brother, Benjamin, the only other son of Rachel, “for he feared that harm might happen to him.” (Genesis 42:4) Jacob is still playing favorites, like I wrote about here.

As though that’s not bad enough, even after Simeon (Jacob’s second son from his unloved wife, Leah) is left behind in Egypt, Jacob continues to insist that Benjamin cannot go to Egypt, saying, “My son shall not go down with you [Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn son], for his brother [Joseph] is dead, and he is the only one left.” (Genesis 42:38) In fact, Jacob still has eight other sons in addition to Reuben left at home, namely Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, and Zebulun.

How would you feel if you heard your father say such a thing about one of your brothers?

Wouldn’t you want to scream and cry and stomp your feet, “Hey, Dad, what about me? Don’t you love me? Aren’t I your son? What about me and my children? What if we starve here from this famine?”

When the famine becomes even more severe and all the Egyptian grain has been consumed, Jacob is finally willing to send his sons again to Egypt to buy food. (Keep in mind, Simeon had been left in Egypt as a captive all this time.)

Judah, Jacob’s fourth son who was also born to Leah, solemnly pledges to his father, “From my hand you shall require him [Benjamin]. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.” (Genesis 43:9 ESV)

To which Jacob finally relents, “May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, and may he send back your other brother and Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.” (Genesis 43:14)

Now, put yourself in the shoes of Judah, or one of Leah’s other sons or worse yet one of the sons of Rachel’s servant Bilhah or Leah’s servant Zilpah. Imagine hearing your father refer to Simeon, your big brother as “your other brother” while Rachel’s son is referred to by name. Benjamin, Jacob’s last son. Benjamin, the only remaining son of Rachel, Jacob’s dearly loved wife who died during his birth. Benjamin, the “son of my right hand.”

Whether spoken intentionally or not, Jacob’s words communicated to his children that Benjamin is more valuable than they are. Read Judah’s own words to Joseph about his dad at the end of Genesis 44.

“As soon as he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die …
Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers. For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me?
I fear to see the evil that would find my father.”

Genesis 44:31a, 33-34 ESV

In spite of the pain that his father has caused him, Judah still loves his dad. He may not be expecting a prodigal son’s welcome home — no father running to him with arms open wide. Rather, he is expecting to arrive home to a father who is looking behind him to see if his baby brother is there. And yet … Judah is still worried about the deep pain that his brother’s loss will cause his father.

Are you having a hard time loving someone who has hurt you again and again? Are you struggling to forgive someone who has repeatedly broken your heart?

Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father,

How I long to see you face to face, to sit at your feet and have every tear wiped away from my eyes! How I ache for the pain and sin and sorrow of this world to be over!

But, Father, in the meantime, help me to love as Your Son loved. Remind me how much You have forgiven me. Show me my sin.

Help me to forgive even those who forget me and reject me and spit in my face. I want to forgive others as You have forgiven me.

Lord, I can’t do this on my own. I need Your strength. Help me to see the log in my own eye, to accept responsibility for where my own sin has contributed to the pain that I find myself in.

I want to overcome evil with good, for You are good and I am Yours.

In the Good and Gracious name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

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Hymn of Heaven by Phil Wickham

The Unloved Wife – 2025 Day 47 (Genesis 29-30)

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 15, Genesis 29-30

“When the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben, for she said, ‘Because the LORD has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.’

She conceived again and bore a son, and said, ‘Because the LORD has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also.’ And she called his name Simeon.

Again she conceived and bore a son, and said, ‘Now this time my husband will be attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.’ Therefore his name was called Levi.

And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, ‘This time I will praise the LORD.’ Therefore she called his name Judah.

Then she ceased bearing.”

– Genesis 29:31-35

Leah viewed her first three sons as tools to get her husband to love her.

  • Son #1: Now my husband will love me.
  • Son #2: The Lord has heard that I am hated.
  • Son #3: Now my husband will be attached to me.

Yet, it’s Leah’s fourth son, Judah, the son whose name means praise, the son whose birth brought Leah to say, “THIS TIME I WILL PRAISE THE LORD,” whom God chose to father the line of Jesus Christ, God’s only Begotten Son and the Savior of the World,

Friends, think about this: it was Leah, the unloved wife, whom God chose to bear Judah.

I remember my own time of marital pains  and infertility. Reading this story about Leah is such an encouragement to me.

God has purpose both in our fertility and in our barrenness. May we bring Him glory in both!

Are you feeling unloved today? I’ve been there. But so has Jesus. He knows how it feels to be rejected by those who were supposed to love Him. And Jesus, the Great I Am, loves you. He is worth a thousand times more than the most perfect husband or a thousand imperfect sons.

Let me pray over you.

Heavenly Father,

You are close to the broken-hearted. You are the God who remains faithful when man is faithless. You love the unloved and the unloveable, the poor, the lonely, the rejected.

You are the good shepherd who pursues His lost sheep.

I pray that we would praise You when life is easy, and we would praise You when life is hard. No matter what, You are worthy of our praise!

We offer our hearts, minds, wombs, and lives to You. Father, fill them as You will in Your perfect timing and for Your perfect purposes. Help us to trust You with our hearts and our hurts.

In the name of Jesus our Savior and King we pray, Amen.

Click here for more information on reading through the Bible in Two Years.

Jehovah Jireh –  The Lord will provide – 2025 Day 44 (Genesis 24)

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Read through the Bible in 2 years: Psalm 12, Genesis 24

When I read the story of Abraham offering Isaac in Genesis 22, I noticed in verse 8 that Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the Lamb for a burnt offering” and then in verse 14 that Abraham called the place, “the Lord will provide.”

“The Lord will provide” is the Hebrew name of God, “Jehovah Jireh.”

It really clicked in my mind, though, when I was teaching an online English Beginners Bible class focusing on Matthew 6:26-33.

“Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. 

Are you not of more value than they?

And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

And why are you anxious about clothing?

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Which then reminded me of Philippians 4:4-6

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

Reading Genesis 24, I kept thinking about how Abraham trusted Jehoveh Jireh, the providing God. I’m Genesis 22, Abraham was willing to offer up his dearly loved son, Isaac, because he had full confidence that God would provide. And now again in Genesis 24, Abraham fully trusted that God would provide a wife for that very same son.

This, friends, is FAITH. Faith is trusting that God will provide whatever we need, whatever is best for us.

Yesterday, my husband and I spent the day together as our youngest son, our own dearly loved son, attended a scholarship competition for a Christian university not too far from home. We are praying for the Lord to provide for him. Meanwhile, our youngest granddaughter has a bad case of hand, foot, and mouth. She’s miserable, and Mommy is exhausted. Again, we are praying for the Lord to provide for them. 

What do you need the Lord to provide? I’d love to pray for you. Leave a comment below.

Heavenly Father,

You own the cattle on a thousand hills. You are all-powerful, and You are good. You see us. You hear us. You know our every need. You are a good Father who delights in giving Your children good gifts.

Again and again you force us to rely on You. Truly, Father, this is a severe mercy. We are thankful for our neediness, so that we can recognize our desperate need to rely on Your power.

We are such a weak and needy people. We need daily bread. We need breath and food and rest. We need strength. We need wisdom. We need forgiveness. We need peace and hope and comfort and joy.

But what we need most, Father, is Your presence. Please, stay close to us, Father. Walk with us. Hold our hand. Abide with us and guide us by Your Spirit.

Thank You, Father, for providing everything that we need according to Your riches of glory in Christ Jesus.

Will you please provide for the specific needs that we each find ourselves in? I’m asking You to provide the finances, healing, and strength that my family needs. I know that You are able. Be glorified in our lives.

In the Almighty name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, we pray. Amen.

Click here for more information on reading through the Bible in Two Years.

Do Not Worry by Rain for Roots

Sorrow turned to Joy – 2025 Day 16 (John 16)

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Read through the Bible in 2 years: Proverbs 16, John 16

“Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.”

– John 16:20-22 ESV

When I look at this picture, which was taken just moments after my youngest son was born, so many memories of that day flood back into my mind. After laboring into the wee hours of the night, I’d gotten my first epidural out of a crazy need for some rest, only to find myself overwhelmed by an intense feeling of panic when I couldn’t take a deep breath or feel my legs.

Yet, when that baby boy was delivered, all 8 pounds 15 ounces of him, I was even more overwhelmed by a feeling of ecstasy and joy, unexplainable to anyone who has never delivered a baby.

All the pain and exhaustion
was worth it, the very instant that little boy drew his first breath
and let out his first cry.

Just as friends try to prepare a new mom for the pain of labor and delivery, Jesus was trying to prepare His disciples for the great sorrow they would experience at His upcoming death and departure. An important part of that preparation that many experienced moms forget to share, is the immense JOY that you will experience after the pain is over.

Friends, listen to me, someday it will be worth it! Soon and very soon we are going to see the king! And there will be no more crying there. In this world we will indeed have tribulation, but we can take heart because Jesus has overcome the world.

We don’t need to try to take shortcuts to avoid the pain, hiding our lights under bushels so no one can see them, drowning our sorrows in Facebook and food. Instead, we can rejoice today because we know with certainty that these labor pains are only temporary and that they will all be worth it when we see our Savior face to face.

Will you please join me in prayer?

Heavenly Father,

You are our hope in life and death. Help us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith. Help us to fix our minds on things that are above. Help us to number our hours and days, knowing that these times are in fact short and these trials are indeed light, in comparison to the eternal weight of glory that is to come.

We pray for those who are in the depths of sorrow today, who are at the peak of the incredible pain of labor, who can’t seem to make out that light at the end of this valley of despair. Father, please, be their comfort and help them to see Your everlasting arms carrying them and Your loving hand guiding them through this dark valley. Use us to encourage them. Help us to grieve with those who grieve just as deeply as we rejoice with those who rejoice.

We pray for those who are without hope today because they are without Christ. We pray that You will open their eyes and soften their hearts to the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ who bore their punishment by His death on the cross. May today be their day of salvation, that many will rejoice with the angels over one lost sinner who repents!

In the holy and good name of Jesus we pray. Amen

Click here for more information on reading through the Bible in Two Years.

One Thing I Know: I Once was Blind but Now I See – 2025 Day 9 (John 9)

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Read through the Bible in 2 years: Proverbs 9, John 9

Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.”

– John 9:3 ESV

God always has a plan and purpose in pain. Sometimes that plan is for discipline and chastisement, but sometimes God has other purposes. We have to be careful not to be so self-absorbed that we think our lives are only about us. Rather, we must recognize that as God’s children our lives are on display for the world to see. What trial are you facing right now? How can the works of God be displayed in that trial?

As Elisabeth Elliot wrote in Suffering is Never for Nothing, “It’s He who was the Word before the foundation of the world, suffering as a lamb slain. And He has a lot up His sleeve that you and I haven’t the slightest idea about now. He’s told us enough so that we know suffering is never for nothing.”

[Jesus] said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.”

– John 9:7a

Parents want their children to obey promptly, cheerfully, and completely. Likewise, we should obey our Heavenly Father promptly, cheerfully, and completely. This blind man must by faith obey Jesus and go wash in order to be healed.

  • What if he waited until tomorrow to wash?
  • What if he grumbled the whole way he was walking to the pool?
  • What if he went to a different pool that was more convenient to him?

How often do we fail to obey
(or our obedience comes from selfishness and pride)
and we miss out on a blessing that God has for us?

“His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” … He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.””

– John 9:20-21, 25 ESV

Did you notice how many times “know” and “don’t know” were used in verses 20 – 31? There are so many things that we don’t know, right? But there was something this healed man KNEW, “he was blind but now he sees.” Do you feel that way? Do you KNOW that?

Near the end of this chapter, in verse 35, when Jesus found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” and he answered, “Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” can you feel his joy in having his question answered, “You have SEEN Him, and it is He who is speaking to you”?

Can you answer with this man who once was blind but now sees, “Lord, I believe” and worship Him with joy-filled faith?

Heavenly Father,

You are the God who creates people who are born with sight and people who are born blind. You have purpose in both. Thank You for the gift of earthly sight that allows us to see the beauty of creation that we might be drawn to seek You. Thank You, also, for the gift of spiritual sight that we can see You at work in our lives and in the lives of others around us.

We pray that You will give us spiritual wisdom to obey You promptly, cheerfully, and completely. Please forgive us for all those times we have stubbornly refused to follow You, and all those times we have followed You grudgingly and half-heartedly, those times we’ve waited for a better time, or waited to hear You a second or third or fourth or hundredth time. Help us to be obedient children so that Your works and Your character will be powerfully on display in our lives.

We pray that we will recognize that we were once blind, so that we can be grateful for the GIFT of sight that we have received. Keep us humble and protect us from that pride which so easily creeps into our hearts. Thank You for Your lovingkindness and grace.

In the Almighty Name of Jesus our Savior and our Lord we pray. Amen.

Click here for more information on reading through the Bible in Two Years.