How does a broken heart heal, Lord?
Where do You take all the pain?
Do You remove it and store it in darkness?
Or is it the thunder I hear with the rain?
Are the stars little explosions of heartbreak?
Is the sea filled up with the dread
of brokenness, tears and heartache
of the lonely, afflicted, mislead?
God, where do You place all the hurting?
Where does all that pain lie?

Child, why is it you ask Me such questions
when the answer has always been thine?
The cross is where all of that hurting,
all the pain and suffering you tend,.
no matter what your affliction
My Son’s sacrifice dealt with its end
Any tears that you shed hereafter
I store in heavenly jars.
They’re My treasured pearls and keepsakes
’til I have you safe in My arms.

I love you, My child, can you hear Me?
My cry of devotion echoes through eternity,
poured out in the blood of Jesus
so that I can have you always and forever
created you were just for Me.
Written January 25, 2004

About the author:
Julie Munro lives in New Zealand and is learning to let the joy that is felt in God’s constant presence help her make it through each day.

You can now read this on your Kindle. Find out more at http://TodaysDevotionOnKindle.com

How does it make you feel to know that nothing happening in your life right now surprises God? That He knows every ache you will ever have?

But He does know exactly how you are feeling today. . . and how you will feel tomorrow. He knows you lack energy, even on days you may have enthusiasm and you feel like the day was wasted. Remember that God never wastes anything. Your time and your experiences are all a part of His greater plan.

The Will of God

The will of God will never take you,
Where the grace of God cannot keep you,
Where the arms of God cannot support you,
Where the riches of God cannot supply your needs,
Where the power of God cannot endow you.

The will of God will never take you,
Where the Spirit of God cannot work through you,
Where the wisdom of God cannot teach you,
Where the army of God cannot protect you,
Where the hands of God cannot mold you.

The will of God will never take you,
Where the love of God cannot enfold you,
Where the mercies of God cannot sustain you,
Where the peace of God cannot calm your fears,
Where the authority of God cannot overrule for you.

The will of God will never take you,
Where the comfort of God cannot dry your tears,
Where the Word of God cannot feed you,
Where the miracles of God cannot be done for you,
Where the omnipresence of God cannot find you.

Everything happens for a purpose. We may not see the wisdom of it all now, but trust and believe in God that everything is for the best.

~Author unknown

Lisa Copen submitted this devotional. She is the founder of Rest Ministries and lives with rheumatoid arthritis.

You can now read this on your Kindle. Find out more at http://TodaysDevotionOnKindle.com

Do you ever fear God’s will, afraid it will take you on a path that is harder than you feel equipped to deal with?

Adoration to My Holy God

By Rhonda Sawtelle

To God be the glory, and honor due Your holy Name.
God, the most holy. I meditate on Your majesty.
God, the most holy. I am in awe–Almighty, Absolute Being.
God, the most holy. I glorify Your greatness.
To God be the glory, and honor due Your holy Name.

God, the most holy. I can’t begin to fathom Your faithfulness.
God, the most holy. I marvel at Your mercy. God, the most holy.
I can’t imagine Your immutability.
To God be the glory, and honor due Your holy Name.
God, the most holy. I treasure Your trustworthiness.
God, the most holy.

I give voice to Your goodness. God, the most holy.
I’m wowed by Your wisdom.
To God be the glory, and honor due Your holy Name.
God, the most holy. I am secure in Your sovereignty.
God, the most holy. I am sheltered in Your Self-existence.
God, the most holy. I am galvanized (inspired) by your Grace.

God, the most holy. I am invigorated by Your infinitude.
To God be the glory, and honor due Your holy Name.
God, the most holy. I am overcome by Your omniscience.
God, the most holy. I am humbled by Your holiness.To God be the glory, and honor due Your holy Name.

__________________________

Each of us need to remember who God is. He is greater than we can even comprehend. And yet, the Holy God loves me (and you) so much. He has no reason to love us—He simply does. However, He is also holy. He loves us, but abhors sin. If I want to create a positive day, then I need to remember Who God is and live my life acting on that knowledge. God, the most holy. To God be the glory, and honor due Your holy Name.

About the Author:
Rhonda Sawtelle lives with chronic headaches and pain due to failed back surgery syndrome. Her philosophy is “Create a positive day!” She enjoys watching football, digital scrapbooking, and reading. To read more about how Rhonda creates a positive day, even while living with pain, visit her blog: http://createapositiveday.blogspot.com.

You can now read this on your Kindle. Find out more at http://TodaysDevotionOnKindle.com

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus tomorrow, may you be filled with the comfort and joy that is available to you through the love of Jesus and His availability to each of us, right where you are.

God, my Confidant, my Savior,
Faithful is His code of behavior.
Steadfast, unchangeable, unshakable.
Being something different—He’s just unable.
I Am can be nothing other than who He is.

True blue, never slow, never wavering.
Rock-solid; forever unchanging.
In the past, He has proven Himself true.
In the present and future, He’ll simply continue.
I Am can be nothing other than who He is.

Promises kept, loyal, reliable, sure.
Awesome faithfulness—without measure.
No role in God’s faithfulness, has human frailty.
Unfaithfulness to God’s Being is contrary.
I Am can be nothing other than who He is.

Unfathomable, incomprehensible,
It is simply and utterly impossible—
Unfaithfulness is not even a choice.
In God’s faithfulness—with assurance—rejoice.
I Am can be nothing other than Who He Is.

Prayer: Lord, remind me who You are. Don’t allow my thoughts to doubt You or the power You have over my life! You are faithful, have always been faithful, and always will be faithful. I can rest in this if I allow myself to do so

About the Author:
Rhonda Sawtelle lives with chronic headaches and pain due to failed back surgery syndrome. Her philosophy is “Create a positive day!” She enjoys watching football, digital scrapbooking, and reading. To read more about how Rhonda creates a positive day, even while living with pain, visit her blog: http://createapositiveday.blogspot.com.

You can now read this on your Kindle. Find out more at http://TodaysDevotionOnKindle.com

How do you remember the times God is faithful in your life? Do you write them down? Make a note in your Bible? Perhaps you have not made a formal record of it. Would you considering doing so? How might this change your perspective when dealing with difficult times?

I go to church every Sunday,
and start waiting for it the next Monday.
So I guess by now I should have learned,
that You alone have always yearned.
To be the One I come to most,
the one and only, Holy Ghost.

In my fright I did not see,
When you, O Lord, snuck up to me.
When I asked, “Where have you been?”
You replied, “With you, always.”

Kristen Matthews, 17, is a senior in high school and she wrote this poem at the age of 15. She says, “This poem reminds people that God is always here for them, even when we don’t feel Him.”

The Gift of Pain

Physical, emotional, chronic –

Consumes, swallows, saps,

Drains.

Connecting, responding,

Reaching out

Requires more

Energy,

Effort,

Emotion,

Than the pain sometimes allows,

Leaving me separated, isolated,

Alone.

Words lie flat on printed pages –

Unclear,

Obscure,

Perplexing.

Thoughts drift, wander,

Swirl out of reach,

Refusing to make sense,

Take shape,

Opaque,

Leaving me wordless,

Isolated,

Alone.

Pain is difficult to define,

Describe, color,

Number, name,

A formless image,

A vapor, a mist,

A mirage

That dissolves, dissembles, disappears

As I try to capture it in words,

Wanting it to be concrete,

Quantifiable,

Understandable to others…

To me.

Yet the mystery

Is that once accepted,

Embraced,

Understood as allowed

By the Hand of my Heavenly Father,

Pain becomes a gift –

A mysterious,

Powerful,

Incomprehensible gift –

Able to refine, cleanse,

Justify, purify

And strengthen my soul,

Deepening my faith

And leaving in its wake,

A humble,

Useful, usable

Teachable,

Willing spirit,

Intrinsically reflecting

The heart and soul and mind

Of GOD.

Cindee Snider Re lives in Wisconsin with her husband and their five children (ages 10-18). She’s a homeschooling mom who enjoys long walks, quiet evenings, and strong, black tea, who is also learning to live well with a permanent spine and rib injury, an unexpected blessing through which her best writing is born. Cindee’s writing can be found at: http://www.breathedeeply.org.

And then! Lovingly, He showed them
the wounds in His side, His hands,
wanting them to know He’d hurt, too
and now He could understand…
Understand each pain and each trial
that they would ever go through,
understand their tribulations
for He had felt them, too.

For God is not a God
who kept Himself protected,
not a God who played it safe
and tried not to be affected.
He was willing to walk our earth
and feel what it is to be man;
that was one of His intentions
and part of His perfect plan.

So when you have a hurting heart
and in your personal pains and aches,
know that He’s been wounded, too,
and for you, His own heart breaks.
In His mercy and compassion
and because of all He went through,
Jesus cares for your every concern
and feels it along with you.

When He goes to wipe your tears,
know He’s had tears of His own.
He’s experienced loneliness and loss,
so you’re not wounded alone.
No, you’re not wounded alone.

About the Author:
Cynthia Evans is a published poet living in the greater Atlanta area. When she’s not writing, you might find her serving at Christian companies, traveling, walking or watching inspirational films.

By Debra Kay Micetich

Coping with my Pain

The pain most times I am able to bare;
Yet there are times, I fail to share.
I try to be strong, til it goes away;
In tears with faith, I kneel to pray.
As I set my mind on the Lord above,
My heart is filled with so much love.
Knowing He is always caring for me,
Safe with Him I know I’ll always be.
As my thoughts turn from pain to Him,
I forget the pain I once felt within.
Thank you, Lord, for helping me once more,
On the wings of your love, I freely soar.

By Debra Kay Micetich, 12/05/2010. Debra has suffered with chronic pain and clinical depression due to scoliosis.

She shared the following with us here at Rest Ministries:

I have been receiving your e-mails for some time. I have been blessed in many ways despite the pain I suffer on daily basis. God truly has given me a gift that I love and that is reading and sometimes even writing. I have never had anything published, it’s just something I use to reach out to those I want to encourage or care about so I thought I would share a few of the many, many poems I have written as I feel this may be a calling from the Lord.

I am woman who has grown living a life full of adversity and I wouldn’t trade any of it for the woman it has made me today. A woman who can pass on the love and lessons I have learned to others seeking their self-worth and security in themselves because you see, I can see them through the eyes of a loving Savior, so thank you God for making me who I am. I am submitting one as a sample, I have never been published, I just want to share out of love for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as I identify with so many of the people I have read about through your devotionals.

Related articles

• God Can Sing Over You When You Are In Pain (chronicillnesspaindevotionals.wordpress.com)
• God Says, “I Have Loved You With An Everlasting Love” Despite Your Pain (chronicillnesspaindevotionals.wordpress.com)

Available at Etsy, Click Photo for Details

It is always good to keep perspective and search for some blessings that surround us we may not even see.

You are blessed…

If you own just one Bible, you are abundantly blessed; 1/3 of the world does not have access to even one.

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million who will not survive the week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 500 million people around the world.

If you attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, or torture of death, you are more blessed than almost three billion people in the world.

If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish some place, you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.

If your parents are still married and alive, you are very rare, even in the United States.

If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful, you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.

If you can hold someone’s hand, hug them, or even touch them on the shoulder, you are blessed because you can offer God’s caring touch.

If you prayed yesterday and today, you are in the minority because you believe in God’s willingness to hear and answer prayer.

If you believe in Jesus as the Son of God, you are part of a very small minority in the world.

If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read anything at all.

Anonymous

Related articles

• Glorifying God in Suffering of Illness and Pain (chronicillnesspaindevotionals.wordpress.com)

In the long night of suffering, to fall

Feeling hopeless while dark clouds unfold

Your gentle words bid me recall

I’m at His mercy and I never had it so good!

When dreams held long and close to my heart,

Promises no longer seem mine to embrace

The heavens like brass refusing to part

Your loving counsel reveals The Lord’s grace

I’m at His mercy and I never had it so good!

When fears shadow my nights and my days

Hope eludes my searching, His peace to know

Tears blinding my eyes from The Son’s rays

Your faith tested and tried, His glory does show

I’m at His mercy and I never had it so good!

Nora Peacock © 2009
Nora Peacock, twice a survivor of stage 4 lymphoma, lives with chronic pain and fatigue. Surgical complications have left her mobility-challenged and in pain since 2001. A car accident in 2002 fractured C-5 in her neck, in addition to a fall in 2003 which caused permanent nerve damage to her right leg. Married 42 years, this mother of 7 children rests in the loving hands of her Heavenly Father. With rejoicing she declares: “I’m still walking, talking, and writing!”

May today there be peace within each of us.

May we trust that You are have called us to be here & that this is where we are meant to be.

May You help us to remember the infinite possibilities that are born of faith, not only in You, but in ourselves & those around us.

May we, even in our brokenness, use the gifts that You have given us, & pass on the hope & love that we find in Your presence.

May You teach us to be content with ourselves just the way we are & to recognize You in everyone we meet & in all creation.

Lord, let the wisdom & grace You provide settle into our bones, & allow our souls the freedom to sing, dance, praise, hope & love even when our bodies ache.

Grant us the grace & underst&ing to share our gifts with others in whatever way possible so that Your presence on earth is known.

We ask this in Your name. Amen

Reprinted with permission from Rev. Karen Clark, HopeKeepers Leader at First-Plymouth in Lincoln, NE

The price for all the sin & wrong
That we would ever do.
While knowing that someday we all
Would st& & be judged, too.

They led Him down that lonely road,
“Way of Suffering” the name,
They mocked Him & they scourged Him,
And, they placed on Him all blame.

He drank the bitter cup
Without a word in His defense,
But, when He cried, “Tis finished!”
The angry crowd could sense

This was no ordinary man
Who hung there on the tree,
And, gave His love, His life, His all
To ransom you & me.

When on the third day He arose,
And conquered death & sin,
He spoke to us of heavenly homes.
And new life to begin.

If we’ll take our cross, & drink our cup,
And shed these robes of sin,
Someday we’ll hear those blessed words,
“I find no fault in him!”

About the Author:
Alice enjoys helping others, so she has had to learn to save in her energy bank account for those occasions when they arise. Living with Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities & severe degenerative arthritis takes away lots of her energy, but God always provides when she needs it most. He is worthy of all praise!
Copyright Alice Ervin – Please do not copy without permission