On Sunday, Pastor Josh continued our series on “Finding Purpose” by speaking about something we all have experience with: pain. Whether it’s physical pain, like a broken bone, or emotional pain, like losing someone you love, we all encounter pain in our daily lives.
Josh referenced John 16:33 where Jesus says, “Be courageous! I have CONQUERED the world.” And in Revelation 21:4 we read, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will no longer exist; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because the previous things have passed away.”
I love looking forward to the day I stand in front of Jesus and experience this for myself. However, I must first get through today, where grief, crying, and pain seem to consume life everywhere we look. How do we hold on long enough to make it from here to there?
Sunday we heard a song from Chad and The Ridge Worship Band titled “Anchor” by David Crowder. I had the opportunity to hear Crowder perform this song for the first time in front of a live audience post-pandemic lockdown. The church production team attended a conference in Atlanta where he was set to perform, and as lighting director, I had the opportunity to attend.
Although I learned a lot from the breakout sessions and the full conference teachings, it was the worship that made the biggest impact on me. Not just because I was watching the lights with amazement, excitement, and yes, maybe even a little envy; but hearing this song, in particular, and actually reading the words on screen as he sang it, I reflected on where I was in the moment and where I will be when I leave this earth.
There are three basic parts to the song: the calls made to God’s people, what God’s people do when He calls, and God’s promise.
The song calls on those who are battered, those with shattered hearts, those who are weary and hopeless. It calls all the sons and daughters.
It instructs us what to do when we are feeling the pains of life. We are to plead on bended knee, and run to the Father. We are to hold on, bow down, and come home.
God’s promise to us, as referenced in John 16:33 and Revelation 21:4, is that He will be there. Jesus will anchor us during the storms of life. During the pain of illness, the hurt of loss, and the darkness of war, God will be right there with us, comforting us during our time of desperation. God never said life on earth would be easy or pain-free. Sin in the world causes us to experience the exact opposite. But God’s promise to us is His love, comfort, and healing during rough times, and ultimately, an eternal destination where these feelings of pain do not exist.
Whether it is a painful diagnosis, the end of a relationship, or the passing of a child, God is there to comfort us, to love us, to be the anchor we need during the difficult storms in our lives. We are to hang on during these times of pain. I encourage you this week to memorize John 16:33 and Revelation 21:4. These truths will help remind you to embrace God’s promise. |
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