You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. Psalm 56:8
Where is God when we’re going through pain? Does He care and did He cause it?
Laila is the mom of an 18-month-old toddler who got a large splinter in her foot. As a mom, Laila knew she needed to get it out immediately, but her daughter howled in pain as she tried. Her baby couldn’t understand why her mother was hurting her, and she just wanted it to stop right now! The mother was crying and telling her daughter how sorry she was to be causing her pain, but of course, her little girl couldn’t make sense of it. She hoped her daughter would understand her mother’s kisses and hugs after the splinter was out and the pain subsided.
Our God, your Father in heaven, doesn’t ever delight in your pain. He cries with you, feeling every bit of it. He’d rather take the pain Himself than have you experience it. But there are times when, just as that mother knew an untreated splinter could result in an infection, your loving God knows that a painful intervention is needed. He is not shortsighted and refuses to ignore problems that could be devastating later on. But God hates the process of pain– it’s not in His nature! Pain is the byproduct of our imperfect world and the sin in it.
When we walk through something painful, Jesus holds us with His scarred hands. That’s why Jesus can be trusted. The Bible’s Psalm 56, verse 8, says, “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.” God remembers each one of your tears. This is the heart of a Father who cares and can be trusted through all life’s pains.
