Linda Evans Shepherd - When You Cant Find God: How to Ignite the Power of His Presence

Comfort and prosperity have never enriched the world as much as adversity has.

Billy Graham

Promise Me a Pain-Free Life

Tracy clenched the steering wheel as she sped toward the airport in her tiny car. Her blue eyes reflected her misery. She asked, What I want to know is this: will I always have emotional pain in my life?

Her words were a continuation of a conversation wed started earlier that weekend when shed picked me up at the airport to take me to a womens conference. Along the miles, Tracy had described her childhood abuse and told me about her severe depression, for which she was under a doctors care.

I answered, I can tell you God loves you, but I cant promise that youll live the rest of your life totally free of pain.

Tracy frowned and appeared to study the eighteen-wheelers rushing toward us in the opposite lane of the freeway. You dont understand. Im desperate to know that I wont always hurt.

I watched as she twitched both her gaze and steering wheel as if she were thinking of plunging our car across the dividing line to meet an approaching tanker.

Alarmed, I said, Tracy, I wish I could promise you that you will never hurt again, but I can tell you theres hope. You can trust God, you really can.

The car rocked as the eighteen-wheeler rushed past us. Ahead I could see miles of big rigs, one following the other as they sped toward us.

Tracy swatted away a tear. But I need to know that I wont have to live with my pain forever.

As she began to eye the next tanker, I wished I could simply say, Say this magical prayer with me, Tracy, and all your troubles and pain will be gone forever.

Instead I said, Tracy, God loves you. You can ask him for help. God will hear you.

But I cant wait. I need help now or I might as well be dead.

I took in a deep breath. But Scripture says, Anyone who is among the living has hopeeven a live dog is better off than a dead lion!

Tracy stared at the trucks whizzing past. Id rather be that dead lion.

But you cant give up on God, you cant . This may be the very moment of your breakthrough. The enemy knows God has a purpose and plan for your life. The enemy is the one who wants you to give up.

This truth seemed to calm her, and as she continued to drive, I quietly assured her of Gods love and purpose for her life. When Tracy pulled in front of my airlines drop-off, I hugged her and prayed with her, but I could see in her eyes that her pain persisted.

Are Pain and Trouble Even Biblical?

An hour later, as I sat on the plane winging my way back to Colorado, I considered and prayed for this young lady who had so desperately pleaded for a pain-free life. I also thought of my own pain. It had been twenty years since a violent car crash had hurled my baby, while still in her car seat, into the middle of the freeway. Though my child had finally returned to me from her year-long coma, Id been heartbroken when shed woken up with severe disabilities. Oh, I understood pain and difficultiesId wrestled with them then, and I still face circumstances today that bring me pain.

But Tracy and I, and maybe even you, arent the only ones who have ever dealt with difficulties. Let me name a few biblical greats who endured their share of trouble and heartache. My greatly abbreviated list includes notables such as Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Job, Joseph, Moses, David, Elisha, Mary (the blessed one), the disciples, the sisters Mary and Martha, oh and lets see, even Jesus himself. (Well, at least were in good company.)

Jesus? Well, yes, he suffered more than anyone. So maybe we should consider this: if Gods own Son didnt get through life without pain and difficulties, why do we expect to do so?

I once heard a message by Dr. David Jeremiah on his radio program, Turning Point , where he explained that many people who come to Christ expect to leave their difficulties behind only to discover that their lives have become even more complicated.

Dr. Jeremiah explained, God never told us that it would be easy. He never gave us any reason to believe that if we became children of God through faith in Jesus Christ that we would be without problems.

Dr. Jeremiah speaks the truth. In fact, even the apostle James said, Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance (James 1:23).

James understood the secret of how not only to survive pain and difficulties but to find strength and the resulting miracle, a transformed life.

I like how the late Dr. Norman Vincent Peale put it when he said, Trouble is here. It is for a purpose. Use it for the purpose for which it was intendedto help you grow. Thank God for your troubles.

Are you serious? Well, yes, as Ill soon explain, and Ill also explain how you can live not as a victim but as a victor as I help you discover how to find real joy and rest. But before we get started, I want to take you to the place where several biblical greats including Moses, Elisha, and the wandering Israelites not only met trouble but also met God.