Emotions

For Those Who Hurt

The logs crackle in the fireplace, the lights twinkle on the Christmas tree, and the room is filled with sounds of family laughing and singing together.

The cider mugs clink as they're passed around, and the aroma of cinnamon mingles gently with the pine of the tree. The stockings are bulging, and the ribbons on the presents sparkle, as if in anticipation of the fun to come the next morning. Does this scene sound like something on a postcard or in a fictional story? For many, many people it is.

Maybe you are one who reads a description like this and silently thinks, "Oh, sure. What a dream world. It's not that way at my house, and it never will be."

From the pain of divorce and separation to the agonies of loss through death, many families are torn apart. And more families than you may realize who are still together are less than loving and ideal.

Maybe you feel oppressed by unending financial burdens, with no foreseeable prospects for change. Circumstances may have left you without friends or resources, and trying to reach out and start over seems like an overwhelming effort.

You've probably learned by now that part of God's purpose for the pain He has allowed in your world is to help you grow up in Him and learn to trust Him. There's no better teacher than hardship to stimulate an active faith. (Philippians 3:10; James 1:1-12; 1 Peter 4:13)

But there is another side to suffering, and it's one that many feel is too "mushy" to talk about. God is driving you to embrace the comfort of Jesus Christ. He is more than the Savior who died to take away your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) He is the loving, gentle Savior who wants to wipe away your tears and ground your hope in His sure promises.

The little baby in the manger had an important job to do as He grew up - to demonstrate God's love to a lost and dying and pitiful world of twisted bodies and twisted dreams. Jesus could be tough and firm, that is true.

He always had the perfect, pointed words for His listeners, and sometimes those who didn't think they needed Him got angry. Yet for the hurting and humble, Jesus was ready to give more than they even asked for. In this following portrait of tenderness, take a closer look at the work of the hands that soon would suffer pain on the Cross for you.

She probably did not even feel well that day. It did not take much exertion to sap her feeble strength; the bleeding would not stop, and every hour more energy passed from her. For twelve years she had suffered.

The doctors could not help her, and no one had any answers. What made her condition of hemorrhage so much worse was what Jewish law mandated. Anyone with a flow of blood was unclean until the bleeding stopped.

It is not hard to imagine that she had few, if any, friends. No matter how much another woman may have desired to reach out to her, she did not dare, at the risk of becoming unclean herself. So day after day this lonely woman led a meager and isolated existence - everyday until this one, that is.

She had heard about Jesus of Nazareth, how He brought authoritative teaching and healing to all who were willing to listen. If she could only get to see Him . . .

The problem was that He was such a popular teacher that people pressed around Him everywhere He walked. How would she even get close?

This woman knew in her heart that Jesus was the only solution for her problem. It didn't matter what it took to see Him; she only knew she must. So she joined the crowd following Him.

Then, in one miraculous moment, He passed right by her. She leaned forward with all the exertion she could muster and touched the fringe of His cloak. Immediately, her bleeding stopped. As amazing as that was, she never could have anticipated what Jesus did next.

He stopped and said, "Who is the one who touched Me?" The disciples were confused of course. "Master, the people are crowding and pressing in on You" (Luke 8:45).

But Jesus persisted, "Someone did touch Me, for I was aware that power had gone out of Me." She was a little scared by now. She had planned to touch Him and drift quietly away, but He did not allow that. She fell at His feet trembling, telling her whole story.

With compassion and love beyond words, Jesus said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace" (v. 48). Daughter was a term of tender, fatherly endearment.

Can you imagine how she felt? For the first time in years, she was loved—and she was healed. Jesus had not only returned her to physical health, He had restored her entire life and allowed her to spend her remaining years in the comfort of family and friends.

What aching need do you have in your life right now? Are you afraid to approach Jesus and tell Him about it? He already knows, of course. Jesus didn't really need to ask who touched Him; in His sovereign wisdom, He knew the answer. What He desired was for the woman to come forward and approach Him face to face to receive His gift of comfort and love. He wanted her to admit her need to Him without shame or fear.

What is holding you back? Are you afraid He won't care? Maybe years of rejection by those around you has convinced you that your need isn't important, that you're not worth the bother. But that isn't what Jesus says, and He waits for you to come to Him.

Do you struggle with restless, empty, or guilt feelings? You might have even tried to get rid of them by helping other people, doing charity work, or escaping from the pain through various activities or consuming hobbies.

But when you're done, the old feelings are still there. Jesus wants you to come sit down at His table, fellowship with Him, know the comfort of His unending presence. Matthew did, and he became one of the chosen twelve disciples.

Are you going to focus on your circumstances and the things you wish you could change but cannot? It doesn't do any good to dwell on the negative. If you have suffered for years, you understand the truth behind this statement. That is why we're told to set our minds on things above—they're the only things that matter in the end. (Colossians 3:2)

Are you going to let Jesus, the tender Savior, carry your pain and lead you into a secure future in His love? You didn't have a choice about the hurt you already endure, but you do have the choice of allowing Jesus to bear it for you.

Jesus understands. He looks at you with love in His eyes and says softly, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).