A World of Pain.

Psalm 10:17-18
17 You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted;
you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,
18 defending the fatherless and the oppressed,
in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.

The world is accompanied by a great deal of pain. Certain things are never pleasing. Certain circumstances are hard to cope with. No matter where you live, from the United States to New Zealand to Finland, hard times exist. Of course depending on the location pain is different. Also, everyone experiences a varying type of pain. Generally though, pain still occurs for the same reasons no matter your location.

Frequently, our pain is caused by hopelessness. When we hear something deeply concerning it stays in our mind for a while. It can be very challenging to heal from certain situations. It can be even more difficult to come out of a negative situation when another wave of trouble washes over us. The world seems to be the bearer of bad news.

Our world is painful because of human violence, natural destruction, and personal relationship struggles filled with sorrow. These discouraging messages makes it hard not to be hopeless. Remember, it happens to everyone, not just you.

Take a deep breath when you have a feeling of anguish. That, along with prayer, is the best way to clear your mind. Think about it: If we keep all the pain inside of us, then it prevents us from hearing God, a vital thing in our relationships with the Lord. Spend some time taking deep breaths if you're going through a rough part of your life.

Now listen to "Come to Jesus" by Chris Rice and tell me if it isn't a touching a song. I haven't heard it in a long time, but it's so comforting to you know that Jesus is not that far away. He's there for you through thick and thin.



P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.