2 Corinthians 7:10-11 “Pain handled in God’s way produces a turning from sin to God which leads to salvation, and there is nothing to regret in that! But pain handled in the world’s way produces only death. For just look at what handling the pain God’s way produced in you! What earnest diligence, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what readiness to put things right! In everything you have proved yourselves blameless in the matter.” (CJB)
We’ve all had our share of rough patches in life. When life throws you a curveball, it’s tempting to run away and hide from the pain and everything else. It sometimes seems easy to shake your fist at the sky and say, “Yahweh, where are you in all this mess?”
But here’s the thing—Sha’ul is telling us that’s precisely when we need to run towards Elohim, not away from Him. It’s like when you’re a kid, and you fall and scrape your knee. Your first instinct is to run to your mom or dad. That’s how we should be with our Heavenly Father.
I know what you’re thinking. “that’s easier said than done.” And you’re right! It’s not always easy. But when you bring that pain to Yahweh instead of trying to handle it on your own, that’s when your relationship with YHWH is made real in your life.
See, repentance isn’t just about feeling bad for messing up. It’s about doing a complete 180 in your heart and actions. If you are driving down the highway and realize you’re going the wrong way, you don’t just feel bad about it – you turn that car around!
When we do that, it produces some amazing things in us. Sha’ul talks about earnest diligence, eagerness to make things right, and a fire in your belly for Yahweh’s ways. It’s like a spiritual workout—it might hurt at first, but you come out stronger on the other side.
This life that opposes the ways of the world isn’t always easy for me either. There are times when we all may want to throw in the towel, times when the pain feels too much. In those times, let us remember Yeshua. He endured more pain than we could imagine and stayed faithful to Yahweh’s will the whole way through.
So, the next time life gets you down, don’t run away from Yahweh. Run towards Him! Bring Him your pain, your confusion, your anger—all of it. His arms are always open wide, ready to receive us no matter how messy we are.
And when we do that, when we turn back to Him in our brokenness, that’s when we start to shine. That’s when our pain becomes a testimony to Yahweh’s grace and mercy.
Are you ready to handle your pain Elohim’s way? It might not be easy, but it’s worth it. On the other side of that pain is a joy and a strength you never knew you had.
Shalom and brachot,
Dr. David E Jones, PhD
Elder, BYNA
P.S. Remember, friends – in Yahweh’s Kingdom, there’s no wound too deep for His healing touch. So bring it all to Him, and watch how He turns your mourning into dancing!
