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Tag Archives: The Problem of Pain

Psalm 31:1-2

21 Mar

Psalm 31

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;
    let me never be put to shame;
    deliver me in your righteousness.
2 Turn your ear to me,
    come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
    a strong fortress to save me.

Dear God, I was talking with a relative yesterday, and she was recounting a conversation she had recently had with a friend. The friend was telling her about a lot of therapy work she’d been doing over the last year and uncovering and dealing with a lot of childhood trauma. Ultimately, she told my relative something to the effect that she didn’t believe in you anymore because she didn’t know why you don’t stop things like that. How can a good God allow so much pain?

It’s an age-old question. Job asked it. His friends errantly told him that his suffering was a result of his sin, and he rejected that explanation. But he fussed at you. He demanded you answer him and explain yourself. Funny, how I keep coming back to the whole thing about people expecting you to explain yourself to them. It’s starting to reveal itself as a theme during these Lenten journals. C.S. Lewis wrote a whole book about it called The Problem of Pain. I think it’s something we all struggle to answer because we want to be a good and loving God would never allow such things.

So what was my answer to my relative? Well, I hope it was okay. I simply said that one question to ask her friend is what she would have you do. How would she like for God to respond to pain in the world? Should you kill bad actors? Should you stop all natural disasters? If this were a Bruce Almighty situation and she had your power for a day, how would she use it? And once you decide to start killing bad actors who do the worst of crimes, where do you draw the line and what are the limits? I guess the ultimate question would be, why did you create any of this at all? Why did you create us just to have us suffer?

Sister Miriam had a nice paragraph today in her book Restore: A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation. She said, “As painful as life has been for us in moments, God is not our enemy. God is only good and offers goodness. He understands our pain and sorrow, our anger and rage. He is not afraid of it, disgusted by it, or deterred by it.” I like that.

Father, help me to represent you well today. Help me to show everyone around me how good you are. Help me to offer reconciliation with you to them. It starts with my own heart loving you well, worshipping you, and being wholly yours. So, I offer myself to you today. I am yours. This day is not about me or what I can get out of the day. It’s about what I can give to this day. Help me to offer you as a refuge for those who are scared and hurting. Help me to remind others who worship you of how good you are. Use me, Father. I’m here to offer myself to you as best as I know how.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 21, 2025 in Psalms, Restore: A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation

 

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Lent Day 31

15 Mar

Dear God, I feel like my ship is leveling out a little. Thank you for walking with me this week. Thank you for being with me here this morning. Thank you for answer prayers, even when you say no.

I found out yesterday about another friend who is facing some personal challenges and scrutiny. I feel for them. Please help them. Please speak directly to them. Comfort them. Guide them. Love them. Help them to completely sink into your arms and feel your love. I know they love you. They have one of the most well-developed faiths for a fairly young person I’ve ever seen in person. Help them as they go through this.

And, of course, help the family of the woman who died two days ago. She has a son who turns 20 today. I don’t like that, for the rest of his life, he will likely relate his birthday with her death. Please redeem that somehow. And help his family and friends know how to love him today.

Here are the verses from Sacred Invitation: Lenten Devotions Inspired by the Book of Common Prayer.

  • AM and PM Psalm: 107
  • Jeremiah 23:1-8
  • John 6:52-59
  • Romans 8:28-39

Psalm 107 – This psalm kind of reminds me of what C.S. Lewis said in The Problem of Pain. Not that this is a new concept, but it’s simply that you use trials that come into our lives to bring us back to you. We get so sinful and self-capable. But we are not as strong as we think we are. I am not as strong as I think I am. This week has been hard. I’ve needed you. Frankly, at times I haven’t even felt that comforted, but I still know I need you. With no trials I would never know I need you. But I need you today, Father. Jesus, and Holy Spirit. I need you today.

Jeremiah 23:1-8 – The part at the beginning about “the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of [God’s] pasture.” But you will send “a King who will reign wisely and do what is jut and right in the land.” I can’t help but think of Christian Nationalism here. I feel like there are some pastors whose hearts are in the right place, but they are scattering the sheep by making an idol out of political power. Help me know how to respond to this, and, if I am incorrect, help me to see my errors and teach me.

John 6:52-59 – Well, this passage makes me think of my difference in opinion with my Catholic friends and family regarding transubstantiation. But that difference really doesn’t matter. I tend to think the point of this passage is to thin the herd a little and find out who is really in and who isn’t. I’ve confessed many times that, had I been there, I’d have been out. But I want to be “in” today. I want to be totally “in” with you, your Kingdom, and what you are calling me to do.

Romans 8:28-39 – All things working together for good is something I’m incapable of evaluating. Going back to my need for suffering to draw closer to you and keep me close to you, I cannot say that I am a good judge at any given time of whether or not you are working things out for my good. Sometimes, it certainly doesn’t seem so. I’m sure my friend who just lost his wife doesn’t think this is working out for his good. And maybe he never will. And maybe I’ll never see it either. But our faith tells us that you are bigger than anything we can see. Please, work all of the different things that are on my heart out for the good.

I offer all of this to you out of gratitude, love, and submission, and I pray in Jesus and with the Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 15, 2024 in Jeremiah, John, Psalms, Romans

 

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Lent Day 25

09 Mar

Dear God, I went with my wife last night to a presentation of “God’s Megaphone: A Visit with C.S. Lewis” by Steven Fenley at our local community theater. It was terrific and inspired me to get back into some of Mr. Lewis’s writings and also some of my own projects that are related to his work.

Of course, it started with The Problem of Pain, which Lewis called God’s megaphone to us. Then it went from there touching on a number of his works including The Screwtape Letters, Mere Christianity, and others. I’m so glad I went. Thank you for last night.

Now, as far as today goes, I am delighted to be here continue my Lenten journey using Sacred Invitation: Lenten Devotions Inspired by the Book of Common Prayer. Okay. You know that isn’t true. I’m not really delighted. It’s Saturday morning, and I’m feeling a little slothful. I’d love to kick back, make myself a big breakfast, and then watch some YouTube videos or find another way to just disengage my mind and “veg out.” But I know I need you. I know I need this. I’ve made this commitment to do this before I do anything else to start my day, so here I am. I know I need you. I know I need to worship you. I know it’s for my good. And it has been for my good over these previous 24 days. So I embrace it now, and, even as I finish typing this paragraph, am finding myself ready to connect with the Holy Spirit within me and spend some time with you.

  • AM Psalms: 87, 90
  • PM Psalm: 136
  • Jeremiah 13:1-11
  • John 8:47-59
  • Romans 6:12-23

Psalms 87, 90 – “I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me–Philisita too, and Tyre, along with Cush–and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion'” Yes, Father, thanks to you, I am born in Zion. I was listening to Mr. Fenley’s C.S. Lewis presentation I mentioned earlier last night, and he mentioned there are all of these little references wrapped throughout the Old Testament referring to the idea that one day your Kingdom will be for the Gentiles too. And then I get this passage from Psalm 87 this morning. Yes, through Jesus, I was born in Zion as well. Thank you! And I have to mention Psalm 90 since it is a psalm of Moses and mentions how fleeting our lives are. Moses gave up a comfortable life twice for the people of Israel. Once when he was 40 when he made a mistake but for the right reason and once when he was 80 and he responded to your call. His days were not easy, but you used him. Use me, Father, however you will.

Psalm 136 – What strikes me about this is the record of everything you have done to bless Israel. The recounting of your glory and provision. I need to do this more. I need to reflect more on everything you have done for me. Your love endures forever.

Jeremiah 13:1-11 – I have two thoughts about this story. One, you gave Jeremiah these instructions one at a time. He was ignorant of the next step until you told him what the next step was. His task was to just be obedient in the next thing you were telling him to do regardless of why or how much he understood. The second is the obvious. You were there with the Israelites. It’s obvious you hadn’t left because you were still there talking to Jeremiah and giving him to them as a prophet, but you were useless to them because their lives and decisions had made you useless. Oh, help me to not render you useless in my life.

John 8:47-59 – Following up on the passage from Jeremiah, this line from Jesus strikes me: “My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him.” At this point in their lives, you were among them and with them, but you were useless to them because they could not see you and did not know you. Oh, Father, help me to know you as much as is humanly possible.

Romans 6:12-23 – This passages brings it all home for my Lenten journey. I am only able to be here this morning because of what Jesus did. I am here because you sent a piece of your nature here to earth to live as fully man and fully God, teach me, die, and the come back to life. And to go back to Lewis, I cannot believe that the resurrection didn’t happen without discounting the entire Jesus story. He was either liar, lunatic, or Lord. Jesus, you are Lord.

Father, I thank you. I worship you. I submit myself to you. Make me salt in your world. Make me a source of love in your world. Oh, Lord, show me what to do one step at a time. Keep me ignorant if my knowledge and human wisdom will get in your way.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,p

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 9, 2024 in Jeremiah, John, Lent 2024, Psalms, Romans

 

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