BIBLE VERSE about PAIN and SUFFERING

Of all the Bible verses about pain and suffering my favorite quote are the words of Jesus himself that Matthew 11:28-30
quotes: "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest until your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."


How we deal with our pain and suffering is the result of how we perceive it and the reason for it. Jesus is ministry was filled with many setbacks, rejections and painful times, yet at the end of His life here on earth He continued to forgive others of their faults and ignorance. His perception of pain and suffering was that of an easy yoke and a lighter burden. Even in the face of much strife and suffering he continued to make away where there seemed not to be one.

In this Bible verse about pain and suffering he instructs us to learn how He himself managed to shoulder the burdens because he knew better than any other that this world was going to continue to bring challenges to Christians on a daily basis. He also reminds us that while we are in this world we are not OF this world. He does this so that our perception of day-to-day struggles should be looked at through His eyes and with His nature.

We should constantly remind ourselves that we should not allow the obstacles that are thrown in our path to skew our perceptions and well on the problem without taking them to the problem solver, Jesus Christ. His goal was to make our pain and suffering lighter and our yoke in life easier by learning from him, leaning on him and most of all excepting the salvation that he offered us.

GOD'S PLAN FOR ME

Here’s my favorite Bible verse regarding God’s plan for me Jeremiah 29:11 tells me, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."


I should have this inspirational Bible verse pasted on my bathroom mirror, refrigerator,etc. so that I will be reminded that I am not in control and to look for God's guidance before jumping in and pushing forth with my own will.


I’m hard headed and don’t always stop to pray about what God’s plans might be. Whenever I have a goal and I fail to reach it there are times when I have immediately set about trying to figure out a way to fix it and when that doesn't work I might take off on another track that would “work”.

And then I might begin to rack my brain to solicit help from a friend or family member who might be able to help me solve the problem. Never mind that the persons help whom we seek may not have any experience whatsoever in solving the type of problem that I'm having; they are available they are willing and by this time I'm desperate so their help is better than nothing at all. Right?

Recently I was going for just such a situation where I had stored a large number of things in a rented storage facility. Realizing that I had no way to lock the door I went in search of a good padlock at my local hardware store. I had to spend a little more money but the lock that I bought was one of the most secure that they had for sale and it serves the purpose as it kept my belongings safe.

My sister was about to move into her first apartment so I invited her to come for a visit and go through my storage unit to see if there was anything that she could use. After she arrived I went to get the key so that she could unlock the unit. I always kept the key on one particular key ring however I had recently given another friend permission to look through the stuff stored inside and when I went to find the key for my sister it was not where I had thought it would be. Apparently when my friend brought key back I had stuck it in a drawer somewhere. Since my sister was only going to be in town for a limited amount of time I had the brilliant idea of borrowing some cutters and simply cutting the lock off.

Long story short, this plan failed so we started to search for the padlock ski once again and luckily found it. We headed to the storage unit once again with key and hand ready to open the padlock only to find that our great idea of using cutters had damaged the lock and key would only partially open it.

A passerby suggested that he could go and get an electric saw and cut the lock off which seemed like a good idea until the lock ate the blade. The lock was still holding tight although it now had several dent in a couple of scratches that the saw blade had made.

I realize that the only option left to us was a locksmith who would charge a substantial fee. It was around this time that I realized if I had not been so impatient, given up and pushed forward rather than continuing the search for the missing key in the first place we might have opened the storage unit with no problems.

It struck me that I often deal with God’s plan for me in the same manner. When He puts a plan or a project in front of me to guide me with the least amount of suffering pain and frustration often questioned the conditions or the timing and end up second-guessing God and sabotaging things.

I often let individuals and circumstances intrude that are not good for me because I become desperate or impatient. Sure, there are times when I do get the desired results but my impatience can create much unnecessary turmoil. When I jump ahead of God’s plan for me just because I'm too lazy to work through things or because I am in a hurry to make things happen I create chaos.


Jeremiah 29:11 tells us”’ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”


God's plan for me is to show me the way to go and if I manage not to get in such a hurry that I try to outguess God it will save me time, frustration and as illustrated in the example I wrote about in this article, money.

BRINGING SOULS TO CHRIST

I often wonder if there is a better way of bringing souls to Christ than to visit, leave pamphlets and invite people to join me at church. I know that many are hungry...no starved...for what our Savior has to give and are just waiting for an invitation.

Many times these lost souls stand silently in the background or worse yet, act in the most sinful ways imaginable in order to either be noticed or in a futile attempt to fill the emptiness in their lives with something even if it's the wrong thing.
However, as miserable and sad as these people can be they often take offense or are insulted and downright rebellious if a Christian shows up at their door bringing them an invitation to join your religious family.

We are told many times in the Bible that witnessing is important but we should be aware that the inspirational message can be delivered in many ways.

Here is one Bible verse about witnessing and bringing souls to Christ that I would like to share:

ACTS 1:8

"But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power to testify about me with great effect to the people in Jerusalem throughout Judea, and in Sumaria, and to the ends of the earth."

HOW TO WITNESS

Perhaps one of the most effective ways for us to witness would be how we live our own lives. Do we live the way Jesus would want us to live? Would He approve of our actions on any given day? Do we make it a practice to only go to places where He would go?

The way that we go about our day to day workaday lives can be a witness bringing souls to Christ. Our very lives can be a witness to the lost and then when we do have the opportunity to witness the lost person will be more receptive to our invitation.

The love of Jesus Christ is a beautiful gift that we can offer every lost person that is waiting for an invitation to receive the gift of salvation. We can be the motivation for the lost to seek salvation. We can show them the joy that comes from being a member of the family of God. Showing them rather than telling them that God's love can take away the pain is perhaps a better way.

Here is a poem that is an invitation to unsaved individuals.

To the tired and thirsty person
Plagued by sin and woe
Christ offers a place of comfort
Where the saved can go

He offers us cool water
And food enough to share
With those who would trade light for darkness
And tormented thoughts for prayer

His gift is wrapped in beauty
And eternal life too
A present of peace and joy so sweet
Waiting for you at Jesus' feet

Bringing lost souls to Christ's love can be a personal blessing, so let's dedicate ourselves to living the live the Jesus intended for us to receive it to the very fullest.

Will God Take Care of Me

During these difficult times, many are asking "Will God Take Care of Me?" because they are facing situations that they never in their wildest dreams thought they would encounter. Virtually every family I know is suffering financial setbacks and worries and the root of this is the outcome of confusing what we WANT with our actual needs. The greed and dishonesty of a few have certainly brought us to a difficult time.

Will God provide for me in the manner to which I've become accustomed? That all depends! God promised to provide for our needs, not our wants. And He is the only one who knows exactly what we need and when we need it and I ask you do you really think that luxury has made people happy?

My faith and many inspirational Bible verses tell me that God will stand by me and supply what I need so long as I'm patient and willing to wait. Waiting on God can be difficult because he doesn't work according to our calendar. However, we can comfort in the knowledge that as we are struggling with a need that He in His wisdom already knows the need as He knows all things.

Knowing the answer to the question, will God take care of me provides comfort to my anxious soul. I know this because scripture assures me that if I wait on God, in faith, that He will provide.

Why would He let us reach the point of desperation? Perhaps this is to lead us to renew our dependence on Him and bring us back to the point of child like faith depending on him for all things.

JOYS OF BEING A CHRISTIAN

I recently had a moment to reflect on the joys of being a Christian and I would like to share my experience with you. On a recent lengthy car trip with my daughter, we had a chance for some mother-daughter conversations as well as moments of comfortable silence. During one of the quiet moments, I found myself having to manuever through a construction zone with uneven pavement that required some effort to keep the car on the road.


The jerking, weaving and pulling of the car was a bit scary and I started to get frustrated with trying to both keep us safe and find a smooth spot on the road. While I was feeling the stress and strain I happened to glance over at my little girl and saw that she was aware of the situation and the expression on her face was so horrified and yet funny that in spite of myself I got tickled!

At first she didn't appreciate the humor of the situation and seemed irritated that I was taking things so lightly. But the more I laughed the more she caught my mood, joined in and started to let go and laugh.

After making it through the rough patch just fine I started thinking of how the lighthearted moment made things better. There are so many moments every day that bring us to the brink of frustration, fear, worry and sometimes anger but what would the outcome be if we stopped, took a breath and reflected on the joys of being a Christian and to draw on those teachings?

Proverbs 17:22 tells us, "A merry heart does good like a medicine."

What if when sadness and heartache comes our way we respond to it with thinking of Luke 6:21 that states, "Blessed are you who weep now, For you shall laugh."?

When financial problems arise, the Bible has an answer for that in Psalms 126:5 telling us, "But he that is of a merry heart has a continual feast."

And perhaps tensions on your job or in the office could be alleviated by referral to Proverbs 15:13 that says, "A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance."

Perhaps if we put these uplifting Bible verses to work every day we will find that the joys of being a Christian are contagious and we would be hard pressed to find better motivational quotes than the ones we find in above scripture.

COMFORTING BIBLE VERSES

As a kid, memorizing comforting Bible verses were not what I considered fun on a sunny afternoon. I must confess that I was less than enthusiastic about learning my Bible memory verses on any day but was especially reluctant when I could hear the kids from less religious households outside playing.

As an adult I am now very thankful that the Holy Spirit (and my determined Christian parents) encouraged me to devote some time each and every day to committing some scripture to memory. Back then I felt very sad and put upon that I might miss playing basketball, jumping rope or anything that didn't involve sitting in my room reading God's word. However, once I matured and had a few years of experience I came to realize that the benefits of missing a few hours of playtime would no doubt last me a lifetime.

When I feel weak and feel the need to be in the company of Jesus, to feel better and more assured all I have to do is recite the words that I memorized so long ago from John 11:25-26 where Jesus stated to Martha "I am the resurrection, and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die."

During times of trouble or loss comforting Bible verses such as this one reassure us that our troubles are temporary but that through our belief in Jesus Christ we shall never die.

Return to Motivational Inspirational Posters Poems and Quotes to find more scripture that offers comfort during times of sorrow and grief.

SCRIPTURES ON DEALING WITH THE DEVIL

Scriptures on dealing with the devil not only reinforce what we know about his true nature and his capabilities for evil, but give us the tools to defeat him. Any soldier will tell you that it’s very important to know your enemy.

I Peter 5:8-9

We do not fight or wrestle against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces of wickedness.

This quote tells us what we need to know about our opponent he seeks to infect your very spirit with ugliness and evil.

HIS NAME :
What he is called may or may not be of importance as the Prince of Darkness is known by many names such as Lucifer, Satan, the wicked one and perhaps the most profound; EVIL!

HIS PERSONALITY :
He is a trickster and a liar. He knows exactly how to present the bait so that the weak and those who are unaware will fall into his trap.

HIS ACTIONS :
He is a master deceiver that has taken control of too many souls. He is constantly on the prowl searching for more to do his bidding.

HOW TO WIN the BATTLE :
The best strategy for beating and defeating the devil is to arm ourselves with our faith. My favorite scripture telling how to deal with the devil is

Ephesians 6:10

We are to buckle our loins with the truth, put on the breastplate of righteousness, cove our feet with the Gospel of Peace, wear the helmet of salvation and have with us the shield of faith.

Then we take the Word of our Savior which is in reality the sword of the Spirit and offer up much prayer. And there is another weapon we may use against him which is resistance. If you are able to resist his temptations he will run from you in his failure.

I’m certain that there are many more scriptures on dealing with the devil but in my mind this Bible verse in Ephesians tells me everything I need to know about how to deal with and defeat the devil when he comes calling.

Return to Motivational Inspirational Posters Quotes and Scriptures on Dealing with the Devil
to see more discussion on how to resist the temptations that are placed in our path.

BIBLE VERSES for ENCOURAGEMENT

The best Bible verses for encouragement may not offer quick and easy solutions for eliminating the trouble, sadness or grief in our lives. But they do give us the tools to weather the storm and get through whatever it is that is bringing us sorrow.

The scriptures don't abandon us and leave us to flounder spiritually but Christians looking for a quick fix might experience some disappointment because God doesn't make the promise that if we follow him that all our problems will be solved. Instead He reminds us that the rain will fall equally on the just as well as the unjust.

Troubleshooting the messes that humans make of their lives and the world is not God's job. Rather, He gives us the advice that during troubling moments, we should turn to Bible verses for encouragement, comfort and a reinforcement of faith not to look for a remedy for our car not starting, not having enough money in our bank account or fixing a relationship gone bad.

His promise is that our faith will deflect the darts launched in our direction not to prevent them. Here's one of my favorite inspirational Bible verses for encouragement that explains the need to carefully foster our faith.


Ephesians 6:16
"Above all, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one."

Return to Motivational Inspirational Posters Poems and Quotes to find more Bible verses for comfort and encouragement.

INSPIRATIONAL BIBLE QUOTES that APPLY TO EVERYDAY LIFE

Inspirational Bible Quotes have a way of giving us direction, peace and confidence in our relationships with our beloved spouses, friends and family members. And at times scripture can guide us to make the right decisions in not only our own lives, but give us the tools to comfort others.

How many times has a troubled friend called you on the telephone or contacted you with a letter asking your opinions and seeking relationship advice and you felt that you didn’t have the right words to give them comfort? It’s very hard to know what to say that will help them make a decision whether to stay or leave, whether to continue to try or to throw in the towel.

Quotes from the Bible about love are plentiful, but I found this inspirational Bible quote to be the most helpful in a recent conversation that I had with a friend who was beginning to suspect her fiancé of being unfaithful. She expressed little faith in him by doubting his fidelity and on the other hand she was very upset because she was in love and didn’t want to end the engagement.

I advised her to seek premarital counseling and to turn to the Word of God for guidance. The best Bible quote I could think of to address her feelings at the moment was 1 John 4:18.

The quote from 1 John 4:18 "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear" tells me that the right kind of love will give you strength, build character and self esteem. The wrong kind of love will only break a person down and take them down paths that are destructive and dead end. This quotation gives the advice that my friend was seeking if she would only open her heart. If the love she had for her intended was producing fear, perhaps it was not the right kind of love that God intends for a husband and wife to have for each other.


Before you offer your own advice to friends, remember there are inspirational Bible quotes that offer divine guidance that can improve or eliminate most of the problems that we face in life.

Return to Motivational Inspirational Bible Quotes, Poems and Posters to find more thoughts on how man should look to the Good Book for solutions to life's problems.