TSP DAILY DEVOTIONAL
YOUR PAIN IS USEFUL
20th MARCH 2020
Dr. Phil Ransom-Bello
KEY SCRIPTURE/MEMORY VERSE: Hebrews 12:2 (NKJV)
looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Have you ever thought about the fact that from the foundations of the world, even without a guarantee of our response, God has been expressing His love to us?
While Jesus was here on earth as a man, unmarried and without biological children, where do you think He got emotional support from? Because the nature of man struggles when you are giving love and not receiving.
Jesus had to be receiving support from someplace. He learned to draw emotional support from His father by receiving His love.
Someone once shared a profound insight with me. She said, “I now understand that I don’t have to feel depleted when I give or serve because the source of my service or love is the one who isn’t depleted when He gives.”
Look! If every believer understands the importance of receiving the love of the father to drive their service, they won’t be weary or burn out when serving and loving difficult people.
When Jesus appeared to the disciples after He rose in John 20, He didn’t show them a wound but a scar. Medically speaking, it’s impossible for a wrist that a nail was driven through, to not remain fresh after 3 days.
Hear me, if you pass your wounds of betrayal, of offense through the cross, instead of a fresh wound, you will have a scar.
The first thing Jesus said when He came to show Himself to His disciples was, “Peace!” (John 20:19)
If you pass a wound through the cross, the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, that wound that you cry and complain about, will actually become the source of your peace.
That’s why God told Paul that there will be strength for his weakness when he was praying to be free (2 Corinthians 12:9).
We must get to the point as believers where we don’t see pain as something to run or be excluded from. In fact, pain is often a part of the process and without the pain, you may not see the power.
If the devil knew that the breaking of something releases the contents, like a perfume container, He would not have allowed Jesus to be crucified because the breaking of His body gave rise to the birth of the church.
That where Jesus was formerly the only begotten son (John 3:16), He has now become the firstborn among many brethren(Romans 8:29)- You and I.
Hallelujah!
So we are not just thankful for our strengths and the smooth paths but we are thankful for our weaknesses and incapacities and failures because it’s the very opportunity for God’s power to be revealed.
Jesus showed us that even though there was a scar on His hand, He could still use it. It is possible to have an injury that loses wholeness in function after it’s supposedly healed. But you must realize that even in that place where you are broken, where your heart feels like it can’t heal, if you let the cross imprint on it, it will leave a scar in it’s place and the ability to function even more powerfully will be left in it’s place.
The next verse says the disciples saw His wounds and they were glad (Verse 20), how could they be glad?
Hear me dear believer, as you heal from that wound/pain, the heart may have a scar but it will still produce joy and make people glad.
REFLECTION
What do I do with my pain/weakness? Nurse it or pass it through the cross?
DECLARATION
-I receive the love of God.
– As my heart is strengthened by the revelation of this love, my service has become an inspired response to this love.
-As I let go of my pain, weakness, failure to go through the cross, I heal and my function is restored.
– Strength is made perfect for weakness in my place of service.
– Grace is multiplied to me always causing my scars to produce peace and joy.
– I am daily loaded with benefits. Testimonies abound for me because the Gospel works. Hallelujah!
HEARING BY THE WORD
(Recommended Listening)
Listen to The Believers Heart – Service >> Dr. Phil by The StandPoint Church on #SoundCloud