Two weeks after she broke her knee cap, my wife still sits in a straight leg brace and my housekeeping skills have grown exponentially!   I love this verse. It explains a lot to me.

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers them out of them all.”  Psalms 34.19. 

We live in a world that is broken because of the bad decisions and actions of ourselves and others.   God doesn’t keep us from every affliction but He will help us out of the troubles, or through those troubles when we ask Him.

 We sometimes wonder, why God doesn’t stop pain from happening, but here’s the thing – He doesn’t even keep himself from suffering.  Only beings that feel and love, can suffer.  If we want the possibility of feeling love in the world, we also have to have the possibility of suffering.   Whoever loves the most, suffers the most and God suffers greatly to see the choices His children make but loves them enough to give us the freedom to make them.

He never stopped Adam from disobeying but when Adam realised his error, God quickly forgave and redeemed him.  God always warns people of consequences but doesn’t force anyone to obey.  He doesn’t stop people from disobeying either.   For God to stop every sin, crime or conflict that creates pain like an argument between husband and wife, he would have to override free will every day. He is not a controlling demigod, who takes away our personal freedom and personality but He gives us the dignity and responsibility of our own lives.  In the midst or our afflictions, he draws near to reveal himself and restore the broken, by empowering us with the strength and grace to overcome in this life.

Friend, if you were kept from every issue you could neither see more of God or know your need.  God does not keep us from every affliction but through the window of pain reveals Himself as the Comforter and wonderful Deliverer out of it all.  Today He is drawing near to you and wants to reveal Himself. Take time to look through the window.