September 2021 - LPNI

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September 2021

LPNI Devotion

Living with Pain

And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. (Genesis 32:24-29 ESV)

I once saw a picture of what happened to the hip of a young girl who had her feet resting on the dashboard of a car when the air bag exploded. Her hip was thrust out of its socket and the ball ended up near the center of her pelvic bone. She could not walk until her hip bone was reset. I cannot imagine the pain she experienced. The story of Jacob wrestling with God came to mind. He too had his hip bone put out of its joint. He could not walk unless his hip was reset. His pain must have been extreme.

Forty-six years ago, when I was a brakeman on the railroad, I was injured in a train accident. I was in the caboose when the caboose went from twenty-five miles an hour to zero like being thrown into a brick wall. I received a severe whiplash. The orthopedic surgeon explained that it would be like a severe sprain that would never heal for the rest of my life. I have lived with pain every day since. Most days the pain is tolerable, but when the weather changes rapidly, the pain becomes extreme.

Many, if not most, people live with pain of one sort or another. It is a part of life. Accidents happen. Disease and illness impact our bodies. We do what we can to counter the pain. We take pills or apply topical pain relievers to reduce it. Dottie and I live in Florida where the weather changes less dramatically than the upper Midwest where we used to live.

Many years ago I read that pain (physical, emotional, spiritual) can either draw us to God or away from him. Jacob’s pain drew him to God. He demanded that the heavenly being with whom he was striving bless him. God did. Because Jacob, even in his extreme pain, put his trust in God, God blessed him. He changed his name to Israel which would forever be associated with God’s people.

After my accident, Dottie and I went on to serve God for the rest of our lives. When we look back over the past 40 plus years we can clearly see the hand of God’s blessing. My encouragement to anyone, suffering from or living with pain, is to do the same. God knows pain. He sent Jesus to suffer the pain of our sins in his own body so through faith in him we may be set free from the pain that separates us from God. We may be forced to live with some pain now, but the blessing of God upon us is greater and can make our present pain tolerable.

Rev. Dr. Steven Simon

Navarre Beach, Florida

Mrnkp1@yahoo.com