“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)
Severe pain sent me to bed one day. Curled up, waiting for medication to deliver relief, tears spilled down my face. Hannah, my compassionate 6-year-old, crawled in next to me and stroked my hair as she began to sing to me, “Precious Girl / God loves you / God has a plan for you / Precious Mom.”
I had never before heard the words or the tune Hannah sang and I felt incredibly comforted by her voice and her little hand on my head.
Peace and comfort settled over me like a warm blanket, and I knew that the words being sung over me and the hand delivering comfort were not just Hannah’s, but also God’s.
God speaks to us in many ways – through the Bible, through music, and through those willing to be His voice and hands. I doubt Hannah had any idea how much God was using her in that time of pain and fear, but I knew.
It is easy to feel a sense of isolation with chronic illness. It comforts me to know that God cares about all things, including my pain.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for drawing near to us when we are hurting.
About the Author:
Jennifer LeBlanc lives in Oregon with her husband and two young daughters. She has been battling chronic pain since 2005 and is learning new things about trust since her diagnosis of Ankylosing Spondylitis, a chronic inflammatory disease that attacks the joints, in 2010. Jennifer writes a blog at livelifeartfully.blogspot.com.
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Chronic Illness Pain Daily Devotionals 