As footage from California’s wildfires fills our newsfeeds and social media platforms, it can be difficult even to find words to pray. These are some of the most devastating fires the state has ever seen. Please join us in praying God’s Word and His character over all we see unfolding. Each Scripture passage is followed by a suggested prayer in italics.

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:26-27)

Lord, the aftermath of these wildfires is difficult to comprehend. In a posture of humility, I’m responding in prayer. Thank You for Your Spirit, who intercedes for me according to Your will. I’m trusting in that reality right now as I come to You.

THE CHARACTER OF GOD

“You are the LORD, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.” (Nehemiah 9:6)

God, You are the Creator and Sustainer of all life. Your heart desires for Your creation to flourish. Our world is broken, and all of creation groans because of sin’s curse.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah” (Psalm 46:1-3)

God, You are our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. God, I claim this truth over every family and individual affected by California’s wildfires. Let them embrace You as their help and their source of safety and stability. In the face of incredible danger and destruction, be their very strength.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-5)

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” (Psalm 34:18)

God, You are the Father of compassion. It is Your nature. You are not dismissive and cold toward the suffering of mankind. Your heart bends toward the hurting. Lord, show Your compassion toward the victims of California’s wildfires – toward those who have been evacuated and displaced, toward those who have lost homes, toward those whose homes lie in the path of wildfires, toward first responders, and toward the families of those who have lost their lives. Lord, be near. Grant comfort.

THE INTERCESSION OF BELIEVERS

“The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” (James 5:16b)

God, nothing is impossible for You. I pray for a miracle in California. You’ve calmed winds in the past; please calm them again. May Your hand and Your intervention reveal Your great power and presence. Please grant protection and creative collaboration to first responders as they fight flames and smoke. Please use the enormity of this natural disaster to remind us of the fragility of life and of our great need for You.

THE DILEMMA OF SUFFERING

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Father, natural disasters like this one pierce our hearts afresh with the reality that our world is filled with pain. Thank You for the promise of Jesus’ triumph. Lord, You alone can take devastation and bring forth good from it. You are sovereign and in control. Your thoughts and purposes are higher than ours. You are able to grant supernatural peace and hope in the middle of disaster because of Your victory over the powers of darkness. In the face of heartbreak and desperation, help souls turn toward you in humble dependence instead of turning away from You in bitterness.

THE HOPE WE HAVE

“Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets long ago.” (Acts 3:19-21)

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4)

Father, one day You will fully restore Your creation. You will make all things right. Lord, my heart longs for that day, especially as I see the ravages of sin’s curse in this world. Creation groans. Hear the lament of Your church, Lord. Thank You for the promise of a new Heaven and a new Earth. Thank you for placing the Spirit of Jesus within me, so that I can share Your hope with the world around me. God, raise up Your church to share hope right now. Strengthen local congregations in Los Angeles and its surrounding regions to clearly demonstrate Your love in action. May hurting families see Your hope demonstrated by Your church. Even so come, Lord Jesus.

Amen.

If you’re struggling, this one’s for you.
It’s for the ones who are hanging on.
The ones who, given enough silence and space, would certainly fall apart.
The ones who are holding onto distraction like a life preserver in order not to face the turmoil inside of them.

It’s for more people than you’d think. Everyone carries burdens – even those that don’t wear them on their sleeves. Why? Because we live in a broken world that groans for restoration. (Romans 8:22-23) 

And if it’s for you, then may you embrace this truth: Your Shepherd sees you.  

YOUR SHEPHERD SEES YOU.

I’m not sure how that falls on your ears. If you’re like me, then your mind is quick to accept it and move on. Mental assent…check. Even agreement. But does it resonate? Does it change anything in your spirit?

In Scripture, we see an Egyptian servant named Hagar claim this truth. In a desperate situation with literally nowhere to go, the angel of the LORD found her. In the most vulnerable place, God rushed in with hope. He gave her a glimpse of the way He would continue to lead and provide for her – even in her pain. And in response to His care, Hagar addressed him as “El Roi” – the God who sees.  (Genesis 16)

I think the goodness of God’s seeing us isn’t just that He knows the extent of our condition or the impact made by our circumstances. It’s that He knows our deepest needs and actually moves toward us in compassion and intention to act in our best interest.  

What good is a shepherd who sees one of his sheep in danger and does nothing? A good shepherd sees and acts. His sheep find comfort in his presence and attention because they’ve learned by experience to trust that He will not only watch over them but preserve and care for them. Christ is truly our Good Shepherd. (John 10) While His actions don’t always bring about a change in circumstances, we can absolutely trust them to accomplish His good purposes for us. (Jeremiah 29:11, Job 23:10, Psalm 33:11)

Do you believe that God actually sees you, and that He really has compassion on you? Do you believe He really does care? Deeper still, do you believe He will faithfully meet your deepest needs? Do you believe He is moving toward you to care for you?

In seasons of suffering, we desperately need these reminders over and over, like truth washing over us in waves. When the tide goes out and takes with it our façade of strength and strips away all our defenses, God faithfully refills the exposed spaces with His truth and grace.  

He really is present with you. He really does dwell with you. He really is working in and through you. He really is shepherding you with a purpose, even though He occasionally leads you through shadows.

Your Shepherd Transforms You. 

When suffering knocks at our door, it’s so easy to strain toward relief from the discomfort. Every native instinct screams, “This isn’t right!” We want to hit the accelerator and get out of there as quickly as possible. But shedding the discomfort can also forfeit something hidden and valuable beyond measure.

Discomfort is the very condition where transformation of the heart takes place. Forging of our faith leaves us stronger than before. God’s track record of faithfulness in our lives is lengthened. Our trust in Him grows deeper. Suffering provides new vantage points to behold His character. It unlocks new territory to journey with Him and creates a deeper bond with Him than we ever dreamed possible.

But those processes can only be performed by the Lord in a malleable heart. Our invitation is to lean in and stay open-hearted and moldable. (James 1:12)

Struggling believer, take heart. In your season of being worlds from “OK”, God is taking painful circumstances and distilling something very precious from them. What our enemy intends for evil, He can and will reclaim for good. Seasons of suffering offer us the gift of deeper sensitivity to God’s presence and movement.

It’s going to be ok, not primarily because “this too shall pass”, but because you have a faithful shepherd who has promised you His presence in and out of storms. He prepares a table for you right in front of your enemies. (Psalm 23)

And it’s actually ok because He’s there.

““Jesus, You promised
Those You’ve been given
You’ll keep a hold of
With no conditions
Here in this desert
Is my oasis
A table prepared
A feast of Your faithfulness””

— Bethany Barnard, "Feast of Your Faithfulness"

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Suggested Resources

A Shepherd Looks At Psalm 23

Pain To Purpose Devotional

All My Questions

ALAINA ROBERTS | ADMIN. ASSISTANT
WORSHIP MINISTRY

Alaina Roberts is the Administrative Assistant for FBC’s Worship Ministry. She is passionate about the importance of speaking truth, and she loves expressing that through worship leading and writing. She’s happiest when taking adventures with her husband Josh, or when she has a cup of light roast coffee in hand. (Real mug, preferably.)

O Lord, my Kind Refiner,

You know the way that I take. (Job 23:10)
You do not stand aloof, calloused to my afflictions.
You are not detached or distant from my pain.
Instead, You keep count of my tossings;
You collect my tears in Your bottle. (Psalm 56:8)

In Your kindness, You sent your Son into the middle of mankind’s brokenness - Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief - that I might have a High Priest who sympathizes with my weaknesses. Jesus has plumbed the depths of my humanity; in this, I find comfort.

Once again, I tether my heart to this truth:
You will bring to completion the good work you began in me. (Philippians 1:6)
You alone know what is needed to accomplish this.
The purposes and intentions you have ordained for my life are secure in Your hand.
You have never, and will never, allow a trial to beset me that You do not have plans to use.

With this knowledge, give me the grace to submit to the trials in my path.
Reveal to me my own functional definition of peace:
In the places I have defined peace as the absence of trial, or as the immediate deliverance from circumstantial pain…
In the moments I have desired relief from pressure more than relying on Your presence,
help me to redefine peace according to Your Word.
Remind me that true peace guards my heart and mind in Christ Jesus amidst trial.
Remind me that, “Your presence in trouble has been far better than the absence of trouble without You.”*
In the moments my heart yearns to escape my pain with the world’s broken vices, rescue me with Your mercy.  

Show me, after the pattern of Job, how to respond in my pain with authentic, brokenhearted worship - never charging You with wrongdoing for what You have allowed - but rather, blessing Your Name as I cling to You for strength. (Job 1:20-22)

Flood my mind with evidences of Your grace, Your abundant blessings toward me, that overwhelm my current afflictions.

Reveal to me the capacity of prayer to uphold my soul as I abide in You.
When my soul is weary with sorrow, strengthen me according to Your Word. (Psalm 119:28)
Bring healing to my innermost being as I testify of Your goodness to others through the contours of my story.

When I plead for deliverance before You ordain it, remind me that Your grace is all that I need.

Invite me into a deeper type of joy than a shallow façade of happiness.
Invite me to delight in Your character, in which my hope is securely anchored.
Allow me to be honest with my emotions within the community in which You have placed me.
Invite me into a rhythm of focusing all of my energy on seeking You in the middle of my trial.

With Jeremiah, allow my heart to resolve:

21 But this I call to mind,
    and therefore I have hope:
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
    “therefore I will hope in him.”
(Lamentations 3:22-24)

Remind me that my present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in me. (Romans 8:18) In Your grace, grant me an eternal perspective. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. (Psalm 30:5)

Whether my deliverance comes tomorrow or in Heaven, You will sustain me to the end, so that I will be blameless on the day of my Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:8) My deliverance is imminent! 

Only a God like You, supreme in Your kindness and goodness, would transform the trials of Your children into instruments that make us whole. Suffering is a universal experience on earth, but You have redeemed the suffering of those who know You.

You know the way that I take; And when You have tested me, I will come forth as gold! (Job 23:10)

In the name of my Faithful Shepherd,
The Author and Perfecter of my faith,
Jesus,

Amen.

*Quote from Article written by Vaneetha Rendall Risner

According to Miriam Webster, to be “weary” is to be “exhausted in strength, endurance, vigor, or freshness.” Where the subject matter of sickness is concerned, it would be easy to find our place somewhere in that description these days. It seems safe to say that we’re collectively “over it” with the coronavirus, even though so many are not “over it” biologically. Although 2 years of pandemic-style living is certainly no eternity, it seems we’re scraping the bottom of the barrel for each new measure of endurance required. And when the garden variety of colds, flus, stomach bugs, and viruses make their typical appearances, it feels like adding insult to injury – more unwelcome than ever. We’re tired. We’re thirsty for something “fresh” – something that revitalizes the monotony of discouraging reports. We’re emotionally exhausted from grief – either our own, or grief shared with loved ones and acquaintances who have lost family members.

If you’re there – weary – in every sense of the word, this post is for you. We believe there is value in being honest before the Lord – laying the raw condition of our hearts before Him in the pattern of David’s outpouring in the Psalms.

But we also believe there is value in exploring how to redeem that weariness. What would God have us do with the way that we feel? How can we transform our (very warranted) weariness, into worship?

In the most sensitive way possible, and with every intention not to “slap a band-aid over an open wound”, we want to offer 5 biblical and practical invitations to the hearts that are “soul-tired” of sickness:

FIND REST

Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)
“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.’”

Every generation and culture has borne heavy burdens. Based on the context of Jesus’ words in Matthew 11, the burdens of an oppressive political climate, a merciless religious system built on legalism, and unmet expectations of what the Messiah’s earthly ministry would look like, collectively grew heavy for the Jewish people during the time of Christ.

The illustration Jesus chose – a plowing yoke, shows us that there is something about being connected and joined with Him, that alleviates the weight of the burden and grants rest in the face of our trials.

Life in connection to Christ is characterized by rest and resilience, despite the strain of living in a world laden with sin and sickness.    

Have we “come to Jesus” in our weariness? Or have we, unknowingly, tried to bear it on our own? Even if it takes another whispered prayer each time we hear another diagnosis given, may we be people that are known for running to Christ when burdened by matters too heavy for us to carry.

ADOPT AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE

Romans 8:18-23
“Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who His children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as His adopted children, including the new bodies He has promised us.”

Our world bears a curse because of sin. The “death and decay” mentioned in this passage are commonplace to us, although we know in the core of our being they shouldn’t be. Sickness is a fact of life, but not original to life. Instead, it is a lingering reminder that sin has broken the aspects of our existence down to a molecular level.

In his book, “Coronavirus and Christ”, John Piper explains:

“Physical evil is a parable, a drama, a signpost pointing to the moral outrage of rebellion against God. . . . Physical pain is God’s trumpet blast to tell us that something is dreadfully wrong in the world. Disease and deformity are God’s pictures in the physical realm of what sin is like in the spiritual realm.”

Romans 8 affirms that this inner “groaning” is an appropriate response to the pain we see around us. We know things shouldn’t be this way. It reassures us that even though we have been rescued in the only way that eternally matters, it is right for us to acknowledge the weight of sin and suffering. Further, it lifts us from that reality and fuels in us a more passionate anticipation for the kind of existence we were made for – the kind of existence we are promised to be ushered into with the Lord forever.

Sickness reminds us that we don’t belong to a sin-scarred world. Our true citizenship is in Heaven. 

GROW IN COMPASSION

Jesus Christ, during His earthly ministry, was not immune to the pain of seeing loved ones and friends beset with sickness and death. He wept over the death of Lazarus (John 11:35). Scripture often speaks of His compassion for the sick (Matthew 14:14, Matthew 20:34, Mark 1:41).

Following His example, believers who lived through pandemics previous to ours, saw an opportunity to engage the hurting with love and practical care. Author Glen Scrivener reflects on the relational and spiritual impact our response to sickness can produce:

“Plagues intensify the natural course of life. They intensify our own sense of mortality and frailty. They also intensify opportunities to display counter-cultural, counter-conditional love… The plagues “search” us. They discover in us either the way of the flesh (self-preservation) or the way of the Spirit (self-giving sacrifice).”

How can we respond to the reality of widespread sickness in a way that commends the gospel? We can grow in our compassion through reaching out to those battling sickness, empathizing with their struggle, meeting practical needs, checking in on caretakers, and interceding in prayer.

SHARE HOPE

Theologian J.C. Ryle once stated,

“Health is a good thing; but sickness is far better, if it leads us to God.”

That’s a hard truth to grapple with. Nevertheless, sickness, pain, and weakness have a way of proving the hollow nature of human sufficiency. It’s humbling. Sickness can stir up the hardened soil of a calloused heart and cause it to cry out for help. Sickness can break the cycle of physical busyness just long enough that someone has time to realize a spiritual breakthrough. Serious illness is a sober reminder of the fragility of life and the reality of what’s most important.

God, in His kindness, can redeem physical brokenness by using it to soften or realign human hearts.

In our efforts to extend comfort to those hurting physically, we have an opportunity to look for what God may be doing spiritually. With those who are desperate to make sense of a world-wide pandemic, we can share a hope that’s better than restored health. David Platt writes:

“The Good News of Christ is not primarily that Jesus will heal you of all your sicknesses right now, but ultimately that Jesus will forgive you of all your sins forever. The Good News of Christ is not that if you muster enough faith in Jesus, you can have physical and material reward on this earth. The Good News of Christ is that when you have childlike faith in Jesus, you will be reconciled to God for eternity.”

SPEAK THROUGH YOUR SICKNESS

The reality of sickness reveals where our hope truly lies. While it can immobilize us and make us feel helpless at times, sickness becomes an instrument in the hand of an eternally-minded believer. It becomes one more means, among a thousand others, to communicate God’s glory.

1 Corinthians 10:31
“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all things for the glory of God.”

What does that look like practically? J.C. Ryle explains,

“Meekness, gentleness, longsuffering, faith, patience, are all mentioned in the Word of God as fruits of the Spirit… Never do these graces shine so brightly as they do in the sick room. They enable many a sick person to preach a silent sermon, which those around him never forget. Would you adorn the doctrine you profess? Would you make your Christianity beautiful in the eyes of others?”

While we don’t rejoice in diagnoses, we can joyfully receive what accompanies them – the opportunities to glorify Christ in a new context, to experience His help and healing, and to show an onlooking world where true peace is found.   

Our hope in seasons of sickness isn’t solely the prospect of physical healing, but the platform illness has given us to demonstrate dependence on our faithful God, who gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak (Isaiah 40:29).