When Pain Doesn't Go Away
WHEN PAIN DOESN’T GO AWAY:
SEVEN BIBLICAL ANCHORS FOR THE LONG ROAD
from Ron Rhodes
Chronic pain is not a small battle. It wears on the mind, drains the emotions, and tests the spirit in ways that only those who live with it truly understand. Many Christians — yours truly included — walk this difficult path. And because the subject is so tender, I want to say clearly at the outset: a short devotional can easily sound trite, like a band-aid placed over a deep wound. That is not my intention. Scripture never trivializes suffering, and neither should we. What follows are not quick fixes, but biblical principles that have helped many believers endure the journey with hope.
⸻
1. REMEMBER THAT GOD SEES YOUR PAIN
When pain becomes your daily companion, it’s easy to feel invisible. Yet Scripture says, “You have seen my trouble; You have known the distress of my soul” (Psalm 31:7). Your Father does not overlook your struggle. He sees it, He acknowledges it, and He holds you as you experience it.
⸻
2. GOD WALKS WITH YOU IN THE PAIN
Isaiah reminds us, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you” (Isaiah 43:2). You never walk the long night alone.
⸻
3. LEAN INTO GOD’S STRENGTH WHEN YOURS RUNS EMPTY
Chronic pain drains energy from the strongest saint. The apostle Paul understood this deeply: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
⸻
4. LET THE WORD OF GOD STEADY YOUR MIND
Pain often comes with fear, anxiety, and discouragement. The psalmist said, “If Your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction” (Psalm 119:92). Scripture doesn’t remove pain, but it steadies the heart and the mind in the midst of it.
⸻
5. GUARD AGAINST THE LIE THAT YOUR LIFE IS LESS VALUABLE
Chronic pain whispers falsehoods — you’re broken, you’re in the way, and you’re useless. But the truth stands firm: “We have this treasure in jars of clay” (2 Corinthians 4:7). Your value is not diminished by weakness; if anything, God’s glory shines brighter through it.
⸻
6. LET SUFFERING DRIVE YOU TOWARD COMPASSION, NOT BITTERNESS
Scripture calls us to “bear one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2). Those who suffer often become the most tenderhearted encouragers of others. Your struggle equips you to bless someone else in profound ways. We can comfort others with the same comfort with which God has comforted us (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
⸻
7. FIX YOUR HOPE ON THE COMING RESTORATION
Chronic pain reminds us daily that this world is not yet what it will be. But Scripture assures us: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes… neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore” (Revelation 21:4). That promise does not erase today’s pain, but it infuses it with hope — a hope rooted not in wishful thinking, but in the guaranteed future Christ has secured for us. At the rapture, every believer will receive a body upgrade (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17). The perishable will become imperishable and the mortal will become immortal (1 Corinthians 15:53).
⸻
A CLOSING WORD
Nothing here is meant to minimize your suffering or to offer quick, simplistic answers. Chronic pain is heavy. But God’s faithfulness is heavier still. These seven truths are not clichés — they are anchors. Hold them close. Pray them. Lean on them. And remember: the One who carried His own cross also carries you through every moment of pain.
A CLOSING PRAYER
Father, You see me. You know every place in my body that hurts, every night I struggle to sleep, every morning I wake already exhausted. You know the quiet tears, the unspoken frustrations, and the questions I don’t always have the strength to voice.
Lord, I confess that some days are harder than others. Pain can wear down my courage and cloud my clarity. But today, I bring every bit of it to You. I refuse to pretend it’s small; I also refuse to believe You are distant. Thank You that You walk with me in the fire, and that Your presence is not dependent on my strength.
When my endurance runs thin, be my power. When discouragement whispers lies, let Your truth be louder. Guard my heart from bitterness and remind me that even in weakness, Your glory shines through “jars of clay.” Shape my suffering into compassion, patience, and deeper faith.
Father, steady my mind with Your Word. Let the promises of Scripture soothe my fears, quiet my anxiety, and give me strength to face the day in front of me. Surround me with people who understand, encourage, and lift me up — just as I seek to encourage others who walk this hard road.
And above all, Lord, fix my eyes on the hope that is sure: a future where You will wipe away every tear, and pain will be no more. Until that day, hold me close, carry me often, and remind me daily that I am loved, valued, and never alone.
In the name of Jesus — my Healer, my Sustainer, and my ever-present strength — I pray. Amen.
SEVEN BIBLICAL ANCHORS FOR THE LONG ROAD
from Ron Rhodes
Chronic pain is not a small battle. It wears on the mind, drains the emotions, and tests the spirit in ways that only those who live with it truly understand. Many Christians — yours truly included — walk this difficult path. And because the subject is so tender, I want to say clearly at the outset: a short devotional can easily sound trite, like a band-aid placed over a deep wound. That is not my intention. Scripture never trivializes suffering, and neither should we. What follows are not quick fixes, but biblical principles that have helped many believers endure the journey with hope.
⸻
1. REMEMBER THAT GOD SEES YOUR PAIN
When pain becomes your daily companion, it’s easy to feel invisible. Yet Scripture says, “You have seen my trouble; You have known the distress of my soul” (Psalm 31:7). Your Father does not overlook your struggle. He sees it, He acknowledges it, and He holds you as you experience it.
⸻
2. GOD WALKS WITH YOU IN THE PAIN
Isaiah reminds us, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you” (Isaiah 43:2). You never walk the long night alone.
⸻
3. LEAN INTO GOD’S STRENGTH WHEN YOURS RUNS EMPTY
Chronic pain drains energy from the strongest saint. The apostle Paul understood this deeply: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
⸻
4. LET THE WORD OF GOD STEADY YOUR MIND
Pain often comes with fear, anxiety, and discouragement. The psalmist said, “If Your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction” (Psalm 119:92). Scripture doesn’t remove pain, but it steadies the heart and the mind in the midst of it.
⸻
5. GUARD AGAINST THE LIE THAT YOUR LIFE IS LESS VALUABLE
Chronic pain whispers falsehoods — you’re broken, you’re in the way, and you’re useless. But the truth stands firm: “We have this treasure in jars of clay” (2 Corinthians 4:7). Your value is not diminished by weakness; if anything, God’s glory shines brighter through it.
⸻
6. LET SUFFERING DRIVE YOU TOWARD COMPASSION, NOT BITTERNESS
Scripture calls us to “bear one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2). Those who suffer often become the most tenderhearted encouragers of others. Your struggle equips you to bless someone else in profound ways. We can comfort others with the same comfort with which God has comforted us (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
⸻
7. FIX YOUR HOPE ON THE COMING RESTORATION
Chronic pain reminds us daily that this world is not yet what it will be. But Scripture assures us: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes… neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore” (Revelation 21:4). That promise does not erase today’s pain, but it infuses it with hope — a hope rooted not in wishful thinking, but in the guaranteed future Christ has secured for us. At the rapture, every believer will receive a body upgrade (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17). The perishable will become imperishable and the mortal will become immortal (1 Corinthians 15:53).
⸻
A CLOSING WORD
Nothing here is meant to minimize your suffering or to offer quick, simplistic answers. Chronic pain is heavy. But God’s faithfulness is heavier still. These seven truths are not clichés — they are anchors. Hold them close. Pray them. Lean on them. And remember: the One who carried His own cross also carries you through every moment of pain.
A CLOSING PRAYER
Father, You see me. You know every place in my body that hurts, every night I struggle to sleep, every morning I wake already exhausted. You know the quiet tears, the unspoken frustrations, and the questions I don’t always have the strength to voice.
Lord, I confess that some days are harder than others. Pain can wear down my courage and cloud my clarity. But today, I bring every bit of it to You. I refuse to pretend it’s small; I also refuse to believe You are distant. Thank You that You walk with me in the fire, and that Your presence is not dependent on my strength.
When my endurance runs thin, be my power. When discouragement whispers lies, let Your truth be louder. Guard my heart from bitterness and remind me that even in weakness, Your glory shines through “jars of clay.” Shape my suffering into compassion, patience, and deeper faith.
Father, steady my mind with Your Word. Let the promises of Scripture soothe my fears, quiet my anxiety, and give me strength to face the day in front of me. Surround me with people who understand, encourage, and lift me up — just as I seek to encourage others who walk this hard road.
And above all, Lord, fix my eyes on the hope that is sure: a future where You will wipe away every tear, and pain will be no more. Until that day, hold me close, carry me often, and remind me daily that I am loved, valued, and never alone.
In the name of Jesus — my Healer, my Sustainer, and my ever-present strength — I pray. Amen.
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