 Because of my background in football and experience with related injuries, I've discovered that over time I developed a "tolerance" for pain. I can function with pain and can put that physical pain in a compartment of my brain and I simply don't visit that place to see how I'm doing. No, I'm not superman and I don't enjoy pain, I've simply learned how to handle it in my life. As brave as that may sound, the truth is: Why put up with something that Jesus has taken and borne for me? Jesus has redeemed us from the curse, and there is nothing blessed about being in pain! In Isaiah 53:4 the prophet Isaiah said of Jesus, "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows." In the Hebrew language the word griefs means "diseases" and the word sorrows means "pains". This was not a sypathetic type of bearing our pains, this was in fact a literal taking of our pains in his own body at the cross!
In Exodus 8:8-10, the plague of frogs has overtaken the Egyptians. The Pharaoh tells Moses to "...Intreat the Lord, that he may take away the frogs.." Moses asks "...When shall I intreat for thee.." Pharaoh responds, "Tomorrow." Tomorrow?!?! Why not right now? It seems that Pharaoh has developed a tolerance for frogs!!! In Judges 15, after Samson has destroyed many of the Philistines, the men of Judah (God's people) ask him, "Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? What is this that thou hast done unto us?" Those men should have been thrilled with Samson's victories over the enemies of God. They have grown too comfortable with their bondage to the Philistines and had lost the will to fight for their freedom. Bondage had become familiar, and freedom seemed too difficult to achieve. They viewed Samson's victories as a threat to their comfort zone when they should have viewed Samson's conquests as the pathway to their freedom from Philistine oppression.
What is it in our lives that we have grown too comfortable with? Pain, frogs, or maybe Philistines??? I think you see my point. Let's not put up with anything that Jesus has shed his blood to redeem us from!!! Have a great week.
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