[6] I am like a desert owl, *[ Or a pelican of the desert ]
like an owl among the ruins. [7] I stay awake;
I am like a solitary bird on a roof. (Psalms 102:6-7)
These birds are pictures of loneliness and desolation. When you have Chronic Pain, many times (most of the time) you just want to be alone. You do not want to be around people much because it takes so much energy not to frown or even scream out from the pain. I know that my friends just want to reach out to comfort me; however, my natural reaction is to refuse the help and conversation. Suffering silently though, really is not the Christian thing to do or even the healthy thing to do. Instead, I know I need to accept graciously the support and help my family and friends want to provide me through Jesus’ love.
Psalm 102 is a messianic Psalm and is quoted by the Holy Spirit in Hebrews 1:10-12. My sufferings cannot even come close to our Saviour’s when He was nailed to the cross for my sins. He was the Man of Sorrows and was beaten, bruised and tortured and was reduced to skin and bones. The pain He suffered was unimaginable. Forsaken by God and by man, He was alone, like a solitary sparrow on a rooftop.
The Lord endured this agony and suffering for “the joy that lay before Him” (Hebrews 12:2). Knowing that a great reward was coming for God’s people gave Jesus great joy. He did not look at his earthly discomforts, but he kept his eyes on the spiritual, invisible realities. My goal is to finish the race, like Christ, and persevere in times of suffering, looking to Christ as my model and concentrating on my heavenly destination.
By counting my Chronic Pain or other trials and tribulations “as joy” (James 1:2), I will have the endurance through faith (James 1:3) to spread God’s joy to others in spite of my afflictions so that I never have to suffer silently again. Praise God!
Blessings,
Chris
