Yes to the Pain

Print

Traveling down this road of our YES to God is exciting. I’m so enjoying reading and experiencing Him. Through them I’ve had a personal dealing with my Yes. If Christ is the Divine Yes and Amen, then my every yes to Him is a yes for Him.

For as many as are the promises of God, they all find their Yes [answer] in Him [Christ]. For this reason we also utter the Amen (so be it) to God through Him [in His Person and by His agency] to the glory of God.
2 Corinthians 1:20 AMP

Saying Yes to My Pain

Saying Yes to My Pain
Recently the Lord asked me to say yes to a painful situation in my life.  He just asked me to say yes to the whole thing with no caveats. No explanation by Him, no excuse, no defense by Him or me—nothing but my yes.  He owes me no explanation for anything He allows or directs. So amidst tears, I said YES!

Over the years, His grace has shown me purpose for certain pains in my life, but simple understanding of what God takes us through really doesn’t have power in itself. No, where there’s power is in my yes.

My yes is surrender and praise of Him as God!

Examples of Pain

Example of Pain
I don’t want to be cryptic, so I will give some hypothetical examples of situations in need of a yes. Years of emotional abuse of a spouse, abandonment by a parent, hurtful scorn and mockery from siblings…all awful situations, I know.  Each one is painful, only because of resistance to our own experience. And that ‘no’ to God marks our soul in negative ways.  But what I’m seeing is that when we turn back and look at these situations, we’re given the choice whether we want to be bitter or liberated. Liberty is not found in fighting it, but in saying yes to God for it. A yes, at the very least, that He allowed these pains, or even directed them for our forming.

Yes has the power to pull out the poisonous stinger. It’s surrender to the Great I AM who makes one vessel for honor and another for dishonor.  God is so sovereign and our yielding makes His presence and reality powerfully evident.

Yes to Pain

Yes to Pain
Why in the world would I say yes to God for painful events, seasons or even a lifetime of heartache? Because that’s the only way you take possession of the benefits you paid for by living it.  God showed me that to resist a situation, I also resist the benefits I’ve earned.  Pain in our lives is not pain for pain’s sake. God is not a sadist! We are built for reward and motivated by return.  To say YES to my life is to reap all the rewards and benefits from these painful experiences. And the reward is to receive the GOOD He has planned for us.

There is a cost we’re required to pay in this life.  Our sovereign God uses difficult, even agonizing situations, to form us. To resist is to resist God Himself.  The power of yes is incredible. It’s the difference between life and death.

There is another YES required of us: Yes to ME! Yes to my story’s failure, flaws and frailty. Just YES! Did God not know the fallibility of my being? Did He not know that I wasn’t God? This isn’t a means of excuse, like, “Sure, I was an absentee father and emotionally abusive, so deal with it!” No, after I’ve repented, then I can say yes to my own story and accept it.  The difference is in the heart – pride or humility.  We all have to say yes to our story; it’s the door to enter the victory. It’s surrender to His Lordship, His sovereignty, His God-ness.

Yes to Me!

God said to me, say yes to the mockery, scorn, abandonment, and rejection—all the pains of life.  My yes put it all back in His hands to deal with as He – my God – saw fit.  It is yielding to Him and His choices.  It’s a yes to Him as Master of my destiny.  He is the Great I AM of my life. My yes offers it all back to Him, my bowing worship of Him as God.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son…
Romans 8: 28,29 NASB

RSS
Facebook67
Visit Us
Follow Me
Tweet
GAB
Telegram
Copy link
SOCIALICON
SOCIALICON
Subscribe
Notify of
19 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
1 year ago

The numerous scars were all aching last night, as my thoughts turned to doubting Him and His ways. This morning was His ministry. Thank you brother for your willingness to be “yes” in His hands.

1 year ago
Reply to  Don Hartness

Bless you Don, sorry for the struggle and pain but so grateful for His ministry! Your encouragement means a lot buddy! YES!

Cindy
1 year ago

“Yes to ME! Yes to my story’s failure, flaws and frailty.” I see this morning that this is the ultimate pride … that I believe I can be or do better. I can do or be nothing….HE IS & DOES ALL!

1 year ago
Reply to  Cindy

This is it precisely. And He is so capable of the whole thing. Bless you Cindy, and thank you for your living yes too!

Jean
1 year ago

Yes and amen!

1 year ago
Reply to  Jean

😊

Rachel
4 years ago

Ah, this is a good Word me, thank You, Father, for giving this to John to share! Saying “yes” is to stop striving in my life and receive Christ as my Life (Watchman Nee Christ the Sum of All Spiritual Things)

4 years ago
Reply to  Rachel

Yes this is a perfect summation. Stop striving and start receiving. Thank you for grasping the message with both hands Rachel! Blessing you big!

Anna
4 years ago

Dear John, I pray that we will all get this deeply. I’m so grateful for what He is pouring out through you!

4 years ago
Reply to  Anna

I am so grateful your your encouragement Anna! Thank you. I need this lesson so hugely and my receiving of it has been a path to incredible freedom! Love you!

[…] Ohhh. (Aaron)  How can He say yes to Adam?  He can’t. (Martha)  ooo!  “Recently,” this is John’s blog.  I’m continuing.  “Recently the Lord asked me to say yes to a painful situation in my […]

[…] the Son’s yes to us, to our story, to our person. (M)  That’s the yes of your scripture to your blog, because of God’s yes to us in Christ our Amen is yes to His yes. (J)  “For as many as are the […]

Irene
8 years ago

John, I had the opportunity yesterday, to share the message of this blog with a dear sister who was visiting from out of town. It blessed her so much. Then she in turn shared it via email to a friend back home who was struggling with a difficult issue. It always amazes me how God’s economy works. I thank God for you and for your ministry.

Pauline
8 years ago

John, I hated reading this, though I believe every word — it’s just one of the elements my desired surrender lacks. Not so much a past issue or hurt but something (someone – not Stephen) I live with every day; it’s just not easy for me yet; at the same time, this cost for “life” is non-optional…crazy, huh? One day I give it to Him, 4 days later (not exactly, you know what I mean), I take it back. Sandy, your words encouraged me so much! And thank you, John, for willing to be the bearer of a hard saying… Read more »

Sandy
8 years ago

Your words make me ponder, John… And I ask myself, we don’t know Him, do we? We haven’t even begun to know Whom we say yes to, or else it wouldn’t be that hard – a sacrifice (painful) like you said, but not that hard I think. And our “yes” is all about Jesus, isn’t it… Look at His “yes”, the size of it. I wonder if He was able to say such a tremendous, sacrificial “yes” because that was exactly how much He knew the Father. I think that the terrible size of it shows us, in a way… Read more »

Seth
8 years ago

While reading this I was reminded of the prophets of old like Jeremiah. Their Yes to God meant the scorn of the nation, rejection and everything else that came with it. But their Yes also meant they were with God. He was with them in all of it. And He was their confidence. This really makes me think what Yes really may look like and how easy it may be to hold back that Yes for fear of the consequences but as you said it is also the entrance into all the wonderful riches of Christ. He is worth it.… Read more »

Paul
8 years ago

John, your messages always speak deeply to my heart. It’s so very difficult to say “YES” but thank you for the reminder that it’s so very essential if we’re to be free and be able to enjoy all the blessings that God desires to bring.

I so enjoy this daily blog and your readers who respond with so much depth. It’s apparent that they too have a deep walk with God. God bless the Shulamite community!

Irene
8 years ago
Reply to  Paul

Paul, I had the very same thoughts as I read the comments again today. I am so thankful for the Shulamite ministry.

Irene
8 years ago

Just amazing John! Say “Yes” and then say “thank You.” Only possible through His Life in me..