beaten up... but rescued

Today we read from 2 Corinthians 11:16-33, and from Psalm 54:1-7 in the One Year Bible. First, Paul tells us about all the trials he's faced in his lifetime, being beaten, shipwrecked, and left for dead. And then in the Psalms, the writer rejoices that God has rescued him from the evil plans of his enemies, and from those who seek to kill him.

Do you feel beaten up today? Is life getting you down? Been a little while since you've been happy or excited? Well, you're in good company. Suffering is part of life, and sometimes it feels like it's all life is. "Life is pain... anyone who says differently is selling something," as the Dread Pirate Roberts tells us.

But it's not all about the pain. Suffering isn't the end of the story. As the Psalmist tells us, we can rejoice that God DOES rescue us from our pain, lifts us up out of our suffering.

Lift your arms up to Him, like little Therese of Liseux, who said that she was too small to reach the heights of the great saints, so she lifted her arms up to God like a little child, and He picked her up. Then, from the lofty perch in His arms, she could see higher things than even the great saints, even though she was so small.

Lift your arms up to Him, and He will lift you up. He's good at that.

God, thank You for lifting us up out of our suffering. And for giving us the suffering to make us better people.