In March I said the most used word for 2020 would not be “pandemic” but rather “unprecedented!” It seems everything has been up changed, uprooted, redirected, reduced, or just plain eliminated. Unprecedented in my lifetime. If we were to sit around in a circle and recount the many unusual things we have all faced in this unprecedented year…challenges, disruptions, pain…, I’m sure the list would be exceedingly long. 

Many of the things we have experienced in these strange days have had nothing to do with the pandemic. My wife’s four hip replacement surgeries within about eight weeks has been called unprecedented by Judy’s medical team. Her recovery is slow, but we are seeing great improvement in the past few weeks. The prayers of God’s people have been effective, indeed.

Rick Warren has said, “Don’t waste your pain. Use it to help others.” Great advice. Judy has used her five hospital stays to engage each person who comes into her room, to learn of their background, their families, and their faith. We have had opportunities to pray with surgeons, medical teams, nurses, physical therapists, and others, and have expressed our confidence in our Lord Jesus as the ultimate Great Physician who uses good and skilled people for His purposes. 

Dan Burgess’ song has been running in my mind recently.

Thank you, Lord,
for the trials that come my way.
In that way I can grow each day
as I let you lead,
And thank you, Lord,
for the patience those trials bring.
In that process of growing,
I can learn to care.

Okay…that part of the song is nice. But the reality sets in with these words:

But it goes against the way
I am to put my human nature down
and let the Spirit take control of all I do.

‘Cause when those trials come,
my human nature shouts the thing to do;
and God’s soft prompting
can be easily ignored.

Do you recognize God’s soft prompting in the midst of your unprecedented trials? What is the Lord saying to you and to those around you? C. S. Lewis in his book The Problem of Pain has important thoughts for us.

“We can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” 

We have a promise from God that we will have unprecedented days that may be filled with pain and suffering. But we also have His encouragement and His hope.

In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.

1 Peter 5:10 NLT

The Apostle Paul told the Roman believers that there is a progression in pain that leads to God’s best in our lives.

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 

Romans 5:3-4 NLT

The unprecedented trials of this past year can be just that…trials. Or they can be triumphant steps toward the endurance, character, and the hope Christ has for us in our salvation. And, all of this can impact the lives of those around us. In Psalm 40, David was in the pit of despair. Yet he recognized that God had the power to rescue him, set him on solid ground, and put a new song in his heart. 

He has given me a new song to sing,
    a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
    They will put their trust in the Lord.

Psalm 40:3 NLT

And that song of God’s faithfulness through David’s trials…and through our trials…can bring many to salvation through Christ Jesus.

Let this past unprecedented year be a victorious year that leads us down God’s path to impact many more lives for His glory.

God’s best…