On one side you are God’s child, doing everything the best you can but on the other side, you don’t have an answer to the pain you are going through. You are asking to “Where is God compassion?”
Many people think that God has given them a tough life, whereas some others are having an easy life. Sometimes we feel that we suffer far more than others. But this is simply not the case, everyone has unique troubles. Your friends may not have the same trouble as yours; you may not have the same problems as mine. Everyone has their own share of struggle but the Lord has promised to be with us and deliver us from all our troubles. God has many ways to chastise a provoking people. Trouble comes sometimes from that point whence we least feared it.
So what does RACHAM mean?
Racham is of Hebrew origin and it is also predominantly used in the Hebrew language. The name's meaning is 'compassionate'.
The flooding in Texas has our emotions running high. We need to know how to handle them. There is a group of individuals who think suppressing your emotions is adequate emotion regulation. Then there is another group who believes expressing your feelings at any cost and in any situation is the way to go. Both groups are wrong.
With hundreds of people experiencing great loss of stability, property, habitat without power, many lacking running water and Houston City’s roadways, public transit system crippled, possibly for days—many are facing enormous emotional and physical challenges. But at least, they can rely on the kindness of strangers—not just loved ones— to temper the blow.
Although there’s a mentality that disasters provoke frenzied selfishness and brutal survival-of-the-fittest competition, the reality is that people coping with crises are actually quite altruistic.
That’s what we already seeing in the places worst hit by Harvey. Across the affected region, people have been checking in on sick or elderly neighbors, sharing food and information, driving carefully through intersections without working traffic lights and otherwise supporting each other. While there have been some reports of looting in parts of Brooklyn, overall, the picture is one of cooperation.
5 Ways God Is Working With You In Times of Disaster or Distress:
1. God tests our heart in our hurts.
Do we believe and trust God even in the midst of pain and suffering? Do we believe in the promises of God even when everything looks impossible? Do we trust in God even when we do not understand His ways in our lives? Our trials can be a test of our faith.
2. God directs us in our hurts.
Unaware to us, God is directing us when we are going through a hard phase in life.
3. God corrects us in our hurts.
God can also use our hurts to correct us. There are other times when we are wrong. We have strayed into sin, we have made wrong choices and we need God’s correction.
4. God protects us in our hurts.
Sometimes God uses failures and problems to protect us. Joseph was obviously his father’s favorite son. And as a result of this favoritism, his brothers were filled with hatred and bitterness towards him. Then one day in their hatred they sold him as a slave to a caravan traveling to Egypt. It all happened so quickly. One moment he was the favorite son, getting anything he wanted and the next he was in chains and being sold into slavery.
5. Hurts make us rely on God.
Sometimes it is only when we are crushed and down that we see the face of God, and we wholeheartedly learn to trust in him.
God, through Jesus, has forgiven or pardoned our inequities. Inequities can be things we should have done but did not and what we have done that we should not have. The tense of the word here is important because it doesn’t say that God forgave once and it is done. But, rather it is in the present tense always. God continually washes over the believer with fresh waters of his grace and forgiveness. He doesn’t forgive once and then stop, but it is continual.
When God redeems us, He doesn’t just wash the old clean though. Scripture says that we are quickened and raised up from being dead. It is like we are born anew.
Experiencing His Racham In Life:
The researchers say that the idea that disasters bring out the worst in people is generally a myth, writing “Natural and man-made disasters are followed by increases in altruistic behavior and social solidarity.”
In fact, we may be wired to act just that way. Our brains are designed so that our stress systems can be soothed by social support: in response to the calming words or gentle touch of loved ones, for example, the bonding hormone oxytocin tends to lower levels of stress hormones. We learn this from infancy from our parents or caregivers; as we grow, our stress systems remain intricately linked to the presence of others who can provide comfort and relief from anxiety.
Hundreds of studies now show that strong social support extends life and improves health in multiple ways, acting primarily though its effects on the stress system. And during disasters, our social networks largely determine our fates: the more connections we have and the stronger our bonds are to each other, the more likely we are to survive, not just physically but emotionally.
To prevent and treat post-traumatic stress disorder, these ties are the best medicine. It’s when we face the toughest times that our true nature reveals itself: we’re in it together. Though no one wants to face catastrophe, when we do, it can bring unexpected gifts— but only if we share and value each other.
One reason why stress may lead to cooperative behavior is our profound need for social connection. Human beings are fundamentally social animals and it is the protective nature of our social relationships that has allowed our species to thrive. Decades of research shows that social connection is a fundamental human need linked to both psychological and and physical health including a stronger immune system, faster recovery from disease and even longevity.
Keep your faith up! Know God's Racham is alive today in those who are around you, showing love, kindness, and compassion that beats the fear and doubts - God's Racham is alive in His people as it was in times of Abraham, Moses, or David. Amen!
References: 1. Research by Bernadette von Dawans, Ph.D. 2. Research by Shelley E. Taylor, Ph.D.
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