Get off the Bench
by: Bentley Hornak
October 15, 2025
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.”
We’ve all experienced times in life where we feel like the rug has been pulled out from under us. Then you feel you’ve reached your limit. Then something else happens. It’s really overwhelming. It’s a weary place to be.
The truth is, God‘s plan is bigger and better than our own. God’s vision for our life is far better than the best game plan we can come up with. God resides in us while we are under construction. He starts to rebuild and transform us from the inside out.
So how do we proceed while in the midst of the pain and discomfort?
First, it’s imperative to spend time alone with God each day. “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (NIV, Romans 8:18).
Second, remember the people around you are not the enemy. However overwhelming the circumstances may be, we need to remember, especially within the family, that we are all on the same team. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. All men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another” (NIV, John 13:34-35).
Third, there’s nothing wrong with a good cry. Then freshen up and do something delightful.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You that You work every detail out for our good. “And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). There is always purpose in our pain. Remind us that this too shall pass and our endurance is refining us to be used by You for something good! Amen
Glory be to God.
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This is the Great Commandment, in which Jesus calls us to love Him wholeheartedly with all of our lives. He says this because this is how He has loved us. He spared nothing in His love for us, and He calls His people to do the same. He doesn’t want to be confined to the “spiritual” box in our lives, only meant to be uncovered when we do our daily devotional or when we attend church. God, in His fiery love, has much more for us than that. He wants to give us a new life, one that deeply satisfies, one that is exciting, and one where we truly experience Him in our everyday lives.