Praise Him Through the Pain

"Praise the LORD! Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever." Psalm 106:1 NKJV

In a story titled “Research Says Run/Walk Intervals Can Help Alleviate Back Pain” published Wednesday, it was reported that nearly 620 million people worldwide have chronic low back pain, according to the World Health Organization, and prevalence in the U.S. is high. One estimate notes that up to 28 percent of Americans may struggle with the issue at some point in their lives, and 44 percent of those with chronic back pain report having it for five years or longer. Potentially making back pain worse: Avoidance of exercise. Some people believe that physical activity—especially any kind of intense or high-impact exercise like running—will lead to a higher pain level and mobility limitations. However, new research suggests the opposite may be true… The takeaway from the study is that, for most people with low back pain, running is safe if you start small and build up gradually,“ said lead author Chris Neason, Ph.D.(c), a researcher and exercise physiologist at Monash University in Australia. He told Runner’s World that running helps load spinal discs in a way that other exercise, like cycling or swimming, doesn’t. “Our spinal discs respond well to this loading, and it can strengthen the back muscles and may have an anti-inflammatory effect,” he said. “We also saw in our study that running improved confidence and led to better mental health.”

And, you know, exercise isn't the only thing people avoid when they are in pain or going through a season of suffering. They also avoid praising God. But praising God in our trials is the very thing we should do! You see, as the Bible reminds us, God is good and His mercy endures forever. Even when our circumstances aren't good, God never changes. Which means He will never stop causing all things to work together for our good and He will never stop showing us love, faithfulness, and compassion despite our sins that warrant death. Because God is always good then, we should always "Praise the Lord!" The takeaway from this also is, when we praise through our pain, we are reminded of the goodness of God which leads to better mental health by helping us to see our trials as they are... light and momentary in view of eternity. 

So if you're walking through a valley right now, don't let it keep you from thanking the Lord for his unending goodness and praising Him for his faithful mercy my friend. It will not only bring joy to your heart but will inspire others to praise Him as well. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for your goodness, grace, and mercy that never changes. Lord, when (not if) we go through trials and experience the pain that comes from living in a broken world, help us to praise You with all that we have knowing this life is not all there is and that one day soon You are coming back to get us. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!