“Thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.”

Job 10:12

There’s no cure for past pain like present desire. When the longing for something is powerful enough, it can wipe out the pain of the past, enabling you to rise again with renewed energy and purpose. If you ask any woman who has experienced the pain of childbirth whether it was worth everything she went through, chances are she would do it again to experience the joy of holding that little one in her arms. Maybe you’ve experienced a tragedy that has left you feeling indifferent about the future, or a heartbreak that still has you reeling in pain. You may have tried to rationalize it by telling yourself, “As long as I don’t care, it won’t hurt.” The fear of being hurt again is very real; a burned child dreads the fire. But you can’t live the rest of your life in fear. Job lost his health, his wealth, and his children in a single day. How did he get through it? He said, “Thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.” God is not finished with you. He will visit you again! Job’s story ends with these words: “The Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before” (Job 42:10). And God can do the same for you. Be encouraged—He has a better future for you: “If you devote your heart to him…stretch out your hands to him…put away the sin that is in your hand and allow no evil to dwell in your tent, then, free of fault, you will lift up your face; you will stand firm and without fear. You will surely forget your trouble, recalling it only as waters gone by” (Job 11:13-16 NIV).