Happy Friday, everyone!

You know, some weeks leave us carrying questions that we can’t answer.

“Why did this happen?”
“Where is God in all of this?”
“Does God see what I’m going through?”

You know, pain naturally turns us inward. And there’s a human reason for that. When suffering hits, our minds immediately begin searching for meaning. We replay the moment, we look for the causes — for maybe something that we missed or something that could have been done differently — and who’s responsible for this pain.

But there’s also something spiritual happening. The old Adam in us wants to see, wants to know, wants to explain, and ultimately have control.

And when pain comes, we begin to struggle in our trust of God. We begin to wonder whether He’s keeping something from us, holding back information, withholding answers, or keeping secrets.

And the truth is, He may be.

There’s wisdom inside an authority that belongs to God alone. There are things that we cannot see. Answers He’s chosen not to give us. And outcomes that remain hidden.

Yet, we want the knowledge because we think it’s going to make us secure. We believe that if we have enough information, if we gain some control and certainty, then we can protect ourselves. And then we can determine the outcome.

When suffering becomes only about us, what we can do, what we can understand, and maybe what we can handle, it becomes unbearable.

But the good news is found in God’s invitation. He invites us to bring our suffering to Him. And when we do, we discover that suffering is no longer something we must solve or carry on our own.

God meets us there.

He walks with us and shoulders what would have crushed us — because He makes it about Him. His strength, His ability, and His faithfulness.

That’s exactly what Jesus did. He refused to stand at a distance when we were suffering — because He knew that sin and the suffering it brought into this world were overwhelming us and leading us to death.

And so He entered our suffering, taking our sin, our shame, our grief, our fear, our forsakenness upon Himself.

This doesn’t mean that suffering suddenly becomes easy or that every question is now answered. It means we do not carry it alone. We walk through suffering, knowing that there’s a victory on the other side.

And Jesus proved that, too. He suffered and died. But on the third day, He walked out of the grave. Death did not have the final word.

And Jesus promises that that same victory is coming to all who trust and believe in Him. And all along the road of suffering, He promises to be with us. “After you have suffered a little while. The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” (1 Peter 5:10)

And remember, Paul wrote, these words: “We are hard pressed, perplexed, struck down.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)

Notice that he doesn’t say, “I don’t suffer anymore.”
He simply says, “I’m not abandoned.”

And that’s the difference. Not the absence of suffering, but the absence of abandonment.

The lie says, “God has abandoned you.”
Jesus says, “I will be with you always.”

The lie says, “You’re alone.”
But your baptism declares you belong to God.

The lie says, “This cross proves that God does not love you. It’s too much for you to bear. How can He ask you to bear a cross?”
But in communion, we hear these words: “This is My body given for you.”

So whatever you are carrying into this weekend, bring it to Jesus. You don’t carry it alone.

The cross forever changes the meaning of suffering. Not because the pain is no longer painful, but because Christ has entered it, bore it, and promises to never abandon you through it.

Prayer
Lord Jesus, we thank You that You have not turned your back on us. But as promised, Your eye is ever-attentive on us, our situation, our needs, and Your heart breaks as You see our pain and our suffering. So much so that You are moved to compassion, that when You saw the consequence of our sin, the overwhelming suffering that comes from our sins, and the brokenness in this world, You didn’t stay away. You entered into this world, and You took that suffering upon Yourself, and You took it to the cross. And there, suffering did not have the final word over You. Death did not have the final word over You. But on the third day, You rose again. And now, You promise that You have that same victory for all of us. As we journey through this life trusting and believing and placing our hope in You, You also not only just ask us to wait until that day. You promise something incredible that You’re going to actually stay with us all along the journey. You’re going to help us to shoulder the suffering and to see us through it. And so, Lord, for any of us who are struggling, who are suffering, who are doubting, strengthen our faith this weekend. Help us to place our trust fully in You, to find the confidence and the security that we need to know that we’re not alone. That even though the suffering still hurts, You walk with us and that there is a victory ahead. We ask this all in Jesus’s name. Amen.

Final Thought
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