Good Morning! "Bad
guys" come in many forms today, and bad guys bring suffering of
many kinds. It might be physical, emotional, or even spiritual. And no,
God does not scare them all away, or make them all stop. Suffering was Jesus' reality;...and suffering will be our reality, as well.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.—Hebrews 4:15, 16 (NIV)
I think God may even allow suffering to gently move us toward Jesus, so that we might better identify with Him.That's definitely worth thinking about, as we closer to our next big holiday, Easter. Our suffering is a shared experience with Jesus,...something that can bring deeper intimacy in our relationship with Him. He may not rescue us the way that we wish, but in His goodness, I believe He offers some things far more valuable. He invites us to "approach the throne of grace" and "receive mercy." He's really offering Himself to us,...welcoming us into intimacy.
"We cannot close our eyes to the reality of suffering, for it is the reality chosen by the one we name Lord and Christ. And the path he walks here is the one he bids us to follow." —Theodore W. Jennings, Jr.
Lord, we ask You to open our hearts and my minds this week. Allow our
suffering to help us more closely identify with Your suffering,...so that
we can share these experiences in unity. We need Your mercy and grace,
in our time of need. I thank You for becoming a human, so that You can
sympathize with our struggles. Thank You that we can enter into Your
presence with confidence, because of what You've done for us on the
cross. Amen.
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