Pour out your hearts before him. God is our refuge. —Psalm 62:8
Our world expects us to look on the bright side. But what happens when the bright side is hard to find? God doesn’t ask us to pretend things are good when they’re bad. Instead, God calls us to cry out to Him (Psalm 34).
Prayers of lament aren’t the “feel good” prayers we may think we need to hear. Reminders of sin, illness, and death may make us feel uncomfortable. But we don’t have to pretend all is well. God, in His Word and by His Spirit, is with us in life’s hardships. He invites us to ask hard questions. Why does God allow bad things to happen? Why is there so much suffering in the world? Hard questions lead us to the solid hope we need.
Hardship is never our first choice. But God’s children can trust we’re safe in His care. Hardship isn’t an accident. Hardship is God’s fuel to reignite His children’s love for Him (Rom. 5:1–5). Let this Easter be a time for you to discover true happiness through faith in Jesus Christ.
Make it Personal
How have hard things that you’ve experienced helped to increase your love for and faith in Jesus?