Tuesday, November 19, 2024

In seventh grade, I went through some pretty uncomfortable middle school drama. Between misunderstood comments and high-strung teenage emotions, I thought my friends no longer wanted to hang out with me. Yet even when I felt betrayed by my friends, Jesus was present with me through every moment.

Jesus promises his presence to all of his followers. He isn’t distant in our pain and struggles; he understands exactly what we are going through. Jesus came to earth as fully human as well as fully God. He endured pain on both physical and emotional levels during his time here.

In a prophecy about the Messiah, Isaiah wrote:

Isaiah 53:3
He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.

Jesus knows what it is like to be deserted. Before he was crucified, all of his disciples ran away, afraid and full of doubts, rather than remaining faithful (Matthew 26:56). The people who had been chanting his name mere days earlier were, instead, calling for his death (Luke 23:18-25). Peter, one of his closest friends, denied Jesus after promising to stand at his side (Matthew 26:69-75).

All of us have rejected Jesus at some point in our lives. We have all betrayed him, choosing to listen to our desires or fears instead of him. Yet he still pursues us, giving his life to get us back.

Isaiah 53:6
All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.

After Jesus rose from the dead, one of his first actions was to meet with the disciples who turned their backs on him, including Peter. He reminded them of his love, gave them a mission, and promised to be with them through the trials and heartache they would face. This promise extends to us as well, two thousand years later.

Jesus walks alongside us through our own struggles and pain, whether they are as complicated as friend drama or as heartbreaking as losing a loved one. He has been there before and meets us in the pain now. There is no amount of darkness or heartache we could go through that would push him away.

Questions:
What is something you are struggling with right now? Have you been through a challenging or painful time in the past? How has Jesus shown up for you in those times?

Next Steps:
Read all of Isaiah 53. Take some time to sit with it, and allow yourself to be awed by a God who would go through that pain for you.

Groups are a circle of people who will encourage you in your struggles. If you aren’t part of one, make plans to step into Group life in January 2025 when our new Groups semester starts.

Prayer:
Father, you went through so much pain to get me back. I am awed by your love, by your determination, by your constant pursuit of me. Thank you for meeting me here, knowing exactly what I am going through, and walking alongside me. I love you. Amen.

Series Theme Verse:

Romans 1:20
For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

This post was written by Lydia Snyder, a regular contributor to the LivingItOut Devotional.