Is. 53:3-"He (Jesus) was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering."
For years I struggled with tormenting anxiety. I white-knuckled my way through ordinary circumstances, because of fear inside. So often I felt isolated and alone. Close friends were sympathetic and supportive, but I knew they couldn't understand what I felt, because they had never experienced the same pain. If only there was someone whose encouragement came out of true empathy.
If we believe that God uses difficult times in our lives to draw us closer to him, we tenaciously treasure the fact that Christ is familiar with suffering. Jesus gave up all of heaven to come and get acquainted with our way of life. He gets it; he can fathom the kind of grief that can't be translated into words.
I learned to trust this Friend, for courage, for strength, for hope. I had his Word that he would never leave me, that his strength would be made perfect in weakness, that his grace was enough and that his perfect love would drive out fear. These, and many more scriptures, were pillars I leaned on, proclamations I shouted to him, prayers I wept before him, and anchors for my storm-tossed soul.
Anxiety's hold was broken the day I realized the sorrow Jesus experienced was deep enough to hold all my fears. I reached the bottom and found the Prince of Peace was there. I don't understand his methods and I won't get all my questions answered, but I am convinced of his love and that all things work together for good to those who love him and are called to his purposes.
So nestle down deep in his love today. Share your guts with him. Cry out for his help. He loves to respond.
He is more than a happy place for minds to go to,
More than cleansing breaths to take,
More than wine's warm merriment,
More than belly laughs to make stress break.
In quietness and trust he makes you strong,
The blessing comes in waiting,
Our wings he lifts, our feet run long,
His strength is never fading.
Thank you, Jesus, for coming to my world. I feel safe in your love. I thank you for strength for this moment, for promise of help for all my tomorrows and for the ultimate reunion with you in the place where there will be no pain or suffering.
