A daily devotional: celebrating the grace and sharing the love of God

Psalm 22:1 (NRSV) My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?

We have all felt the Psalmist’s agony. Perhaps it was the death of a loved one or the end of a relationship, betrayal by a coworker, a job loss, or a bitter family fight. Painting over the pain with smiles and “I’m fine, how are you?” doesn’t make it go away. Swallowing it drives the pain deeper. And when it surfaces again, and it will, it comes out like a storm that surprises everyone.

So, what do you do with pain? Like the Psalmist, and like Jesus on the cross, you get alone with God and let God have it. You shake your fist. You rant and rave. You let it all out. You don’t quit until you are drained. God can take it. Read the rest of Psalm 22. The Psalmist said “he (God) did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him.”

And the empty tomb is the proof that God heard Jesus!

Lord, you know our disappointments, our failures, our pain—and you have heard our cries. Forgive us when we have played the suffering in silence game. Heal our hearts. Give us the confidence of knowing when pain seems to be permanent and hope gone, you promise joy in the morning. Thank you, Lord, for Easter morning joy! Amen.