Devotionals

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Written by Naomi Cassata
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…that is, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” Jesus cried these words out during the lowest point in His life, while He hung from a cross in agony. His words weren’t for God to ease the pain, or to send an angel to comfort Him, or even to punish those who put Him there. He felt abandoned, and the deep cry of His heart was for the attention and nearness of His Father. All through Jesus’ ministry on earth, He lived to please His Father. Many a time the Bible states Jesus went away to pray. He was constantly seeking communion with God; so while on the cross, during the most severe time in His life, nothing else hurt more than the feeling of separation from His Father.

In the same way, it’s during our most difficult and lowest times in life that we tend to feel abandoned the most. We don’t understand why bad things happen and why when we pray to God He doesn’t deliver right away. We think God has turned His back on us. But this is far from the truth. You see, when Jesus hung on the cross, God new it. He knows the beginning from the end. He knew it was for the good that Jesus suffer as He did. Yet in the midst of Christ’s suffering, it didn’t make sense to the ones around Him. Isaiah 55:9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. This is why we must trust God during our own sufferings.

As Christians we will face good times and bad. Just because we’ve given our lives over to God doesn’t mean we will never face difficulties in our lives. In fact, the Bible warns us: 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed…Despite the unpleasantness, God will uphold us. Beloved, you are not alone in your trial.

I’ve personally been through some very low points, in my own life, to the extent I would have rather passed onto Heaven than continue with the unmerciful despair I was in. It’s during extreme lows that death can seem better than life. But what I’ve learned through this time is that God has a plan. It’s hard to see past all the confusion while in your trial. Looking from the inside out, it seems like there is no end to the suffering. We cry out to God, but it seems His ear is deaf to our cries. Our human understanding is not capable of comprehending what is going on.

I remember thinking how unfair life is. Why do some seem to suffer and others prosper? Romans 5:3 Paul writes, …but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character, and character hope. In essence, it’s during the most difficult times in our lives that we grow the most. It’s during the darkest times that God is working in our lives the most. His goal is to make us holy, give us wisdom and to produce fruit in us. It’s only when we’ve been through something that we have anything to give afterwards. There are so many spiritual lessons that are taught during a trial; we are truly changed when we’ve come through the fire. The chaff in our life is being consumed until we stand before our God Holy and without the weights of the world.

You may be wondering what to do during your trials. God is wanting us to endure. Too many times we give up in the middle of our trial. We feel defeated, weak and abandoned. We give up way too easy. That’s exactly what satan wants us to do. He is out to destroy us. If satan can’t kill us, he will seek to steal from us, if he can’t steal, he will try to destroy us anyway he can (John 10:10). It’s during the low points that he seeks to prey on us the most. When we have no strength to stand, he gets us at our weak points. Matthew 10:22 …But who ever endures to the end will be saved. If you’re going through a trial, the boldest words I can give you right now is “Endure.” Don’t give up! Trials only last for a season and then the harvest will come. Keep walking according to the word and don’t doubt. Victory will come. God will deliver in the end, but we must not throw our hands up in defeat. Hebrews 13:5 …"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." This is a promise from God. Even through we are not always aware of God’s presence, He is always with us bearing the weight of our trial.

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