Fresh StartSample

In one of the most beautiful moments of Scripture, Jesus’ friends Mary and Martha were walking through the death of their brother, Lazarus. Jesus had declared several times that He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead (John 11:4, 11, 23). So, He knew the sisters’ weeping was going to end in rejoicing. But the sisters didn’t know what He knew. And even though Jesus knew the brokenhearted Mary and Martha would soon have their grief erased by Lazarus’ resurrection, in that moment, they were shattered. And, amazingly, fully knowing what would happen a short while later, Jesus wept with them. He stepped into His friends’ grief and cried. While Jesus was on earth, He made lots of promises. One was a not-so-fun one: we are going to have trouble (John 16:33). This world is broken and in the middle of a spiritual battle. While we live on this Earth, it is going to hurt us. The reality is, like with Lazarus, God knows full well how your hardship is going to turn out. He knows how it ends.

So, when you’re walking through a hardship, when an unwanted fresh start barrels into your life, turn to the God who is grieving with you. He knows the end, yes. But He is invested in the messy middle, and He is grieving with you in it. Wrong is wrong, and hard is hard, and He is with you on your journey through the hard. Turn to Him and invite Him to hold you. Ask Him to help you feel and experience His loving presence in the hurt until you get to the other side He knows is coming. Ask Him to help you hold His hand and trust His heart in the dark.