Get the appFinding Purpose Through Authentic ConnectionSample
Even though Jesus has overcome the world, we will still experience many trials and sorrows. So if God doesn’t take away our pain, what’s the point? How can he love us and not shield us from the bad of life? Since he is God, he could. But he doesn’t, because rather than take away our pain, God finds us there. He has experienced pain as well. If this is all new to you, you might have trouble believing that last sentence. How can God experience pain?
That’s where Jesus comes in. Jesus is God’s Son. He was literally God in human flesh. When Jesus came to earth, he didn’t come to a life of luxury. He was born in a barn to poor parents who had to flee their home country to save their son from the king who wanted to kill him. Jesus’ earthly father, Joseph, died when Jesus was younger than I am today. Jesus never owned a home. Instead he roamed around teaching all over Judea, which also means he was homeless. He and his disciples often didn’t have food to eat. More than once they walked through grain fields and ate what they could pick as they walked. That was their meal for the day. He connected with the marginalized and the poor because he was one of them. But that is all just the setup for the end. Jesus was put to death as a criminal for a crime he did not commit. As he hung on the cross he cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Three days later he rose from the dead, but the scars from the nails remained in his hands.
God doesn’t take away all our suffering when we connect with him. Instead, he finds us in our pain and brokenness. When we are at our lowest, he is there whispering that he knows how we feel. . . .
When we experience the harsh parts of life, God hasn’t let us down. He hasn’t stopped loving us. Instead, he is in the midst of these problems, waiting to meet us there. Some would say he has already met us there and all we have to do is stop and wait and listen.
In the deepest parts of our pain, confusion, isolation, darkness, and regret, God is there.
About this Plan
The longing for human connection is universal. If you wrestle with feelings of loneliness, rejection, and doubt - you’re not alone. So many of us question whether or not we matter. Based on Ben Higgins' new book, Alone in Plain Sight, this five-day devotional is an invitation to join Ben in exploring how to find your purpose by pursuing authentic connection with yourself, with others, and with God.
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We would like to thank HarperCollins/Zondervan/Thomas Nelson for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: https://bit.ly/3e8SyhC
