Hope When Motherhood Is Hard: A 5 Day Devotional Намуна

No matter what lies you and I are tempted to believe in our suffering, God’s love remains constant, and he is good.

John, one of Jesus’s twelve disciples, gave details surrounding the death of their friend Lazarus that illustrate this truth. He wrote, “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when [Jesus] heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was” (John 11:5–6). We know Jesus loved this family because John tells us that he did. Yet he chose to delay, and that decision to linger and move slowly meant that Lazarus was dead—dead and hidden in a tomb that was sealed with a stone—before Jesus and his disciples showed up. It had been long enough for Martha and Mary to give up hope, to put on their mourning clothes and grieve. And it’s in this context that we read that famous, shortest verse of the Bible, “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). Jesus wept. He grieved. Our Savior felt sorrow and loss. He watched his loved ones suffer. He never once stopped loving this family as he did the whole time.

The entire time he wept, Jesus knew there was more to their story. He knew a better day was coming. He knew rejoicing was around the corner, God would get the glory, and Lazarus would rise from the dead. He knew there was a purpose to their pain. And he still took time to weep with his friends. He didn’t bulldoze through grief on the way to grace.

The Lord hasn’t stopped loving you in your family's hardships, either. He never will. Even if your suffering hurts more tomorrow than it does today, there’s more to your story. A better day is coming. Joy is around the corner. God is working his plan, even if you and I don’t see it yet. There is a purpose to our pain—yours and mine. Yet in the middle of our sorrow, when the tornado of pain touches the ground of our hearts and the storm swirls around us, we’re invited to make time for godly lament, just as Jesus did.

When we run to God with godly lament rather than away from him in our grief, we discover priceless treasures, getting to know him in ways we never knew him before.

Reflection Questions

1. When have you tried to bypass grief? What was the impact?

2. What truths is God teaching you about yourself in your suffering?