DEVOTIONAL:
The first semester of my junior year has been a rough semester for me. I’ve felt the strain of long work hours and overwhelming amounts of homework. Life itself can be overwhelming. I’ve struggled to find time to just be present. My spiritual life ha waned. I’ve felt empty and been broken. Many times this semester, God has seemed distant.
I don’t write this out of a need for sympathy, I write this to be honest. It is really hard to keep going sometimes, horribly painful even. Life can feel like it’s pressing down on us. We are not the first, and will not be the last, to cry out to God from our struggles. In this hurt, God’s presence is certain.
The biblical texts this week call us to recognize God’s awesome power. Especially in our pain, we scream out to God. In Isaiah 61, the writer proclaims that the Lord God still remains, even in suffering; verse 3 petitions God “to provide for those who mourn.” Psalm 126 calls out to the Lord to restore good life to us, asking that “those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 tells Christ’s followers to “rejoice always, pray without ceasing, [and] give thanks in all circumstances.” John the Baptist makes his voice heard, as “the voice crying out in the wilderness,” in John 1:23.
As you go through this week, remember to hold fast to God. In Advent, and in life, the vast darkness of our pained souls is pierced by the light of Christ.