Your Life-defining Lord

At three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

Mark 15:34

You can know in your head that God has your good in mind and that He can redeem any situation, yet you can still feel hugely disappointed and deeply despondent when something goes wrong. Your head tells you God is trustworthy—but your heart tells you He’s not even there. Yet Jesus is there—His love is true, even if it doesn’t feel true.

Maybe your children move away and never call. Colleagues betray you. The one you’ve prayed to find Jesus never does. People disappoint you. You disappoint yourself, and at times you feel that God Himself has let you down.

In these places of deep disappointment, remind yourself of those things about God that you know to be true, though they might not feel true at the moment. Remember that the valley of death through which you are walking truly is a shadow, and that shadow does not define you or your life. Jesus does. With Him, “weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5).

Lord, Your power and love are so much greater than any disappointment I could experience on this earth. You are my Comfort and my Hope. I trust You.