All their kings fall, and none of them calls on me. Hosea 7:7 

Each of us groans under the effects of the fall. Believers and non-believers suffer alike but some never call on God. They cry tears, but only tears looking for relief. There is no introspection. No lessons learned. Tragically, they just stiffen their resolve to survive somehow. There is no other choice for those who don’t know Jesus. It’s the best they can do.

God invites me to share in the suffering of His Son.  Because His trials had meaning, mine can too.  I was created to reveal the glory of God and His light can shine through me even on the darkest days.  When glory is revealed against the backdrop of tragedy, the Gospel is on full display and Jesus can be seen. I show others that the joy of being His, the joy of His companionship, and the assurance that my pain has a purpose, is far more weighty than the burden.   

Today, some will suffer the unfair accusations of others. They will either be eaten away with the anger of injustice, or they will choose to understand Jesus more when they remember that He was falsely accused and accepted it humbly – all for us. Today, others will watch a loved one wither away with cancer and the loss will either cripple them or cause them to more fully embrace the joy that life is eternal. Death is the doorway to abundant life, not a tragic ending. Today, a parent’s heart will break over path of a rebellious child. They will be tempted to disown their own son or daughter, or they will choose to explore the truth of their own past rebellion against God. They will trace, once again, His never- ending supply of mercy. 

With each cross comes a choice. Meaningless suffering – or the chance to find the heart and purposes of God in our tears. For any of us who endeavor to discover the latter, our pain will be bittersweet ~ bitter enough to lament but sweet enough to radiate hope in our tears.

Meet me with mercy in the fire. Amen