Have you felt empty and alone while surrounded by a group of people? Perhaps coworkers, friends, or family?
Although the Lord filled our emptiness with hope when we accepted His gift of salvation, we may experience struggles. A child led astray. A relationship gone bad. The life-threatening illness or death of a loved one. Many circumstances take us to places of weariness where our hearts become empty. We feel alone. We may think, “No one understands my suffering. How can they? They’re not me.”
During these times, it’s often difficult to turn to the only One who can help—the One who loves us with His perfect love. The Lord should be our first place to turn, but often He’s our last.
My third pregnancy ended in miscarriage. Devastated, I mourned for weeks. Women who shared that they too lost their babies didn’t bring me comfort or relief. Only the Lord brought peace. But several weeks passed before I allowed Him to minister to me.
The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed (Psalm 34:17-18 NLT).
When I first called out to the Lord, they were cries of frustration. “Why did this happen to me?” And cries of guilt. “What did I do to cause this?” When I turned from frustration and guilt to faith and trust in God, He comforted me.
The Lord understands our feelings and our emptiness. He experienced abandonment, physical and emotional pain, and He endured the cross. Is there a greater anguish to suffer?
You have allowed me to suffer much hardship, but you will restore me to life again and lift me up from the depth of the earth (Psalm 71:20 NLT).
Take comfort in Christ and turn to Him first. Allow Him to heal your emptiness and restore you to life.
If you have received the gift of eternal life and hold on to the truth of God’s Word, your reward will outweigh the troubles and heartache of this world.
My prayer for you today comes from Romans 15:13.
I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit (NLT). Amen.
