DAILY DEVOTIONAL FROM PASTOR WESLEY June 4, 2024

Suffering Alone

O LORD, the God of my salvation, I have cried out by day and in the night before You. Let my prayer come before You; Incline Your ear to my cry! For my soul has had enough troubles, and my life has drawn near to Sheol. I am reckoned among those who go down to the pit; I have become like a man without strength, forsaken among the dead, Like the slain who lie in the grave, Whom You remember no more, and they are cut off from Your hand. You have put me in the lowest pit, In dark places, in the depths. Your wrath has rested upon me, And You have afflicted me with all Your waves. Selah. You have removed my acquaintances far from me; You have made me an object of loathing to them; I am shut up and cannot go out. My eye has wasted away because of affliction; I have called upon You every day, O LORD; I have spread out my hands to You. Will You perform wonders for the dead? Will the departed spirits rise and praise You? Selah. Will Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave, Your faithfulness in Abaddon? Will Your wonders be made known in the darkness? And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? But I, O LORD, have cried out to You for help, and in the morning my prayer comes before You. O LORD, why do You reject my soul? Why do You hide Your face from me? I was afflicted and about to die from my youth on; I suffer Your terrors; I am overcome. Your burning anger has passed over me; Your terrors have destroyed me. They have surrounded me like water all day long; They have encompassed me altogether. You have removed lover and friend far from me; My acquaintances are in darkness. Psalm 88

When we face hard times, it’s important to remember the One who promises to be by our side. While Paul was suffering from a thorn in the flesh, God told him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). In other words, “I’ll take care of you.”

But Jesus doesn’t set aside a reserve of grace and assistance to help us six months from now. We get exactly what we need when we need it. He says, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you” (Hebrews 13:5 NLT). Jesus won’t break that promise, and we can find strength in Him.

We may never know why friends or loved ones forsake us in a time of need, but as painful as their abandonment may be, we can let it teach us to rest in God. Sometimes the only way we will learn to lean on the Lord is by finding that all other supports are gone.

At some point, we all experience heartache. But one thing is certain: Jesus will be standing by our side to strengthen and deliver us in our time of need. One day we’ll have the privilege of looking back over our life and seeing how He proved His faithfulness over and over again.

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