Day Three
The Nearness of the Lord in Suffering
Psalm 34:15-22; Romans 8:18-25
Reading
15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
and his ears toward their cry.
16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
and delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
20 He keeps all his bones;
not one of them is broken.
21 Affliction will slay the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.
20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope
21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.
23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?
25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Reading
15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
and his ears toward their cry.
16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
and delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
20 He keeps all his bones;
not one of them is broken.
21 Affliction will slay the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.
20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope
21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.
23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?
25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Devotional
"The Lord is at hand" carries profound comfort for suffering people. Christ isn't distant or detached from our pain—He draws near to the brokenhearted. Whether facing displacement from natural disasters, economic uncertainty, or personal grief, believers can rest in His intimate presence. The world groans under the weight of sin's consequences, experiencing birth pains that signal both present suffering and future hope. Jesus doesn't promise to remove all hardship immediately, but He promises never to leave us in it. His nearness transforms our suffering from meaningless tragedy into purposeful refining. Where are you experiencing pain today? Invite Christ into that specific place. His presence doesn't always change circumstances immediately, but it always changes us.
Reflection:
"The Lord is at hand" has two meanings:
"The Lord is at hand" carries profound comfort for suffering people. Christ isn't distant or detached from our pain—He draws near to the brokenhearted. Whether facing displacement from natural disasters, economic uncertainty, or personal grief, believers can rest in His intimate presence. The world groans under the weight of sin's consequences, experiencing birth pains that signal both present suffering and future hope. Jesus doesn't promise to remove all hardship immediately, but He promises never to leave us in it. His nearness transforms our suffering from meaningless tragedy into purposeful refining. Where are you experiencing pain today? Invite Christ into that specific place. His presence doesn't always change circumstances immediately, but it always changes us.
Reflection:
"The Lord is at hand" has two meanings:
- Spatial nearness (Christ is present with us now)
- Temporal nearness (Christ's return is coming soon) Which truth do you need to hold onto more tightly right now? Why?
Posted in Advent 2025: Joy
No Comments