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Good Friday: Finding Hope in Suffering

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The sky grows dark. The earth trembles. The crowds that once cheered, “Hosanna!” now stand in stunned silence. Jesus is dead.

This is the day we call Good Friday—but from the outside, nothing about it looks good. The Messiah, the One who healed the sick, raised the dead, and offered hope to the hopeless, now hangs lifeless on a cross. His body is broken, His blood poured out. His disciples are scattered, hiding in fear. The hope that had once felt so sure now seems crushed beneath the weight of suffering.

And yet, in this moment—in the suffering, in the silence, in the final breath—hope is being secured.

Hope That Takes Our Place

The cross wasn’t an accident. It wasn’t a tragic twist in Jesus’ story. It was the plan all along.

From the beginning, sin had separated us from God. No amount of good works, no sacrifice, no religious effort could ever bridge the gap. The price of sin was death (Romans 6:23), and Jesus came to pay it for us.

  • When He stretched out His hands and took the nails, He took our place.
  • When the crown of thorns was pressed into His head, He bore our shame.
  • When He cried out, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46), He felt the weight of our separation from God.

And then, with His final breath, He declared, “It is finished.” Not “I am finished.” IT IS FINISHED!

The debt was paid. The barrier between us and God was torn down. Hope was sealed in His sacrifice.

Hope That Holds in Suffering

It’s easy to find hope when life is good, when prayers are answered, when we can see God’s hand at work. But what about when the sky turns dark? When we face grief, pain, or unanswered prayers?

Good Friday reminds us that Jesus understands suffering. He is not a distant God who watches from afar—He is a Savior who stepped into our pain, our sorrow, our loss.

If today feels heavy, if you’re carrying grief or doubt, know this: You are not alone. Jesus has been there. He is with you now. And because of the cross, even in our darkest moments, hope is still alive.

Hope That Leads to Resurrection

For those standing at the foot of the cross, it must have felt like the end. The One they loved was gone. Hope seemed buried in a borrowed tomb.

But what they couldn’t see in that moment was that Sunday was coming.

That’s the beauty of Good Friday. It reminds us that even when it looks like all is lost, God is still at work. Even when we can’t see the resurrection yet, hope is not dead.

Walking in Hope Today

Take a moment today to sit in the weight of Good Friday. Feel the sorrow, but don’t lose sight of the hope. Because this story doesn’t end in death.

Hope is hanging on the cross today. But in just three days, hope will walk out of the grave.

Thanks for reading.

Bible Study, Christian Life, Devotional, Encouragement, Inspiration, Uncategorized

Finding Hope in Despair: Lessons from the Cross

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“My God, my God, why have you left me?”
That was his desperate cry as life’s weight came crashing down, suffocating him. He felt completely alone, abandoned. He called out, hoping someone would hear — but no one answered. No one was there. His enemies circled around him, closing in, and all he could hear was silence. His cries just seemed to fade into the wind.

CLICK HERE For FREE RESOURCE: Hope is Alive: A Devotional Journey through Holy Week!

Most of us, when we hear those words, think of Jesus on the cross — and we should (we’ll talk more about that in a minute). But those words didn’t start with Jesus. They were David’s words first.

In the middle of deep suffering, David cried out to God and got nothing but silence in return. The weight of life mixed with the silence of God felt unbearable. So he asked, “Why, God?”

And if we’re honest, we’ve all been there. Maybe not in the exact same way, but we’ve felt the crushing pressure of life and wondered if God had forgotten us. Maybe you’ve lost people you love, one after another, and you feel abandoned. Maybe your home or everything you’ve worked for was destroyed in a moment — and you feel lost, alone, and overwhelmed. Maybe the weight of life is pressing down so hard, you’re crying out, “Why, God?”

But here’s the thing — even in those moments, we can find hope.

And we find that hope when we look at the cross and look to Jesus.

The cross reminds us that Jesus gets it. He knows exactly what it feels like to be abandoned, to feel completely alone, and to be crushed by sorrow. Remember, He even prayed, asking if there was another way. But the cross still came. And those hours of suffering? We can’t fully grasp how painful they were, but we know they were excruciating. Jesus endured all of that, and because He did, He understands exactly how we feel when life is too heavy to carry. And the best part? He’s promised to be right there with us through it all. Hebrews 13:5 says, “I will never leave you. I will never abandon you.”

Looking at the cross gives us hope, not only because Jesus understands, but because it reminds us that this isn’t the end of the story.

On that day, as Jesus endured the weight of God’s wrath, He knew vindication was coming. He knew victory was just around the corner. His pain wasn’t the final word. Hebrews 12:2 says, “Because of the joy set before him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” The cross wasn’t the end — the empty tomb was.

And the same is true for us. When life feels unbearable, we can look ahead to victory.

This season of struggle won’t last forever. There’s vindication, restoration, and joy coming.

Psalm 22 — the same chapter where David cries out in despair — doesn’t end in hopelessness. It ends with victory. Verse 24 says:
“For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy.
He has not turned his back on them,
but has listened to their cries for help.”

So if you’re feeling crushed right now, like there’s no way out — look to the cross. Look to Jesus. He knows exactly how you feel. And just like His story didn’t end in suffering, neither will yours. Victory is coming.

Thanks for reading.

Bible Study, Christian Life, Devotional, Encouragement, Inspiration, Uncategorized

Feeling Abandoned and Lonely

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“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” This was his cry as the weight of life pressed down overbearing him. He felt completely alone and abandoned. He cried out, but there was no one. No one there; no one to pay attention to his needs. His enemies encircled him. He had nowhere to go, and he was met with silence. His cries seemed to only echo in the wind.

For most, when we think the above phrase and the emotions, we can assume came with it, we think of Jesus on the cross, and we should (more on that in a moment). But they were also David’s words and emotions. Amid intense suffering, David cries out to the Lord only to be met with silence. The weight of life coupled with the silence of God is unbearable for David, so he cries out, “Why God?”

David certainly isn’t the only one with this experience. Feeling the unbearable pressure of life is common; we all face it. We may feel forsaken by the Lord as life crumbles around us. The person who has lost 6 family members in the past year may feel abandoned. The family whose home and possessions were blown away by this week’s tornado may feel lost and lonely. The weight of life may be overbearing and pressing down so violently that we are crying out, “Why God?”

In these moments we can find courage though. We can find our courage by looking at the cross and Jesus.

You see, looking at the cross helps us realize Jesus understands how we feel. No one, including Jesus, desires to go through times of abandonment, loneliness, and deep sorrow in life. This is why Jesus prayed if it was possible for the cup to pass from him, yet the time on the cross came. We are unable to fully comprehend the agony of that experience. We comprehend just enough to understand those hours on the cross were excruciating. Jesus endured the misery of the cross, so he knows how we feel when it seems the full weight of life is pressing down on us. And, he has promised he will be there with us.

Hebrews 13:5 says, “For God has said,

“I will never fail you.
    I will never abandon you.” Looking at the cross gives us courage in knowing Jesus understands how we feel.

Looking at the cross also gives us courage in knowing vindication is coming. On that day, as Jesus endured the full weight of God’s wrath, he knew vindication would come. He knew victory was on the way, and this would not be the last word. His despair would be replaced with peace and his agony would be replaced with joy. Speaking of Jesus, Hebrews 12:2 says, “Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” The cross was definitely not the end.

The cross was followed by an empty tomb and risen Savior. As Jesus felt the full wrath of God on the cross, he looked ahead to the awaiting vindication. As we are under the unbearable weight of life’s pressure, we too can look ahead to vindication because of the cross. This season will be followed by a victorious one.

Psalm 22 begins with a cry of despair, but it does not end there. It ends with a proclamation of victory. Verse 24 says:

“For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy.
    He has not turned his back on them,
    but has listened to their cries for help.”

When it seems, we are crushed and there is no escape, we can look to the cross and Jesus for victory. If life has you crushed and feeling like there’s no way out, concentrate on the cross and Jesus.

Bible Study, Christian Life, Devotional, Encouragement, Inspiration, Uncategorized

Friday…Did Hope Go?

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Had their hope ended?

It was quiet. The day ended differently than it started. The events of the previous night boiled over as the sun rose. The crowd, who shouted, “crucify him,” was now lining the road as he carried his cross. Stumbling and weary, he finally made it to the hill where the crucifixion was to take place.

The crowd followed cheering and mocking, but there were some who followed at a distance. They were grieving and horrified, and they were wondering if hope had ended. They were confused and perplexed. They had hoped in him, but now he was being put to death.

As these followers processed their thoughts in the noise of the crowd, the events of the day rolled on. The horizontal and vertical pieces of the cross were put together. His feet were fastened in place, and as the soldiers waited, they played dice for his clothes. The climax of the day came at noon.

“By this time, it was about noon and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. The light from the sun was gone, and suddenly the curtain in the temple was torn down the middle,” records Luke 23. “Then Jesus shouted, ‘Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands,’ and with those words, he breathed his last. When the Roman officer overseeing the execution saw what had happened, he worshipped God and said, ‘Surely this man was innocent.’ And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went home in deep sorrow, but Jesus friends, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching.”

Everyone went home. An overwhelming feeling of sorrow captured them. What had they done? Was hope gone?

It was Friday evening, and they did not understand in a few hours Sunday morning would arrive. Those searching for hope will soon be filled with overwhelming joy. The did not understand hope was not lost.

Hope is shared today because of the events started on that Friday.

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Bible Study, Christian Life, Devotional, Encouragement, Inspiration, Uncategorized

Hope in Heartache

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Psalm 22 presents hope for the future.

The time had come. Jesus was on the cross, and the Gospel writers record…

“Then at three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘…My God, my God, why have you abandoned me,” writes Mark in 15:34.

While we do not completely understand or fully comprehend Jesus’ experience in that moment, his words go back to Psalm 22.

David wrote this psalm in a season of suffering. Nothing was going well, so he pinned these words.

David writes in verses 1-2, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer. By night, but I find no rest.”

Can you relate? It seems as if nothing is going well. Everyone has abandoned you and life is a disaster. You are not alone. David felt that way, and even Jesus experienced abandonment for a period.

It was not the end of the story for David or Jesus, and it will not be the end of your story.

Psalm 22 goes on to speak of better times for David, a resurrection for Jesus, and hope for you and me.

Verse 24 says, “For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one. He has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.”

David’s suffering was only for a season which passed. The abandonment of Jesus was only for a period, which ended in an exciting fashion. As David proclaimed, God did not hide. He heard the cry, and he was faithful to deliver.

God is not hiding. He hears your cries, and he will deliver. Meanwhile, Psalm 22 suggests praising the Lord faithfully knowing he will deliver.