Exodus 3: 7-10
The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hands of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey-the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perezzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now go. I am sending you to pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.
Human suffering is not a new thing. In fact, to be human means one has likely experienced some level of suffering, pain, or hardship. God recognized the suffering of the Israelites. God saw their pain and knew their sorrows. God sent Moses to bring them out of their misery and to the promised land. Their journey wasn’t a short one, and lessons were learned along the way. They resisted, questioned, and complained—all very human reactions. God heard their cries and knew they could be transformed as they learned to trust and see that God was on the journey with them.
Sometimes our challenges seem almost impossible. God sees us and loves us in those moments and is there to help us put one foot in front of the other and keep going. In his book, More Beautiful Than Before, Rabbi Steve Leder says, “Pour out your fear, your sadness, and your ache. Hold on to that in which you do believe; that which is within and also beyond you. Because in that holding on, you too will be gently held.” God’s arms are there to hold us and give us strength when we think we have none left.
The many challenges of suffering or hardship can bring unexpected blessings if we allow them to.
When going through tough times . . .
. . . we can feel alone;
but if we make the effort, we can find comfort and company with
others who have had similar experiences.
. . . we can feel sorry for ourselves;
but if we shift perspective, we can gain empathy for others.
. . . we can feel depleted of any emotion at all;
yet we can take the opportunity to get better at feeling.
. . . we can feel lost;
then we can pray because God always knows us and hears us.
“So, we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace.” -2 Corinthians 4:16 MSG
None of us choose to go through difficult times. Like the Israelites, we will be frightened, frustrated, filled with doubt and even anger because the road isn’t smooth. It is not a straight or easy path, but God can help us find light in the darkness and see that we will emerge from the pain because God is on the journey with us. The Israelites did make it to the promised land, and we, too, can survive, heal, and grow. We will be different, but we may even be “more beautiful than before.”
-Dawn Long