Garden of Gethsemane olive trees, © bibleplaces.com, used by permission.

FROM DISTRESS TO TRUST

Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;
my eye wastes away from grief,
my soul and body also.
For my life is spent with sorrow
and my years with sighing;
my strength fails because of my misery,
and my bones waste away.

I am the scorn of all my adversaries,
a horror to my neighbors,
an object of dread to my acquaintances;
those who see me in the street flee from me.
I have passed out of mind like one who is dead;
I have become like a broken vessel.
For I hear the whispering of many—
terror all around!—
as they scheme together against me,
as they plot to take my life.

But I trust in you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my God.”
My times are in your hand;
deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.
Let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your steadfast love.

Psalm 31:9-16

These verses are raw and honest. There is overwhelming sorrow, complete and utter weakness, and crushing rejection. It is an expression of real human pain and suffering. This is an honest lament, bringing together physical, emotional, social, and spiritual anguish all at once. There is no hiding, no pretending to be strong – it is only brokenness brought before God.

There are times in our lives when we feel or have felt all of these things. Sorrow that weighs on the body, anxiety that clouds our minds, and the entire world feels hostile towards us. We all experience this kind of searing pain in various ways and to varying degrees throughout our lives. We all have known or will know a deep pain that affects our bodies, our relationships, and even our reputations.

But when we are at our most vulnerable, we can trust in God because He remains steady, even when everything else is slipping away. Amid our deepest sorrow, God holds our times – our moments, our seasons, and our struggles – in His sovereign hand. God bears the weight of our suffering.

When we bring ourselves honestly before the King of all things and place our trust in His care, something amazing happens. Our circumstances may not change, but our hearts do. To surrender ourselves completely frees us from fear and renews us, knowing that God remains present and active in our lives, even in seasons of waiting and uncertainty.

We do not have to filter our pain before bringing it to God. We can cry out honestly in distress. But we are never left in despair. We can be reassured that our pain has no claim on us, as God saves us in His steadfast love. Faith does not deny suffering; it places suffering in God’s hands, where even the most fragile moments of our lives are held with care.

Merciful God,

You see our distress and know our struggles. You know the weight we carry. Have mercy on us. When our strength is spent and our future feels uncertain, teach us to trust that our times are in Your hands.

Rescue us from our enemies – whether outward threats or inward despair. Let Your face shine upon us and hold us in Your steadfast love.

Amen.

Today, Good Friday, is a day for lament. Name your struggles honestly before God and give them over to Him. He already knows them, but the process of saying them aloud before Him allows us to learn to release them and trust Him. Our times are in His hands.

We are never alone in our distress. God was there when His only Son was crucified, and He holds us too. He understands our pain.