The temptation in suffering is to abandon hope, to “curse God and die,” to become convinced that God is angry with us, or worse, that He has forgotten about us, but here stands the cross and suffering of Jesus, our Jesus, bearing the weight of our sins for our life and salvation. Here is the proof of His love. Here is the substance of His promises. Here is His life, covered in blood, hidden in death, overshadowed with suffering, all for you.
We suffer, but Jesus suffered first, and in His suffering our suffering is filled with hope. Our reason might never be satisfied, but God’s wrath certainly is, and through our suffering, by faith we are miraculously made fit for an eternity without suffering at all.
This essay was published in Seelsorger 1.1.