“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
-Matthew 27:46b, KJV
When I was struggling the most, these words from Jesus brought me the greatest comfort.
They were reminders to me that God understood the pain and suffering that I was enduring. He could relate.
Jesus understands what it meant to suffer unjustly.
Jesus understands the feelings of betrayal.
Jesus understands how awful the felt absence of God’s presence is.
Trust me:
When you are in those valleys, you do not want an aloof God. You want someone–like Jesus–who “can relate.”
That is why I am a Christian today.
Jesus was with me even–maybe especially–during the times when I felt abandoned by God.
His words from the Cross might strike some as words of despair, but for the perishing, they are a life-line of hope and a balm of healing.
*A version of this post ran previously. God’s comfort remains.
