It seems like every day either I have a hurt or I talk to someone who does.  I’m sure it’s the same for you.  Do you trust that God has always been good to you?  Are you confident that His love for you is unfailing?

Here’s a litmus test: Look back over your personal history and consider times you were mistreated or experienced hardship… Can you see God caring for you despite your circumstances to the contrary?  Can you say honestly and gratefully, “The Lord has been good to me!”?

Yea - I know it’s tough… some of you are in the fire right now!  Jesus has been there - remember  when Jesus borrowed the words of David from Psalm 22:1 and cries out, while being tortured to death on the cross: “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?”  Jesus on the cross is God’s response to the pain and injustice that we suffer. His shed blood is our source of comfort, forgiveness, and daily sustenance. On the cross Jesus knew the immediate spiritual reality of God’s loving presence and purposes. Paul learned to respond to hard times the same way:

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

Right now Christ, our crucified and risen Lord and Savior, our eternal King, is actually in our midst! We may not connect with Him, we may not even have a thought about Him, but, nonetheless, He is literally present in Spirit and is ready to care for us and help us  -  if only we will reach out for His hand of grace. It’s hard to believe in the midst of your hurts and stress but Jesus truly has a light and easy yoke for you (Matthew 11:28). As you have walked with Him in the past walk with Him now.  As you have trusted Him in the good times trust Him now.