In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them; In His love and in His mercy He redeemed them, and He lifted them and carried them all the days of old.” (Isaiah 63:9)
So according to Isaiah, when you are hurting, He is beside you hurting with you, and carrying you through your trial! After all, the Lord commands us in Romans 12:15, “Weep with those who weep”. Since He doesn’t ask us to care in ways that He doesn’t, it follows that He weeps when we weep. For an example, recall in John 11 when Lazarus died, his sisters, Mary and Martha, were soaked with tears. Jesus knew exactly what He was about to do; He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead. He knew this story would have a happy ending. He knew in just moments that uncontrollable laughter and sheer joy would fill every grief-filled heart. Yet John 11:35 reports, “Jesus wept.” Why in the world would He cry at that moment? Simple answer; He so identifies with our pain that He can’t help hurting when we are hurting.
To go deeper, recall when Paul, then called Saul, was en route AGAIN to persecute Jesus’ followers. Jesus suddenly appeared, blinding Saul and knocking him off his high horse. Jesus then challenged him in a voice that resembled a thunder clap, “Why are you persecuting ME?” The Bible doesn’t say this, but I imagine Saul very sheepishly muttered, “Oops, I messed with the wrong guys, er, Guy.” For another example, remember that Jesus explained at judgment time He would reward or punish us for our decisions on helping the poor, sick and imprisoned. He said that when people visit and help these sufferers, they help and visit HIM.
“Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me” (Matthew 25:40).
Wow, talk about identifying with our suffering. Now we know exactly where God is when we hurt. He is right beside us, feeling our pain and carrying us through every trial! This lightens my load. How about you?
