‘Sometimes I feel that I just can’t go on. I feel alone, lost, empty, abandoned. It’s painful.’ I wasn’t sure how to reply to Jane when she said this.
I had to think: where do you find hope when everything seems to be hopeless? There is no easy answer to such a question.
Nevertheless, the apostle Paul does give us a vital starting point. Nothing can separate us from the love of God.
This deep truth is the beginning of hope. No matter where we have been, no matter what we have done, God is always with us.
It is certainly true that sometimes God feels far away. The psalmist sums up this feeling of being disconnected from God when he groans: ‘Darkness is my closest friend’ (Ps. 88:18).
All of us, in different ways, know this feeling. Indeed, even Jesus our Lord and our Saviour experienced feelings of deep disconnection when He cried: ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ (Matt. 27:46).
But it is important to notice that neither the psalmist nor Jesus are expressing doubt. They just feel disconnected from God because of the pain and suffering they are enduring.
We also might feel disconnected from God, but God is always with us. When we feel disconnected from God, we mustn’t feel ashamed and others must not shame us.
Jesus has felt the pain of separation, and He is with us when we feel separated from God. Even in the darkness Jesus walks with us. He understands. Today you may feel lost, but be assured, Jesus is with you. He will carry you through.
