The God Who Gets It

READ: ISAIAH 53; ROMANS 12:15; HEBREWS 4:14-16

Have you ever met someone who just gets what you’re going through? It can be so comforting. I experience this often with my friends who are parents.

I have two young kids, and I really appreciate my friends who do have kids, as well as my friends who don’t. They both bring richness to my life. It takes some extra work for my non-parent friends to understand what my life is like, and I love that they are willing to do that work to empathize with me.

But, my friends who have kids of their own don’t have to do nearly as much work to empathize with me. All I have to do is say the word “teething,” and they instantly know that means sleepless nights, hours of tears, and a deep sense of helplessness. They know, not just intellectually, but from their own shared experiences, what it’s like to attempt to soothe a crying child an endless number of times throughout the day and night. Not only can they imagine what it’s like—they’ve actually lived it. They’ve felt the exhaustion, frustration, and feelings of powerlessness that seep into your bones. They get it. And knowing that brings me so much comfort and alleviates some of my loneliness.

The Bible tells us that, whatever we’re going through, Jesus gets it. He is the all-knowing, all-powerful God who created the whole universe, became human, and walked the earth. He experienced heartache, loneliness, disappointment. He was tempted. He was betrayed. He even experienced death. But, He rose again, declaring that He will one day restore all things.

As we wait for that day, if we know Jesus, His Holy Spirit lives in us, feeling our hurts with us. Not only can He imagine what it’s like—He’s actually lived it. He gets it. God has entered into our suffering. And while that doesn’t always take away our pain and heartache, His empathy can make us feel a bit less lonely in the midst of it. And sometimes, that’s enough. • Taylor Eising

• As Christians, we can know that, whatever we go through, we are never alone. Jesus is with us, feeling our hurts as His own. And, He is able and eager to help us. Consider taking a moment to tell God about the hard things you’ve experienced lately, resting in His comfort and empathy.

• Because we have received Jesus’s empathy, we can also extend empathy to others (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). Who have you been able to empathize with lately? What was it like?

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses… Hebrews 4:15a (NIV)