What a Friend We Have in Jesus When Suffering Is Strong – What She Said #15 – Week 4, Day 4

TODAY'S TREASURE

Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28 ESV

Transcript

What She Said #15

What a Friend We Have in Jesus When Suffering Is Strong 

Guest Writer, Lauri A. Hogle

Today’s Treasure

Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28 ESV

In my 35 years of invisible chronic illness and pain, with hundreds of unhelpful doctors and treatments, my tearfully hidden pleas for others to care or notice simply had to be brought to Jesus, my Friend, my Refuge.

Precious Savior,

Our pain is intense today. Invisible to others. Not to You. 

Are we weak and heavy-laden,
cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge–
take it to the Lord in prayer!

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”

What a Friend we have in Jesus when we think we’re alone and unloved

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” 

In his arms he'll take and shield thee;
thou wilt find a solace there.

“You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.”

What a Friend we have in Jesus, with Your indwelling Spirit 

Others may not understand our suffering, but You do, Comforter and Helper.

Can we find a friend so faithful,
who will all our sorrows share?

“Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?”

You know our hearts, thoughts, emotions, griefs, and questions. Illuminating Your Word to our hearts. 

“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.”

Stir us to tell You every little thing and to then listen to Your voice speaking back to us in Your Word, for You alone know what we need most. 

Jesus knows our ev'ry weakness–
take it to the Lord in prayer!

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” 

Jesus, our perfect Friend and strong Deliverer, keep us from sinning in the temptation suffering brings

What a Friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!

“Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

What a privilege to carry
ev'rything to God in prayer!

“You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah.”

What a Friend we have in Jesus to give us peace, courage, and hope through His Word as we suffer!

“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged:
take it to the Lord in prayer!

“He will cover you with his feathers;
you will take refuge under his wings.
His faithfulness will be a protective shield.” 

O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
ev'rything to God in prayer.

“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”

“For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”

LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT

I’ve learned that He delights to answer our “suffering prayers” in His Word. What a friend we have in Jesus, whose spoken words back to us may not bring a change in our circumstances…but a change of His rested peace deep within.

PRAYER

Thank You for the beautiful dialogue You delight to give us as we pour out our pain to You and receive the manna of Your Word today. To You be all the glory, faithful Friend, our Lord Jesus Christ, amen. 

This devotion is adapted from Singing the Gospel to Job: Finding Hope in Suffering.

(1) “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” Scriven, J. M., 1855