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Listen while you read: "All The Way My Saviour Leads Me"1
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One of the hardest things for parents to do is to watch helplessly as their babies are hurting. When my daughter Missy and her husband took Jenna, my granddaughter, for her baby shots, she was bubbly and smiling, but then, it happened. While her mother held her, the needle, which looked to her as if it were six inches long, pierced her beautiful flesh. The tears flowed, the sobs began, and her loving parents' hearts were broken for her. In her mind, those who had promised to protect her had let her down. Jenna's six-foot-five-inch daddy cried right along with his sweet baby girl. It was the right thing to do for her, but she did not understand.
After Martha's brother died, she confronted Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." (John 11:32b NKJV) Martha's eyes were moist with tears, but they were also filled with the hurt of betrayal. Jesus could have saved Lazarus, but for his dear friend, he had come too late. Like Martha, we often feel betrayed because we do not see the hand of God at work. With our limited understanding, all we see is betrayal.
At Lazarus's tomb, "Jesus wept." Among many reasons why Jesus felt as He did, I tend to think that He wept for all those who feel betrayed as Martha did. He wept for the times when He was working things out on our behalf, but to us, all we could see was betrayal.
Have you ever felt betrayed by God? You prayed and prayed for the test not to be positive for cancer, but it was. You prayed that your job would hold up, but you got laid off anyway. You prayed that your unjust boss would leave you alone, but she didn't. So many times, you prayed for your son to be healed from a mental disorder, but he is still out on the streets. Where was God when He could have prevented the car accident? Betrayed!
Jesus was no stranger to betrayal Himself. He looked right at Peter who denied Him three times. On the cross, He cried out "My God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46b NKJV) Jesus wept that day because He knows how much it hurts to feel betrayed.
Jenna didn't understand her pain or why she was betrayed, but she did know that her Daddy took her in his big, strong arms and comforted her. He wiped away her tears as he wiped away his own. In this life, we will sometimes look into our Father's eyes and see the tears streaming down His own face but not understand why He would let us go through so much pain. We might look to the heavens and say, "Why, Lord?" Jesus wept for you and me, and today, He is calling us to run back into His strong arms and let Him wipe away our tears.
Prayer: Father God, we know Your power; we know Your mercy, but at times we question why our prayers are not answered. Help us to trust Your love and Your all-knowing heart. Amen.
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About the author:
Jeanie Nihiser <jnihiserj@gmail.com>
Geneseo, New York, USA
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Thank you, Jeannie. I wept as I read this. Thank you so much!
Thanks, Jeanie, for the encouraging words. We’ve all been there.
A great devotional and reminder that God cares.
Thank you!
Simply a beautiful illustration. Wonderful job on today’s devotional. Bless you.
Absolutely Amen! Thank you for sharing this encouraging devotional with us. Blessings.
Thank you, Jeanie, for a lovely portrayal of Jesus’ love for us. I forwarded this to a friend struggling with terminal cancer.
Fabulous devotional today thank you! I know exactly what you experienced as I am seeing it in my granddaughter now. Be well.
Amen Jeanie.
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now l know in part; but then shall l know even as also l am known.
Blessings.
Thanks, Jeanie, for another of your special writings. Yes, we really need patience at times in awaiting the Lord’s answer to our prayers, but we must remain faithful that His answer will be the best one for us. Blessings and enjoy a beautiful day.
Greetings in the Name of our Triune God.
Your message brought a hundred memories flooding back to my mind, and tears to my eyes and heart. Yes, as you pointed out many times, our lives are on loan from our God. Just as a loan must be paid back, so should we “pay back” God for loving us more than we can possibly imagine.
Please keep sharing.
Good morning, Jeannie,
Thank you for reminding me how important it is to admit to feeling “betrayed” by God and then trusting He truly does love me and knows what He is doing in my life. For me today this was a very powerful message.
I just finished a biography about a dad and the relationship with his son in some turbulent years this morning. I was already teary-eyed and feeling how little I understand about life when I started your devotional.
Thank you for sharing your faith. May you have a blessed day.
Good morning, Jeanie.
After much praying and believing and trusting, not looking at the situation but believing God’s promises and His Word, when you pray and if it is on the Father’s heart He will answer, not word for word, but you know the verse. I was shocked when I got the phone call that my husband died! But God, Your Word… I had some problem not much with those sentences but when I read or hear I quickly add, if it is His will. I am thankful through it God was with us, and He gave us 11 days. But the strength and comfort He provides!!! Amazing.
Have a blessed day.
Your son did the right thing, more painful for him than the child because he will remember and she will forget.
So many don’t protect their children medically anymore and in so doing, create risk for the further spread of diseases that can be conquered.
You will likely get comments from those who are anti-vaccination proponents.
Bless you and your family for caring about your grandchild’s health!
Good morning, Jeanie,
Good words yesterday. We know exactly what you are talking about. Our little great-granddaughter about 4 months old was suddenly bruising on her whole body, they did some blood work and found that she had no platelets in her blood, she had numerous transfusions and tests over a period of three months, we prayed for her every day. Our prayers were answered, and it seems like her body is producing platelets on its own now. We agonized over it for all the time the little girl had to have transfusions. At the beginning she, and her mother, were in the hospital for a week, at was a terrible time for them for sure.
Your devotional made me reflect on our blessings.
Thank you.
Betrayed no – Trust in the Lord and He knows what is best.