Cry Out To God In Every Season

These past several months have been some of the darkest I have ever faced. I will not get into all of the details, but after suffering our third miscarriage and beginning the long journey of seeking answers, the future seems dark and heavy. This season of loss and pain has brought to the surface many questions, fears, and frustrations toward God; along with questions about his goodness, character, and motives. I’ve experienced fears of losing life-long dreams, health, and my faith; as well as frustrations from feeling abandoned, forgotten, and ignored. Even now, I often feel vulnerable, weak, and afraid.

When I was asked to write about how "Jesus is Near to Us in Every Season," I wrestled a lot with what to say. I know God is near, but it dosen’t always feel that way. However, I have been thankful that through the wrestling the Lord has shown me one significant way that he is near to his people. And as we face the uncertainty of the future, the instability of our emotions, and the fragility of our bodies, I am thankful for the truth that God is near to us as he hears my cries of distress.

We were created to be in perfect fellowship with God. Now, sin has destroyed that original design and brought about the brokenness that we face day-to-day. This affects every area of our lives, including our relationship with God. When the pain is consuming, the fears are crushing, and our strength is waning, instead of running constantly to God, often we run to everyone and everything else first. We doubt that God is giving us the goodness he promised. We wonder if God is holding out on us—or worse, abandoned us. We ask the age-old question, "God, if you love me, how could you allow this suffering in my life?"

God Heard the Cries of His People in Scripture

Countless examples throughout Scripture show us we are not alone in our struggle to face suffering. Think about Moses and the Israelites (Exodus), Job's Suffering (Job), or Jonah and the Ninevites (Jonah). The people in these stories did not have perfect faith—they all struggled to accept why God would take them through such difficult trials and situations. We have the privilege of reading the Psalms and hearing the raw ways in which the psalmists cried out to God. They did not clean up their hearts before coming to God but confidently drew near his throne with how they felt. They expressed unbelief, anger, and deep pain. They cried out to God with all of thier emotions and God met them there.

When all hope was lost and their hearts, flesh, and faith were failing, God proved faithful. Like David testifies in Psalm 40:1–3:

I waited patiently for the LORD;
he inclined to me and heard my cry.
He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the LORD.

Our hope in hard seasons is not in our circumstances changing, but in the fact that God is near to us and changes our hearts. Read all those "he" statements again. These verses are not about David. We know from other passages that David did not always wait patiently for the Lord. No! These verses are about God, how he is so near to us, and that he is carrying us through. They are a reminder for us to cry out to God because he hears us!

God Hears Your Cries

God is carrying you through your time of suffering, too. Even when you do not feel his presence, or you cry out to him pleading for an answer. Even when you are so angry or feel abandoned. We can all find comfort in knowing that God does not change, even when our hearts waver. God is still faithful and good, even when we do not feel like it. God loves you, even when you think your present circumstances do not seem to reflect that. You have hope for today because God is the same God of the Old Testament and the New Testament. This LORD is "...near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in Spirit" (Psalm 34:18).

So, come to him with your broken heart. God will meet you wherever you are today. He is not intimidated or put off by your strong emotions. He is not threatened by your anger or lack of faith. Satan may prowl and speak lies to you, but God has already promised his deliverance in 1 Peter 5:6–10:

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you... And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

And in the season of waiting for ultimate deliverance, run to Jesus' rest, as promised in Matthew 11:28, "Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

Day and night. When you cannot fall asleep. When you start crying, again. When you walk into church and feel like walking right back out. When you are angry at God or feel like faith is pointless. When you are afraid that he is angry at you for your lack of faith. When you look into the future and are faced with crippling fears. When you believe sin's lies again and are buried in guilt and shame. When you run away from God and doubt he will take you back. In all these moments, God is already there, calling you back into his arms. His Spirit is whispering in your ear, "Come to me, daughter! You are weary and heavy laden; I will give you rest." He already knows the mess in your heart, and he loves you anyway. So, share your sorrows with him, dear sisters.

Yes, sometimes God allows suffering and trials to come our way, and we may never understand why. But let us not view this interchange as God standing off to the side and watching us face it alone. No! He suffered for us. He suffers with us. Jesus took on the worst suffering we could ever have faced already. He died to purchase the reality for us that we will never be abandoned by God and never walk this road alone. Christ died so that we could boldly cry out to him and draw near his throne in every season.

I have been in the depths of despair and seen God give me peace that surpasses understanding. I have tasted the goodness of God (Psalm 34), even when I have not received the miracle for which I prayed. The miracle I have received, time and time again, is seeing him sustain my faith, peace, and hope through every dark night.

So, whether you are in a season of joy and celebration, or sorrow and despair, remember, it is the Lord who sustains you. He will sustain your faith. He will complete the work he has begun in you. He is near to you, and he loves you. Cry out to him!