Going to the Word When You Have No Words

My heart is so heavy. There are people I love dearly who are walking through some treacherous valleys right now.  Divorce, tragedy, death, calamity, disease, illness, disaster seem to strike everywhere. Whether across the street or across the globe, there are very real hurts all around. People are grieving and suffering and aching. There is a great yearning for peace and comfort, help and hope.

And sometimes, most times, I am at a loss for words. So when I don't know what to say or don't know how to process the pains all around, I cling to the Word. I cling to the Truth. I cling to the only thing that is unchanging and constant and steadfast, the only One who is unchanging and constant and steadfast. 

And His words give hope and life and peace when chaos and confusion and questions surround.

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

-Romans 5:1-5

As we stand on grace, we can rejoice.
Suffering produces endurance.
Endurance produces character.
Character produces hope. 
And hope does not disappoint. 

Suffering is not meaningless. It matters greatly to God. He sees you in your suffering. He cares deeply for you in your suffering. And He is working in your suffering. He uses it all for our good and His glory. And through it all, we are standing on grace. 

Take heart, friends. His grace will sustain you and sanctify you and give you a hope that does not disappoint.