BROADCASTS.com

READ: ISAIAH 53; ROMANS 12:15; HEBREWS 4:14-16\n\n\n\nHave you ever met someone who just gets what you\u2019re going through? It can be so comforting. I experience this often with my friends who are parents.\n\n\n\nI have two young kids, and I really appreciate my friends who do have kids, as well as my friends who don\u2019t. 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.\n\n\n\nBut, my friends who have kids of their own don\u2019t have to do nearly as much work to empathize with me. All I have to do is say the word \u201cteething,\u201d 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\u2019s 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\u2019s like\u2014they\u2019ve actually lived it. They\u2019ve 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.\n\n\n\nThe Bible tells us that, whatever we\u2019re 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.\n\n\n\nAs 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\u2019s like\u2014He\u2019s actually lived it. He gets it. God has entered into our suffering. And while that doesn\u2019t 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\u2019s enough. \u2022 Taylor Eising\n\n\n\n\u2022 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\u2019ve experienced lately, resting in His comfort and empathy.\n\n\n\n\u2022 Because we have received Jesus\u2019s 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?\n\n\n\nFor we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses\u2026 Hebrews 4:15a (NIV)