Daily Devo | A Man of Suffering

A quick portrait sketch I made after dinner, just before getting the kids ready for bed. It took me roughly 20 minutes to complete it. It's Jesus and it is inspired by the sermon preached by our minister earlier today.

"He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem." ~ Isaiah 53: 3

Jesus is a man of suffering and he understands pain and grief.

This fact often escapes me because I always assumed that the only time Jesus suffered was when he was crucified and dying on the cross. But this verse clearly stated that he is familiar with suffering and pain. To be "familiar", one has to be constantly experiencing suffering and pain - not just one time but regularly. So throughout his life on earth, pain and suffering were part and parcel of it.

Yet, when we suffer, the most natural response we often give is to ask the "why" questions. Why me? Why is this happening? And also we often wonder if God cares.

He cares. He knows. And when we struggle in life that is the time he is the closest to us.

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit." ~ Psalm 34:18