June 23, 2026 Devo

June 23rd, 2026

Powerful Words from the Prophets
“In all their suffering, he also suffered, and he personally rescued them. In his love and mercy, he redeemed them. He lifted them up and carried them through all the years.” – Isaiah 63:9 (NLT)
“God Suffers With Us”

God suffers. That seems like a strange concept, doesn’t it? Since God is All-Powerful, you’d think that He couldn’t suffer. But He does. He suffers for us. He suffers WITH us. It isn’t out of His weakness that He suffers. It’s out of His love.
Jesus demonstrated this. Do you remember when His friend Lazarus died? When they brought Jesus near to the tomb, the Bible says, “Jesus wept.” Why was Jesus weeping? He wasn’t weeping for Lazarus. He knew where Lazarus was and how much better he had it. He wasn’t weeping for Himself. He knew He was going to bring Lazarus back from the dead. Jesus was weeping for Mary and Martha. He loved them. He had stayed in their home. They were dear friends. And they were hurting. So their suffering became HIS suffering.
Or how about when Jesus rode into Jerusalem for the last time? Remember how He wept over the city? He said He wished He could gather them all under his wings like a mother hen gathers her chicks. What were those tears all about? Jesus knew He was about to go to the cross. He knew that many of His own people weren’t going to believe in Him. They were so lost. They struggled so much. They carried so many burdens and had so many problems, and they wouldn’t turn to Him for help. So they would die in their sin and their loneliness. He hurt for them. He was broken for them. They were suffering and their suffering became HIS suffering.
This is what Isaiah is talking about today in our passage. When God looked down upon His People, He hurt for them. They continued to make poor choices that led them down difficult paths that resulted in painful outcomes. Yes, it was their own fault. Yes, they were suffering the consequences of their own choices. But God loved them just the same. And their suffering was HIS suffering.
God suffers with us, too. When we grieve, He grieves with us. When we go through difficult places, He feels our struggle. Even when we’re dealing with the consequences of our own poor choices, God hurts with us. Our suffering is HIS suffering. So, whatever you’re dealing with today, you are not alone. God is with you. Your troubles are His troubles, your pain is His pain, and your suffering is His suffering. That’s how much your Heavenly Father cares about YOU. That’s God’s Word for you today.