Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16, ESV).
Jesus experienced all of the human emotions related to hard times, temptations, and deep suffering. He truly knows our pain. He sympathizes with our pain, and He draws near to us in our pain allowing us to approach Him boldly to find mercy and grace to help us in our pain.
I have been so encouraged reading Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers by Dane Ortlund. He uses Scripture to pull back the curtain to reveal the heart of Christ for what it is. Christ's heart is glorious! I have found myself falling in love with Christ all over again as I realize the depth of His love for me and how much His love seeks after me and pours into me in my hardest times.
Dane points out in the forth chapter "Able to Sympathize:" "That enticing temptation, that sore trial, that bewildering perplexity--he has been there. Indeed, his utter purity suggests that he has felt these pains more acutely than we sinners ever could" (p. 48). He then goes on to say, "...when the fallenness of the world closes in on us and makes us want to throw in the towel--there, right there, we have a Friend who knows exactly what such testing feels like, and sits close to us, embraces us. With us. Solidarity" (p. 48).
When hard times come, I tend to pull back and isolate. Loneliness becomes my constant presence. I look to God for help, but He feels distant, far away. This book has opened my eyes to how much my Savior can relate to my suffering and how much He pursues me in it rather than flees from me. Dane described me perfectly then helped me see the truth of the Bible:
"Our tendency is to feel intuitively that the more difficult life gets the more alone we are. As we sink further into pain, we sink further into felt isolation. The Bible corrects us. Our pain never outstrips what he himself shares in. We are never alone. The sorrow that feels so isolating, so unique, was endured by him in the past and is now shouldered by him in the present" (p.48).
Dane concludes chapter 4 by stating, "If you are in Christ, you have a Friend who, in your sorrow, will never lob down a pep talk from heaven. He cannot bear to hold himself at a distance. Nothing can hold him back. His heart is too bound up with yours." I've been washed Christ's His blood. He laid down His life for me. As a result, my heart is bound with His, so He can't leave me or forsake me! Praise the Lord, I'm never alone! Praise the Lord that my God sympathizes with my weakness!
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