Where is God in my pain?

I feel them before I see them. They slither over my feet, wind their way up my jeans. Smooth yet sticky. Tendrils like tar that move like worms, like snakes. I try to pull them off, kick the tendrils away. But every time I shake one from my skin or my clothes, it whips back, clings tighter. The tendrils come faster. It’s like one great octopus has claimed me for its meal. More tentacles attach themselves to me. Grabbing my arms, worming between my fingers, slithering down my throat. I grab at them, desperate to breathe. My eyes widen in terror.

Then I see something, through the tangle of tentacles. Someone. He’s not that far off, and He’s looking at me. A place deep inside me stills. All I know is I want to be closer to this man.

The tentacles can sense something is different, and they cling all the more, jab me and pull me. But I can still see the man. He’s waiting for me. I lift one foot and take one step in His direction. Somehow, the tentacles can’t hold my foot anymore. I move my hand, reaching it forward, and the tendrils flee from my fingers.

The remaining tar tendrils constrict—I can feel them in my lungs. But strangely, I’m not afraid. The man speaks. “Come.â€

I can’t help but smile. As I start walking toward Him, the tendrils loosen and release. They slip off, unable to hold me the more I walk toward this man. They can’t come near Him.

Now I’m running, running to this man who holds my gaze. His smile is contagious. I feel like laughing! He reaches out for me and pulls me into an embrace. • Hannah Howe

• Today’s story is an allegory. Jesus, the Light, is stronger than any darkness—evil, sin, temptation, addiction, fear…all these latch onto us because we live in a world broken by sin and the enemy wants to destroy us. But Jesus came to set us free. His love, perfectly expressed on the cross, disintegrates all darkness. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, He has rescued us! And He continues to help us as we wait for His return, when He will permanently banish all darkness. How do Jesus’ death and resurrection make it possible for us to be with Him and follow Him? (Take a look at our “Know Jesus” page.)

• What darkness are you facing today? How is Jesus inviting you to come to Him?

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.†John 10:10 (NIV)

Read Verses:

Psalm 22; Matthew 27:45-50; 2 Corinthians 1:3-7; 4:16-18