But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them in their affliction. Job 36:15
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free…” Luke 4:18
Thinking of those people around the world today who are suffering. Indeed, there are too many to count. There are millions of people around the globe who are needlessly suffering because of the greed and cruelty of others. I am thinking today of people in Ukraine who have been suffering for years because of the cruelty and ambition of Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
We know that there has been human suffering since the beginning of time. The sad and frustrating part of that is the needless suffering of innocent people who are oppressed by nationalist goals and empire building greed.
Jesus said that there will always be people among us who are poor and suffering, and that he speaks to them in their affliction. I do not really understand this feature of suffering, but I do trust that God has this in his hands.
Prayer: Lord, we lift up people around us who are suffering today, Amen,
