READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 13:9-13; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-7

Have you gone through something really hard lately? Maybe there’s been sickness or a death in your family. Maybe your parents are separating, or your best friend moved away, or your family is struggling financially. Even if you haven’t personally experienced suffering like this yet, chances are you know someone who has. As we go through life in a world that has been broken by sin, we might find ourselves asking, “Where is the hope in all this?”

It may help to think about it this way. Have you ever seen a stained glass window? These works of art can be beautiful. But they look very different in the dark than they do in the light. When there’s no light shining through the window, all we can see are a bunch of little pieces of dark glass. But when the light shines through them, we see vibrant colors that reveal the patterns or pictures the designer crafted there.

Life can feel that way too sometimes. From our point of view, life can seem dark and dull, especially when we’re going through hard times. But Jesus hasn’t left us to suffer alone in the dark. He came into our broken world and lived among us, and He said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life” (John 8:12). Jesus can shine through any difficulties we face—He can make a beautiful picture of our lives (Romans 8:28-29).

That doesn’t mean our lives will be easy. But Jesus will be with us through it all. He knows what it’s like to go through terrible hardship—He suffered and died to save us from sin. When we face hard times in our lives, He is close beside us, and He can use even the most difficult situations to help us grow in our relationship with Him and show others His love. He can shine through our suffering so we—and others—can see a clearer picture of who He is. • A. W. Smith

• Jesus understands how we feel when we’re hurting—He faced terrible suffering and death to give us eternal life. But, when He returns, He will restore creation and raise all His people to live with Him forever; then suffering will be no more. And even now, He is with us. We can trust Him to make something beautiful out of our lives. What kinds of hard things have you experienced lately? Consider taking a moment to tell Him about whatever is weighing on you.

Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. 1 Corinthians 13:12 (NLT)