Verse: Acts 8:32-33
“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.”

Devotion
In this chapter, Philip is led by the Holy Spirit to go talk to an Ethiopian official of the state. The man says he’s reading this passage from Isaiah and he doesn’t understand it. There are a lot of great lessons to pull from this story, but this morning I was struck by the passage he was reading. Let’s take a moment and just be encouraged by our Savior, Jesus.

Have you ever felt like your life was out of control? Have you ever felt overlooked? Have you ever felt neglected, or worse? Have you ever had people tear you down with words, or stand against you, or betray you, or break relationship, or talk behind your back? The answer is yes. We’ve all had these things happen. Some of us more than others. And some of us have had even worse.

But here is the good news in all that strife and pain. Jesus knows.

Jesus was led to the slaughter, for you. Jesus did not fight to defend himself, for you. Jesus suffered humiliation and injustice, for you. And Jesus was tortured, betrayed, and killed – for you. And the amazing thing is, part of why he did this was so you would never be alone in your pain or suffering.

You will always have a Savior who knows. He gets it. He understands your pain even when others don’t. He understands the frustration, the setbacks to healing, the struggles with doubt, the fear of loneliness, and the sense of being “other.” He gets it. And in those moments, you have a Savior whom you can turn to. He is there for you. “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

If you are hurting today, take encouragement from this verse. Lean into the truth of your loving Savior who still bears the scars he took for you and me. You can turn to him for comfort, healing, and strength. Lean on him today. He’s there for you.

Author: Christian Dunn