Where is God?
Joanna has heard me on more than one occasion call Good Friday, Black Friday. The days confuse my subconscious mind because the names feel misplaced, on one we observe the crucifixion, which is the darkest thing imaginable, and on the other day in November we look for good deals so we experience comfort from retail therapy.
I do get that we call Good Friday good, because Jesus death on the cross opened the door for us to be forgiven and made right with God, but in this stage of Holy Week we are really supposed to lean into the fact that Jesus followers were losing their minds and in total despair at this point. They were full of fear. They were without hope. Jesus Himself cried out to the Father, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?".
We don’t always experience God’s presence. We don’t always feel or see Him at work. We sometimes (or maybe oftentimes) feel the exact opposite, and everything within us wants to give up on our faith in Jesus.
When I wrote this song I was wrestling with this reality. I felt like God was giving me a download to express my lament for the times He seems distant or even absent in my life or the world, but at the same time He was reminding me of the times that He has shown up and will show up—at the most peculiar and unexpected times to restore, renew, refresh, and resurrect us.
We mourn Christ’s death tonight. We remember the reality of His time in the tomb tomorrow. BUT Sunday’s coming. No matter what you might be feeling today, hold onto hope. Resurrection is coming for us all. Jesus was, is, and will be for all time our Savior. I pray this weekend overwhelms your doubts and fears. We can trust Him because He has experienced all of this to the full.
Christ Body Was Broken, and His Blood Was Shed For You. Hallelujah. Amen.
Thank you for all of your encouragements during this song release. It is here for the sharing now. If you know someone you think will be encouraged by the song’s message, copy and share one of these links through a text, an email, or your socials.
“Oh, but at the most peculiar times He rolls away the stone, and we feel Him in our midst, and in our hearts we know, that we have seen God.” (Lyric: Seen God)