Deeply Loved: A 5-Day Devotional to Feel Seen & Known by Godنموونە

Day #2: Jesus Feels For You

Briana, our two-month-old baby girl, was blue-faced and gasping for air. The nurses hooked her up to oxygen tubes while the ER doctor screamed, "Breathe!"

Later, we learned that Briana had contracted RSV—a respiratory virus that kills one baby a day. The doctors were afraid she might not survive or suffer permanent damage. Bill and I (Kristi) were concerned about lifelong psychological effects from such a traumatic experience.

Thankfully, the Lord healed Briana through the doctors at the hospital, and she was able to come home after forty days. But as her mother and caretaker, that time was demanding.

I experienced Briana's feelings and stayed strong for her. I held her, nursed her, and soothed her through loving touches and baby talk. I prayed over her often every day.

The only time I left her was when a family member came to the hospital for a few hours so I could get a shower and a meal. I knew staying physically, spiritually, and emotionally present for Briana was invaluable.

It might sound exhausting to read about all the ways I cared for my sick child during this time.

How did I not collapse from exhaustion? Why did I not get discouraged while absorbing her pain, fear, and distress? Because the empathy I received from my heavenly Father and Jesus sustained me.

I spent many hours alone at the hospital each night. Instead of worrying or spiraling into depression, I trusted Jesus with my experience through emotionally honest prayer.

The Holy Spirit showed me that God the Father felt empathy for me as a mother feeling my baby's trauma (Isaiah 49:15, 66:13). Abba chose not to protect his Son from all suffering as he endured pain and trauma (Matthew 26:39, 27:46). I also felt Jesus' empathy for Briana’s suffering, too.

God loved and strengthened me by caring for me through Jesus' human experience. The Lord Jesus reconciles us and releases the perfect and abundant empathy of the Father to all of us.

What is the key to experiencing the truth that you are deeply loved by God? It’s appreciating that the Son of God became fully human and felt all the temptations and distressed emotions that you go through. Jesus has deep empathy for you (Philippians 2:1-8).

We may need to rethink our image of Jesus to connect more deeply with him. He's more than a collection of stories in the Gospels. He's a real person.

Jesus was born in a manger and raised by an ordinary family. He experienced life as a blue-collar worker. His life was ordinary, just like ours.

The Messiah walked dusty roads and had smelly feet. He got hungry and thirsty. There were days he got tired from ministering to people.

He experienced human emotions like sadness and anger (Mark 3:5; Luke 19:41). He expressed longings and desires (John 17:24).

The omnipresent and all-powerful Son of God accepted a life of limitations and lived in dependence on the Father. Why? Jesus wanted to sacrifice himself for the forgiveness of your sins on the cross and help you go deeper with him into loving friendship with God (John 15:13-15).

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for your humility in accepting limitations and becoming human like us. Help us to walk in the fullness of your forgiveness and experience the freedom of trusting you as the Human One who feels for us and helps us to live as God’s friends. Amen.