A Holy Moment:

Things have felt especially heavy recently, and I know I am not the only one experiencing the weight. Most days, the staggering stream of headlines feels impossible to bear. I want to be informed, but I am learning that information and wisdom are not the same thing. Wisdom knows when to step away. Wisdom guards the heart (Proverbs 4:23).

This morning, I attended early church while my house was still asleep. I had not been on my own in a while and wrestled with waiting to go to our usual later service as a family, but I felt a quiet invitation, so I went and God met me there.

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A Human Moment:

During worship, I saw someone I have prayed for, someone I hoped would come to know Jesus, standing down front with hands lifted, praising the Lord. I cried. There are few things more humbling than witnessing a soul respond to God. It felt like mercy for my weary heart, a visible reminder that even amid the pervasiveness of evil, God’s redemptive work continues.

There is a moment in the Book of Revelation where the martyrs cry out from beneath the altar, saying, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until You judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” (Revelation 6:10)

What strikes me every time is this: they are in the presence of THE Holy God and still they are asking, “How long?”

It is such a human moment.

A Difficult Mystery:

God does not rebuke them for their question. He does not silence their grief or correct their longing for justice. Instead, they are given white robes and told to rest a little longer, because there are still more to come (Revelation 6:11). This undoubtedly means more suffering, but also more mercy and more time for people to enter into the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

I want to be clear that this is not a one-for-one exchange. One person’s salvation is not secured through another person’s suffering or death, unless that person is Jesus. God is not sitting idly by, indifferent to the suffering of the world as if it will all simply even out in the end. He is near to the brokenhearted and attentive to every act of injustice (Psalm 34:18). His desire is that not a single one of us would perish (2 Peter 3:9), but that all would come to repentance.

The cross assures us of this, revealing God’s heart even when His hand is not fully visible to us. It is okay to acknowledge the weight and mystery of His purposes. From our limited perspective, it can feel impossible to grasp how God works all things together for good (Romans 8:28), even as darkness continues to press in. This is why we fix our gaze on Jesus and all that He has done; He is our hope and our anchor as we sit in the tension of our own “how long?”

Tears in a Bottle:

I appreciate that God’s Word includes the plea of the martyrs and holds space for this kind of holy lament. Scripture does not rush past brokenness; it names it. Scripture does not bypass pain with spiritual platitudes; rather it records the cries of the suffering, as we read in Psalm 56:8 and makes room for even more profound expressions of grief like those referenced in Romans 8:26.

The faithful are invited to bring their grief before the Lord honestly, without pretense or shame.

Lament is not a sign of weak faith, but a reflection of trust .

We can place our pain in the hands of God who is both loving and sovereign and allow Him to transform our hearts, so that we may be tender and steadfast, compassionate but also wise.

In the midst of suffering, His Word is both a mirror and a blueprint for how the faithful are to respond to and live within a fractured world. We are not left without direction. Lament is not the end, but rather an entry point to hope and action. Even as we acknowledge the weight of suffering and the mystery of God’s purposes, we are called to respond faithfully in the ways He equips us.

So, What Do We Do?:

As followers of Jesus, how do we respond to the suffering and injustice around us?

Scripture does call us to expose the unfruitful works of darkness (Ephesians 5:11), but there is a distinct difference between exposure and immersion. We do not have to wallow in every tragedy in order to be faithful. We do not conform to the darkened patterns of this world (Romans 12:2). Rather, we are to be sober-minded, discerning, and Spirit-led in how we engage (1 Peter 5:8; Romans 8:14) and in what we consume.

Philippians 4:8 exhorts us to fix our thoughts on that which is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, excellent, and praiseworthy. This is not a means of burying our heads in the sand, but rather setting our minds on the source of true wisdom, Jesus Himself. Guarding our hearts and minds in this way protects us from being led solely by our emotions and gives us clarity and strength to act faithfully.

Regardless of what is happening in the world, the mission doesn’t change. Each one of us is called to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, to write the Word on our hearts, and to share the Good News with everyone. We must remind ourselves continually to bless the Lord (Psalm 103:1) despite external circumstances.

This morning, God was kind enough to let me witness His saving work with my own eyes. One person. Hands raised. A life surrendered. Even amid the weight of our broken world, suffering does not have the final word. Redemption continues to unfold, and precious lives are being transformed.

In the end, God does not promise merely to balance the scales of good and evil, but to make all things new and to remove sin and suffering from our midst forever (Revelation 21:4–5.)

So when our hearts cry, “How long?” we wait in hope, walk in faithful obedience, and trust in His perfect timing.

Prayer:

Lord,

In the midst of suffering and uncertainty, we bring our weary hearts to you. When we find ourselves asking, “How long?” remind us of Your faithfulness and perfect timing and open our eyes to Your redemptive work around us.

Teach us to lament but also to hope, to act with love, and to shine Your light in our homes, communities, and spheres of influence. Guard our hearts and minds, and help us fix our gaze on Jesus. May we trust that Your purposes are good even when we don’t understand.

Amen.