LENT Day 39

Lent Devotional

(Good Friday)Day 39 – Friday, April 3, 2026

"Staying Faithful in the Pain"

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Scripture: 1 Peter 2:23 & Psalm 66:10

Today is Good Friday. The day we remember the suffering of Jesus. The betrayal. The mocking. The beating. The cross. There was nothing easy about this day. And yet… we call it good. Not because it didn’t hurt— but because of what Jesus did through the pain.

In 1 Peter 2:23, we’re reminded: “He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God…”

That alone is powerful. But what Jesus said on the cross takes it even deeper.

“Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”

Think about that. In the middle of unimaginable pain…struggling to breathe…nailed to a cross… Jesus chose forgiveness. How? Because when we’re hurting, let’s be honest— our natural response is not grace. When we’re wounded, we want to wound back. When we’re hurt, we want someone else to feel it too. When we’re betrayed, we want justice—sometimes even revenge. But Jesus shows us another way.

Even in His suffering…He stayed faithful. Even in His pain…He chose love. Even on the cross…He extended grace.

And here’s the humbling part:

Our suffering—no matter how real and heavy— doesn’t even come close to what He endured. And yet… He still chose forgiveness.

Psalm 66:10 says:“For you, O God, have tested us; you have purified us like silver.”

There is something refining about suffering. Not because God enjoys our pain— but because He can shape something in us through it. On Good Friday, we see this clearly: Pain didn’t produce bitterness in Jesus. It revealed His heart. And because of Him…we have the power to respond differently too.

So when you’re hurting…when the pain feels unfair…when everything in you wants to react…

Remember the cross.

Remember His words.

And ask God to help you do what feels impossible: To stay faithful. To choose grace. To forgive.

Prayer

Jesus, thank You for the cross. Thank You that in the middle of unimaginable suffering, You chose forgiveness. Forgive me for the times I respond out of pain instead of grace. Shape my heart to look more like Yours. When I’m hurting, help me to stay faithful, to trust You, and to choose love—even when it’s hard. Amen.