What was the darkest season of your life? When we observe Easter today, it is a joyous celebration of the resurrection of Christ and our freedom from the trappings of sin. But on the first Easter the followers of Christ saw it quite differently. They had placed all their hopes and prayers on the belief that Christ would redeem Israel from suffering. When Jesus faced his death on the cross, they watched what they felt was the end of all their hope. They never imagined Christ would save them from their suffering through his own suffering.

We often have our own ideas about how and when God should fix our problems. If you’re wondering why God failed, if he didn’t live up to your expectations, consider the possibility that if your mind is made up about what God should do, you might miss what he’s actually doing.