Crushed but Not Forsaken: The Hidden Promise in 'Pomegranates'

 

The pomegranate sat on the counter, unbroken and whole. Its thick, leathery skin gave no hint of the treasure inside. It wasn’t until the knife pressed in—splitting it open—that the seeds were revealed, spilling red juice onto the cutting board.

Life often feels the same. There are seasons when we are cracked open by loss, disappointment, or injustice. The world is loud, full of disinformation and division, making it easy to wonder: Where is God in all of this?

Faith in the Fracture

Scripture is filled with stories of suffering that seemed meaningless—until God’s faithfulness was revealed.

  • Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers, imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit, and forgotten—until the day his suffering positioned him to save a nation (Genesis 50:20).
  • Job lost everything—his family, his health, his wealth. He wrestled with God, asking hard questions, yet in the end, he found restoration (Job 42:10).
  • Jesus was crushed, mocked, and nailed to a cross. What looked like ultimate defeat became the greatest act of redemption (Isaiah 53:5).

Like the pomegranate, sometimes the greatest growth comes in the breaking. What if the moments that shake our faith are the very places God is working most?

The Weight of a Fractured World

Today, truth feels distorted, and injustice is everywhere. It’s easy to disengage, to grow cynical, to wonder if faith is even relevant in a world like this. But maybe faith isn't found in avoiding hard questions—it’s found in facing them. If suffering makes us question God, could it also be what draws us closer to Him?

God’s Faithfulness in the Tension

God never promised a life without hardship, but He did promise to be present in it (Isaiah 41:10). When life breaks open, when answers feel distant, He is still working. The breaking doesn’t destroy the pomegranate—it reveals the beauty within.

Questions to Ponder

  1. If pain is inevitable, how can it shape us instead of destroy us?
  2. Are we too distracted to notice God’s quiet faithfulness?
  3. If God’s goodness is often hidden, how can we learn to see it?
  4. What if suffering is the soil where something greater can grow?

The pomegranate doesn’t reveal its treasure until it is broken. Could it be the same for us?

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