Where Is God When We Suffer?
There are chickadees at the bird feeder, and the world is quiet as we step slowly into another year. It has been a year of looking for God in suffering and pain, and I’m still trying to make sense of it all. I’ve been wrestling with the question, “Where is God when we suffer?”
Last year was a challenging year for our family.
We face a few shattered hopes and crushed dreams.
Perhaps you can relate.
Most of us will face seasons that lead us to look around and wonder where God went.
Where Is God When We Suffer?
That’s kind of how our last year went.
If you’re anything like me, you want nothing more than to run through your seasons of suffering.
You want nothing more than to get to the other side of the crisis, climb out of the valley of the shadow of death, and fix your unpleasant circumstances.
Last year, I wanted to fix the death of our puppy with a new puppy. I wanted to work harder on my writing and fix our bank account. I wanted to fix the mess of the quiet losses that happened on snowy mornings and make it all better by coming up with solutions that helped everyone stop feeling sad.
It was in the thick of our hardest loss when it hit me: Our hope is not found in “fixing” our unpleasant circumstances; our hope is in the truth that Jesus is with us in these unpleasant circumstances.
Our hope is not found in “fixing” our unpleasant circumstances; our hope is in the truth that Jesus is with us in the unpleasant circumstances. #hopeinJesus Share on XWhat if, instead of rushing through our suffering and getting it over with, we paused to realize that getting out of the pain might not be God’s ultimate goal?
What if we realized that God’s ultimate goal is that we would encounter him in the middle of our suffering, allowing him to minister to our broken hearts and letting him love us?
A year ago, I realized that my hope would be empty if I placed my hope in getting to the other side of my suffering; hope that lasts is the hope in God with us, Immanuel, right there in the middle of the pain.
God’s Invitation in Your Suffering
I don’t know if you’re suffering today, and I don’t claim to know what this year holds for you.
What I do know is that every trial, every heartache, every tear is God’s invitation to bring your brokenness to him and let him meet you in your pain.
Where is God when we suffer?
God is with us when we are suffering.
He is not standing aloof with folded arms. He weeps with you.
God counts your tears.
His heart aches to minister to you in the same way you long to hold your weeping child in your arms and tell her that you have her.
Will you turn to God and let him minister to your heart? Will you let him speak truth into your pain and show you what he has for you in this valley?
God protects you in the shadow of his wings when you suffer.
Again and again, Scripture speaks of the shadow of God’s wings. If you want to encounter God in suffering, remember you are in the shadow of his wings.
Psalm 91:4 reads, “He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.”
God has not turned away from you in your suffering. Instead, he is covering you in the shadow of his wings. You can rest in this safe place today.
God is inviting you to draw near to him in your suffering. Pour your heart out to him. Once you’ve said all you can say, close your eyes, imagine his arms around you, and let him hold you. He loves you and wants to bring you comfort.
A Free Devotional to Help You Find God in Suffering and Pain:
Glimpses of Hope for When Life Lets You Down is my online devotional book for life’s hard seasons. This devotional will lead you through a daily reflection, Scripture reading, and questions for thought and reflection. It will help you bring your broken heart to God and process your emotions in his presence. It’s yours here.
These books are free on Kindle Unlimited or available to purchase in print:
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book as a free eBook on Kindle Unlimited or for 12.99 in print right here. (If you do not have Kindle Unlimited, you can try it out with a free three-month trial!) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!
Calling all moms and daughters!
Additionally, my teen daughter, Bekah, and I are passionate about helping moms and daughters grow closer while connecting with God. We have written two mother-daughter devotionals together. Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section after each devotion.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, purity, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. We will help you!
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