God in Suffering

Do you struggle to understand what God is doing in difficult times? It’s not easy to wrap our minds around the work of God in suffering and struggles. However, Scripture promises that God can work all things together for the good of those who love him. Let’s talk about this difficult topic today.

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

1 Peter 5:10

Mom’s Thoughts on God in Suffering:

Suffering is no fun, but we all endure suffering in life. Sometimes suffering is physical: an annoying cold that won’t go away, a broken bone, or a chronic illness that wears you down. Other times, suffering is emotional: life disappoints you, a relationship ends, or you have to say goodbye to someone you love.

Have you ever wondered what Jesus does while we are suffering? Sometimes it feels like Jesus has abandoned us when life gets hard. It feels like he’s ignoring us. However, the Bible teaches us that Jesus never abandons or ignores his children (see Hebrews 13:5).

The Bible is clear about what Jesus does when we are suffering: He has compassion for us. He weeps with us, just as he wept with Mary and Martha after the death of their brother Lazarus. The Psalms tell us he collects our tears in a bottle (see Psalm 56:8). Jesus is close to us when our hearts are broken, and he saves us when we feel crushed in spirit (see Psalm 34:18). He also promises to restore us after times of suffering by making us strong, firm, and steadfast (see 1 Peter 5:10).

The next time you are suffering, remind yourself that Jesus is right beside you. He will never leave you. He is close to you when you are hurting, and he even weeps with you. He loves you more than you could ever fathom, and you can trust him to hold you through your pain.

The next time you are suffering, remind yourself that Jesus is right beside you. He will never leave you. #suffering #girltogirlbook #Jesus Share on X

Girl to Girl from Bekah:

I have faced plenty of hard times in my life. As I write these words to you today, I’m just beginning middle school, and let me tell you, I’m not loving it! Every day, I remind myself that God is with me, and he is here to help me through this.

You will face hard times in your life too. We all do. But when we suffer, God wants us to remember that he is with us. He’s not turning his back on us or leaving us to suffer alone. As my mom said, he collects our tears in a bottle and loves us more than we can imagine.

Talk About It:

Describe an area of your life in which you are experiencing physical or emotional pain today.
When life is difficult, do you tend to run toward Jesus, or do you feel angry and turn the other way?
How does the image of Jesus crying with you change the way you might respond to him in times of sadness, pain, and suffering?

Pray Together:

Jesus, thank you for using suffering in life to make us look more like you. Thank you for your tender love for us. We trust you with our broken hearts. Help us keep soft hearts as we wait for you to make us strong, firm, and steadfast. Amen.

Journal Later:

Write about a time when life felt difficult or you felt alone and heartbroken. What is God showing you about these difficult times in our lives?

Check Out Our Devotional Book!

This post was modified from the mother-daughter devotional book we wrote together! It’s called Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, commentaries from both of us, conversation starters, and even a journaling section. We had a blast writing it, and we are so excited to share it with you. You can buy it right here.