Devotion of the day: find God in the midst of pain

"There will be no more death, mourning, crying or pain, because the old order of things has passed." Revelation 21: 4b

Reading this verse should comfort us. However, at the same time, it sheds light on the fact that life is not like this at the moment. Our reality is full of death, mourning, crying and pain. We don't have to look at the news very long to find out about a new tragedy somewhere in the world. And we feel it deeply on a personal level, mourning the rupture, death and disease that affect our family and friends.

Why do we suffer is an important question we all face. But no matter why it happens, we recognize that suffering plays a very real role in all of our lives. A deeper struggle in every believer's life comes when we ask ourselves the next logical question: where is God in my pain and suffering?

Find God in pain
The stories of the Bible are full of the pain and suffering of the people of God. The book of Psalms includes 42 psalms of lament. But a consistent message from the scriptures is that, even in the most painful moments, God was with his people.

Psalm 34:18 says "The Lord is near to the broken heart and saves those who are crushed in the spirit." And Jesus himself endured the greatest pain for us, so we can be sure that God never leaves us alone. As believers, we have this source of comfort in our pain: God is with us.

Find communities in pain
Just as God walks with us in our pain, he often sends others to comfort and strengthen us. We may have a tendency to try to hide our struggles from those around us. However, when we are vulnerable to others about our suffering, we find deep joy in the Christian community.

Our painful experiences can also open doors for us to come alongside others who are suffering. The scriptures tell us that “we can comfort those in trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (2 Corinthians 1: 4b).

Find hope in pain
In Romans 8:18, Paul writes: "I believe our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed." He articulates well the reality that Christians can rejoice despite our pain because we know that even more joy awaits us; our suffering is not the end.

Believers can't wait for death, mourning, crying and pain to die. And we persevere because we trust in God's promise that he will see us until that day.

Devotional series "I am looking for God in suffering"

God does not promise that life will be easy on this side of eternity, but he makes the promise to be present with us through the Holy Spirit.