By Charleen Burghardt
Can we find God amid our suffering?
This is a question most of us ask or at least entertain.
A devotion I read addressed this question of discovering God in suffering. A young woman gives a personal and vulnerable recount of her journey with questioning God. Parmaytha is a young woman from East Java, Indonesia; I am not sure of her age, but she is in her childbearing years. The devotion was in Upper Room Devotional on June 27, 2023.
She and her husband experienced the loss of their child, who only lived four days. The loss was a turning point and one of the lowest times in her life. In her devastation, she questioned why this tragedy happened. Wasn’t God loving and good? How could a loving and good God allow her first child to die? Wrestling with questions, she struggled with the loss, but no answers seemed to satisfy her.
No answers satisfied her
Parmaytha shared how she thought believers would be spared suffering and difficulties, especially in a great tragedy such as an infant loss. Also, she realized she was not in complete control over her life.
As she pondered, the Bible character Job came to mind; he was a godly, righteous, and faithful man, yet he lost all his livestock and children. Suffering and loss did not spare Job. Then she recognized that all people endure difficulties here on earth without exception; suffering is part of life. Even Jesus experienced pain and suffering on the cross.
Because of that awareness, she concluded. “…suffering leads us to a deeper knowledge of God. God longs for us to draw near and will enter into our suffering with us so that we may overcome.”
“Come near to God and he will come near to you” James 4:8 (NIV).
Maybe your loss is different. Perhaps you lost a loved one to suicide, cancer, or premature death. Grief over losing a parent, child, sibling, or dear friend comes to all of us. Grief brings internal pain, and pain brings suffering.
Why do we suffer?
We struggle with why, asking questions about ourselves, God, and life.
Why is life not fair?
Wrestling with questions is okay and normal.
In that wrestling, God gives us an invitation to come near. As we draw closer to God, God enters our suffering. Because Jesus suffered, he can empathize with us, this gives us comfort. As we reach out to God, our knowledge of God grows more profound, strength comes, grace lifts us, and comfort surrounds us.
Prayer:
Faithful God, help us come close in times of suffering, pain, difficulties, or loss. Draw close to us, sustain us, strengthen us and comfort us.
Amen.
Thought for today: Has suffering led me closer to God?
Thank you for joining me as we wrestle with hard questions and draw near to God.
The questions never end. The more we questioned the “why’s”
the more the reason to lean on God for His perfect guidance.
In my darkest alone time, I felt a nudged, a distant soft voice, TRUST.
Delia,
Thank you for sharing. TRUST is like stepping out into the unknown. God’s guidance is perfect, well said.
Thank you a Charleen for writing this blog and addressing this topic of grief. Reasoning loss of a son is not possible for me but knowing that God is Sovereign consoles…I needed to read this today. Thank you God for your perfect timing🙏
Mary, God sends us things to read at the right time. I thought of you when I posted this article.
God hold you.
Well said. It is about trust and realizing that God walks with us and provides for us in our suffering and in our joys is the best reality we can have.
Thank you, Nancy.