Where is God in my pain?
Short answer: Right beside you. Often times when we are hurting God may seem far away. Sometimes we push God away, perhaps blaming him for our suffering. God has a great love and affection for you and has a deep desire to stand by you in your pain.
The apostle Paul wrote a letter to the church in Corinth about the comfort that God provides. The Christians in Corinth were going through difficult times where they were going through intense persecution because of their faith in Christ. Many were put to death or imprisoned. There was much sadness and hurt. Paul instructed the church about God’s comfort.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
2 Corinthians 1:3-7
God loves us and in that love he is also a God of compassion and a God who comforts. This passage reminds us of Jesus’ suffering for us and that he can relate to our suffering. This text also teaches that as God comforts you, you also need to comfort others. You serve a glorious, almighty and sovereign God who loves you and wants you to draw close to him in your pain. Read the Bible passage again, study it.
Some practical ideas that will help.
- Look for ways to share the love of God to others. Comfort someone else.
- Study Bible passages that have the words suffering, pain and sorrow.
- Study great prayers in the Bible and learn the context of those prayers. 1 Samuel 2:1-10 is a great example.
- Read the account of Jesus’ trail, beating and death on the cross found in the gospels. Remember that Jesus knows firsthand about pain and suffering.