Walking with God through Pain and Suffering Despite His Silence

God’s silence can beat the stuffing out of our faith. We beg God to intervene. But the crisis only deepens. People we love die or continue to suffer without relief.

God seems to let us down when we need Him most. Job felt it deeply. “I cry out to you, God, but you do not answer; I stand up, but you merely look at me” (Job 30:20 NIV). Silence. Protracted silence.

Jesus’ life on earth seemed to follow a different pattern. “And the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.” (Luke 6:19 NIV).

But Jesus does not heal everyone now. If He did, no one would die. What happened? Has His character changed? Of course not. It never will (Hebrews 13:8).

Jesus of Nazareth did not always receive what He wanted either. He tried to avoid the cross but could not (Matthew 26:39). The cross was part of God’s plan to deliver billions of people from eternal suffering.

The sum of all earthly sufferings throughout time is less than the eternal suffering of just one person paying the wages of sin, which is eternal separation from God.

Believers are part of God’s plan to eliminate suffering in the world to come. In mysterious ways, our present suffering equips us to do that.

Fully human and fully God, Jesus’ highest priority was seeking God’s kingdom and living righteously (Matthew 6:33). He did not command us to do what He did not do.

He modeled faith and love. He lived trusting His Father. ^“And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV). He commanded us to love other believers as He loves us (John 13:34-35). His life modeled self-sacrificing love.

In our earthly journey, God is developing in us relentless four-wheel-drive faith in His character and promises. He is teaching us to love other believers as Jesus loves us and to love those in need.

Suffering is part of love and preparation. Therefore, we must trust Him even when He seems deaf to our requests. Better things (faith and love) than we request from Him are on back order to receive at some future date.

I do not have a definitive answer to why God seems distant and unreachable when He is nearer than our next breath. He promised He would not fail or abandon us (Hebrews 13:5). “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32 NIV).

He does not give us everything we want. He gives us what is essential to build our faith and love and advance His kingdom. We do not fully get it now, but eventually, we will.

“For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12 NLT).

Developing our faith and love is more important to God than our comfort. His plans for the ages often trump our plans for the present. Suffering and pain whittle away the resistant grains of our independent spirits and equip us to trust God more fully and love other broken people in this broken world. What is your takeaway?

See additional free spiritual growth resources for Christians.  #freediscipleshipresources #freeevangelismresources #freechristianleadershipresources

God has empowered me to write His Power for Your Weakness—260 Steps Toward Spiritual Strength. It’s a free, evangelistic, devotional, and discipleship e-book. Pastors have used it in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia to lead 6,671 people to Christ and teach the basics of Christianity to 15,636 people. I invite you to explore and use it in your setting. 

Photo: Image Creator (microsoft.com)