Does God Understand Pain? Does Pain Bring us Closer to God?
Experiencing pain can be one of the most lonely, isolating experiences of our lives. We can wonder if anyone even understands what we are going through. We can even wonder if God understands it all.
The fact that God chose to send His son in human flesh is a reminder that Christ knew what it was like to have His heart broken. Jesus mourned over the loss of his cousin and friend, John the Baptist. He wept over the death of his dear friend, Lazarus. He felt abandoned by His closest friends in His greatest moment of need. He was rejected. He was ridiculed. He experienced grief and heartache, trauma and loss. And yet, He chose to enter our pain, to endure suffering on our behalf so that we would never have to endure the level of hurt our sin had earned us.
Scripture shows us time and time again that we serve a savior who not only understands, but one that longs to bring us closer to Him. Suffering allows us the opportunity to understand in a new way a taste of the pain Christ received on our behalf. It draws us closer to Him as we seek someone who can understand our own feelings of hurt.
So, where can we find hope in our pain? What can we hold onto in our greatest aches? There is no greater hope than the love of a suffering Savior and we can be reminded of that throughout the word of God. If you need some hope right now, consider these verses and let them encourage you in your suffering:
1. He will restore
“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 NIV)”
2. Suffering won’t last forever
“‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain,for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:4 NIV)
3. There is eternal glory on the other side of our pain
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NIV)
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