Does God Care about Our Pain?

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be
comforted. (Matthew 5:4)

It is neither unusual nor inappropriate to ask questions of God
during times of deep grief.  I spent time
grieving when I lost my brother in 1973, and then my parents and grandmother in
2002.  And when I lost my legs in
2010-2011 I was surprised to find I went through another period of grieving.

Grief is an emotion common to the human experience, and
we witness the process of grief throughout the biblical account.  Multiple Bible characters experienced deep
loss and sadness, including Job, Naomi, Hannah, and David.  But whatever our pain, we need to remember
three things: God understands our pain, He cares, and God can bring us through
it; even making something beautiful out of it.

God relates to our pain because His own Son, Jesus, suffered
and died on a cross.  Another particular example
comes to mind in John 11:33-35 where we read that, “When Jesus therefore saw
her weeping, and the Jews who came with her, [also] weeping, He was deeply
moved in spirit, and was troubled,  and
said, “Where have you laid him?” They *said to Him, “Lord, come
and see.” Jesus wept.”

Of all people, Jesus obviously knew about Heaven.  He knew that Lazarus wasn’t suffering.  But He also knew that it hurt to lose him.  Even though we know someone is no longer suffering,
or something is for the best, God doesn’t expect us to act as if nothing had
happened, or say “Well, He is with Jesus, praise the Lord,” and then
just happily go on our way.

It is wonderful to keep an eternal perspective on things.
 However, God has built grief into us as
a normal emotion, and we need to allow ourselves to feel it and work through
it.  God cares about our pain.  He knows everything about us, but He wants to
hear from us.

We are reminded in Psalm 62:8 that we should, “Trust in
Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for
us.”

He wants us to pour out our hearts to Him.  He wants to hear our hurts.  He isn’t a distant God who is unfriendly and
cold.   But He is a loving God, a Shepherd, and a
Father.  Those of you who are parents—think
about how you feel for your children when they are grieving; whether it is over
a friend who has moved, or even a much-loved pet who has died.

Consider how our Heavenly Father loves us even more than you
love your children.  Imagine how much
more He cares for us in our grief than that!  But ultimately, our perspective needs to be
eternal, as well as for God’s glory and purpose.  And we often find God has taught us valuable
lessons from our pain.

In her book, “When God Weeps: Why Our Sufferings Matter
to the Almighty” Joni Eareckson Tada writes, “By itself suffering does no good.
But when we see it as the thing between God and us, it has meaning. Wedged in
the crux—the cross—suffering becomes a transaction. The cross is a place of
transaction. It is the place where power happens between God and us.”

I can honestly say that I have gained valuable insight through
the pain I have faced.  I can now better
understand others’ pain.  When we are
hurting, we need to ask God to use this for His glory and to help His other
children.   Because He, “…who comforts us in all our
affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction
with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2 Corinthians
1:4)

In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God
who was immune to it?  Because He laid
aside His immunity to pain.  He entered
our world of flesh and blood, tears and death.  He suffered for us.  Our sufferings become more manageable in the
light of His.

Sadly, grief is part of the human experience.  Loss is part of life, and grief is a natural
response to loss. But we have the hope of Christ, and we know that He is strong
enough to carry our burdens.  We
can find consolation in the Holy Spirit, our Comforter and Councillor. (See John
14:16)  

In grief, we cast our burdens on
Him, rely on the community of the church, explore the truth of the Word, and
ultimately experience hope. 

“And after you have suffered for a little while, the God
of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself
perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” (1 Peter 5:10)

Can God change
your life?

God has made it
possible for you to know Him, and experience an amazing
change in your own life.

Discover how you
can find peace with God.