Jesus said that this world brings trouble. There will be hard times, rocky roads, broken dreams, and pain. In this world it cannot be avoided. But the world’s promise of trouble is met head on and overcome by God’s promise to us in the midst of it. Troubles, trials, and suffering can cause us to think that God is angry at us, has abandoned us, doesn’t care about us, or is just powerless to do anything about it. While we may not fully understand how our suffering fits with God’s goodness, purpose, and power, we can be confident that it does. On this side of eternity, we would love for every difficult circumstance to be redeemed, problem to be removed, and broken relationship to be restored, but God never promised that. The enemies of sin, flesh, death and the devil are all defeated but not all vanquished yet, but that day is coming!
Until that day, God’s grace is able to weave our trouble and suffering, the effects caused by those enemies, into the fabric of our faith, where we see His promises fulfilled. So suffering is just part of the story but not the end of it. God is not causing your pain but He is your Comforter in it. God is not mad at you but pleased with you. God is not absent but living inside you. God is not apathetic but He is for you and as I Peter 5:7 says, He cares about you. God is not powerless, as He has unleashed His greatest power of love into a world of unlove, and the greatest proof is the giving of His Son for you and to you. To be sure, this world is not our home, but God is at home in you and with you in this world. Whatever you may find yourself going through today, rest in the truth that it does not and cannot stop God’s goodness towards you but will actually be used in showing it more fully.
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.