7 Biblical Truths That Bring Hope in Pain
The Question That Haunts Every Heart
The call came at 2:47 AM. My friend Sarah's voice was barely a whisper through the tears: "The doctors say there's nothing more they can do. My eight-year-old daughter has weeks, maybe days left." In that moment, the theological discussions I'd had about suffering felt hollow. The question that burned in both our hearts was raw and real: Why does God allow suffering?
If you've ever stood beside a hospital bed, attended a funeral of someone too young to die, or watched evil seem to triumph while good people suffer, you've wrestled with this question. You're not alone. From Job crying out in ancient times to believers today facing unimaginable pain, the problem of suffering has challenged faith for millennia.
But here's what I've discovered through my own dark valleys and walking with others through theirs: God's silence in our suffering isn't absence—it's invitation. An invitation to discover truths about His character that can only be found in the depths of pain.
The Heart Behind the Question
Before we explore biblical answers, let's acknowledge why this question matters so deeply. When we ask "Why does God allow suffering?" we're really asking:
- Does God actually love me if He permits this pain?
- Is God truly all-powerful if He doesn't stop evil?
- Can I trust a God who seems distant during my darkest moments?
- Does my suffering have any meaning or purpose?
- How can a good God coexist with a broken world?
These aren't merely intellectual puzzles—they're soul-level struggles that can either strengthen or shatter our faith. The Christian perspective on pain must address both our minds and our hearts, offering not just answers but hope.
Understanding Suffering: What the Bible Really Says
The Reality Check: We Live in a Fallen World
The Bible doesn't shy away from suffering's reality. Instead, it explains that we live in a world fractured by sin since the Garden of Eden. This doesn't mean God causes suffering, but that He allows it within a world where free will exists. Romans 8:22 tells us that "the whole creation has been groaning" under the weight of this brokenness.
This foundational truth means:
- Suffering isn't punishment for specific sins (John 9:1-3)
- Bad things happen to good people because we live in a fallen system
- God grieves over suffering more than we do
- Our pain is temporary in light of eternity
7 Biblical Truths About Why God Allows Suffering
1. God Uses Suffering to Reveal His Character
"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." - Psalm 34:18
God's purpose in suffering often includes revealing aspects of His character we might never discover otherwise. In our pain, we experience:
- His comfort that surpasses human understanding
- His presence when everything else feels uncertain
- His strength when we're completely weak
- His faithfulness when circumstances seem faithless
Real Example: Many cancer patients report feeling God's presence more intensely during treatment than ever before. Suffering became the avenue through which they discovered God's intimate love.
Practical Application: Keep a "God's character journal" during difficult seasons. Write down specific ways you've seen God's love, faithfulness, or comfort manifest in your pain.
2. Suffering Develops Our Faith and Character
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." - James 1:2-4
This isn't about God enjoying our pain—it's about Him using it to develop qualities that can only be forged in difficulty:
- Perseverance that carries us through future challenges
- Compassion for others who suffer
- Dependence on God rather than self-reliance
- Faith that's tested and proven genuine
Practical Application: At the end of each difficult day, ask: "How did I see God today? What character quality is He developing in me through this trial?"
3. Our Suffering Connects Us to Christ's Suffering
"I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death." - Philippians 3:10
The biblical view of suffering includes this profound truth: when we suffer, we're participating in Christ's own experience of pain. This doesn't diminish our suffering, but it dignifies it. Every tear you cry, Christ has cried. Every rejection you face, He has faced. Every moment of feeling abandoned, He has felt.
This connection means:
- Your pain has cosmic significance
- You're not suffering alone—Christ is with you in it
- Your suffering helps you understand Jesus' love more deeply
- You can offer your pain as worship, just as Christ did
Practical Application: When pain feels meaningless, remind yourself: "Christ knows exactly what I'm feeling. He's been here before me."
4. Suffering Equips Us to Comfort Others
"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." - 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
God's purpose in suffering includes preparing us to be instruments of His comfort to others. Your current pain is creating within you:
- Empathy that can't be learned from books
- Credibility to speak into others' suffering
- Wisdom about what truly comforts the hurting
- Perspective on what really matters in life
Real Example: Many of the most effective grief counselors, addiction recovery sponsors, and crisis hotline volunteers have walked through their own valleys of suffering first.
Practical Application: Even in your current pain, look for small opportunities to encourage others. Sometimes the best comfort comes from those who are still healing themselves.
5. Suffering Reveals What We Truly Worship
"Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face." - Job 13:15
Suffering has a way of stripping away everything non-essential and revealing what we truly trust. When health fails, when relationships break, when finances crumble—what remains? The Christian perspective on pain sees these moments not as cruel tests, but as opportunities to discover whether our faith is in God Himself or in His gifts.
Suffering asks tough questions:
- Do I love God for who He is, or for what He gives me?
- Is my hope in my circumstances or in Christ?
- Can I worship God even when I don't understand His ways?
- What am I really depending on for security and identity?
Practical Application: During trials, regularly ask: "What is this situation revealing about what I truly trust? How can I choose to trust God Himself rather than my circumstances?"
6. Suffering Demonstrates God's Power Through Our Weakness
"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." - 2 Corinthians 12:9
Paul discovered that his "thorn in the flesh" wasn't a limitation—it was a platform for God's power. When we ask "Why does God allow suffering?" we might be asking the wrong question. Perhaps we should ask: "How can God use this suffering to display His power and glory?"
God's power through suffering shows:
- His ability to sustain us beyond our natural strength
- His capacity to bring beauty from ashes
- His skill at using broken vessels for His purposes
- His promise that nothing can separate us from His love
Practical Application: Instead of praying only for suffering to end, also pray: "God, how do You want to show Your power through this weakness? How can others see Your strength in my struggle?"
7. Suffering is Temporary, Glory is Eternal
"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." - 2 Corinthians 4:17
The biblical view of suffering always includes eternal perspective. What feels overwhelming and permanent now is actually "light and momentary" compared to the eternal weight of glory awaiting us. This doesn't minimize present pain, but it provides hope-filled context.
Eternal perspective means:
- Current suffering is working toward future glory
- No pain is wasted in God's economy
- The best is yet to come for those who love God
- This world's broken systems will be made right
Practical Application: When suffering feels endless, regularly remind yourself: "This is not the final chapter. God is writing a story that ends in victory and restoration."
Practical Steps for Walking Through Suffering
During the Acute Phase: Survival Mode
When you're in the thick of suffering:
- Give yourself permission to grieve without spiritual pressure
- Lean into community—let others carry you when you can't walk
- Hold onto basic truths: "God loves me. God is with me. This will not last forever."
- Practice micro-prayers: "Help me, Jesus" or "I trust You, God"
In the Processing Phase: Seeking Understanding
As you begin to process your pain:
- Journal your questions honestly to God
- Study Scripture about suffering (Job, Psalms, Lamentations)
- Share your story with trusted friends or counselors
- Look for God's fingerprints in your pain journey
In the Growth Phase: Finding Purpose
When you're ready to move forward:
- Identify lessons learned about God's character
- Consider how to help others facing similar struggles
- Integrate your experience into your ongoing faith story
- Worship God for His faithfulness through the valley
The Question Behind the Question
Here's what I've learned after walking through my own valleys and sitting with countless others in theirs: Why does God allow suffering? is often code for "Does God still love me?" or "Can I trust God when life doesn't make sense?"
The answer to both questions is a resounding yes.
God doesn't allow suffering because He's distant or cruel. He allows it because He's working on something bigger than our temporary comfort—He's working on our eternal good and His eternal glory. Your pain has purpose, even when you can't see it.
You Are Not Forgotten
If you're reading this from a place of deep pain, please hear this: God has not forgotten you. Your suffering isn't evidence of His absence—it's an invitation to discover His presence in new ways. You are not being punished. You are not unloved. You are not alone.
The same God who walked through the valley of the shadow of death and emerged victorious is walking through your valley with you. He knows exactly how you feel because He's felt it too. And He's promised that one day, He'll wipe away every tear and make all things new.
Your story isn't over. Your pain has purpose. Your God is faithful.
Take the next step today. Maybe it's simply crying out to God in honest prayer. Maybe it's reaching out to a friend. Maybe it's choosing to trust Him for just this one moment. God can handle your questions, your anger, and your doubt. He's not intimidated by your pain—He's honored by your trust in the midst of it.
Prayer: "God, I don't understand why You've allowed this pain in my life, but I choose to trust that You are good and that You have purposes I can't see. Help me to know Your presence in this valley. Use my suffering for Your glory and my good. In Jesus' name, Amen."