What Does the Bible Say About Suffering?
Today, we’ll answer the question, “What does the Bible say about suffering?”
Most of us do what we can to avoid pain and suffering; meanwhile, God’s Word assures us that God has a purpose for our pain.
I invite you to read my personal testimony of suffering. Then, we’ll look at a list of Scriptures on suffering.
Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you encounter God’s comfort in suffering.
What Does the Bible Say About Suffering?
There are chickadees at the bird feeder, and the world is quiet as we step slowly into another year. It has been a year of looking for God in suffering and pain, and I’m still trying to make sense of it all.
Last year was a challenging year for our family.
We face a few shattered hopes and crushed dreams.
Perhaps you can relate.
Most of us will face seasons that lead us to look around and wonder where God went.
Where Is God When We Suffer?
That’s kind of how our last year went.
If you’re anything like me, you want nothing more than to run through your seasons of suffering.
You want nothing more than to get to the other side of the crisis, climb out of the valley of the shadow of death, and fix your unpleasant circumstances.
Last year, I wanted to fix the death of our puppy with a new puppy. I wanted to work harder on my writing and fix our bank account. I wanted to fix the mess of the quiet losses that happened on snowy mornings and make it all better by coming up with solutions that helped everyone stop feeling sad.
It was in the thick of our hardest loss when it hit me: Our hope is not found in “fixing” our unpleasant circumstances; our hope is in the truth that Jesus is with us in these unpleasant circumstances.
Our hope is not found in “fixing” our unpleasant circumstances; our hope is in the truth that Jesus is with us in the unpleasant circumstances. #hopeinJesus Share on XWhat if, instead of rushing through our suffering and getting it over with, we paused to realize that getting out of the pain might not be God’s ultimate goal?
What if we realized that God’s ultimate goal is that we would encounter him in the middle of our suffering, allowing him to minister to our broken hearts and letting him love us?
A year ago, I realized that my hope would be empty if I placed my hope in getting to the other side of my suffering; hope that lasts is the hope in God with us, Immanuel, right there in the middle of the pain.
God’s Invitation in Your Suffering
I don’t know if you’re suffering today, and I don’t claim to know what this year holds for you.
What I do know is that every trial, every heartache, every tear is God’s invitation to bring your brokenness to him and let him meet you in your pain.
What does the Bible say about suffering?
God is with us when we are suffering.
He is not standing aloof with folded arms. He weeps with you.
God counts your tears.
His heart aches to minister to you in the same way you long to hold your weeping child in your arms and tell her that you have her.
Will you turn to God and let him minister to your heart? Will you let him speak truth into your pain and show you what he has for you in this valley?
Let’s answer today’s question, What does the Bible say about suffering?
1. God protects you in the shadow of his wings when you suffer.
Psalm 91:4 reads, “He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.”
God has not turned away from you in your suffering. Instead, he is covering you in the shadow of his wings. You can rest in this safe place today.
God is inviting you to draw near to him in your suffering. Pour your heart out to him. Once you’ve said all you can say, close your eyes, imagine his arms around you, and let him hold you. He loves you and wants to bring you comfort.
2. When you are suffering, God is right beside you.
God has promised never to leave you or forsake you (see Deuteronomy 31:6), and he has promised that he is close to the brokenhearted (see Psalm 34:18).
You might feel like God has abandoned you. Maybe you sit in the darkness with your broken heart, and the sinking feeling in your chest tells you no one really cares.
An insidious voice tells you that God doesn’t care; if God cared, you wouldn’t be hurting like this.
I’ve heeded the voice that tells me God has forsaken me a few times.
I’ve also learned that the voice is a liar. God has not left you. He is close. He is with you.
Even if you can’t feel his presence, cling to this truth. Cling to it because he has written it to you as a promise for the times when your emotions betray you. God’s Word is unchanging in a world where our emotions falter. Cling to these words today.
3. As a mother sings over her child, God sings over you.
Zephaniah 3:17 paints a portrait of God singing over his people and quieting them with his love. This was a promise to the Jewish people under the Old Covenant, and it is a promise for every believer today.
As a mother comforts her child, God waits for you to lean into his everlasting arms in a posture of surrender. He longs to quiet you with his love as he sings over you.
Last week, my little boy was awake in the night with bad dreams. I went to his room as starlight trickled through the windowpane. Rocking him, I hummed his favorite song until his eyelids grew heavy and sleep returned.
I delighted in the moment. Getting out of bed to hold him and sing over him wasn’t an inconvenience; it was a gift.
4. God bends low to defend you in your suffering.
In the eighth chapter of John’s gospel, we find a woman who was about to be stoned to death for committing adultery. She was caught in a sinful moment, and the religious people were eager to seek justice. She was half-naked, lying in the dirt, about to meet her bloody death as judgmental critics bludgeoned her with rocks.
More than any other passage of Scripture, this passage shows me the posture Jesus takes in my most painful moments.
Do you remember what he does?
He bends low with the woman.
He begins writing in the dirt—and in doing so, he steps into her mess with her. Jesus isn’t afraid to get her dirt on his hands. He’s not afraid of your dirt either, friend.
Jesus also defends the woman. He invites any onlookers to cast a stone under one condition: They may only cast a stone if they are without sin.
The crowd leaves. The woman is alone with Jesus. Jesus forgives her of her sins and tells her to go and sin no more.
Regardless of whether your suffering is any fault of your own, Jesus is right here with you. He isn’t afraid to bend low and sit in the dirt with you. When the heart-shaping work of this painful moment has molded you to look more like Christ—when the time is right—he will gently lead you to higher ground.
What does the Bible say about suffering? Read here for powerful Scriptures on suffering. Share on XBible Verses About Suffering
Let’s look at some more Bible verses about suffering.
1. Joshua 1:9 ESV
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
God gives us all we need to be strong, courageous, and unafraid.
Because God is with us, we don’t need to be afraid. He promises never to leave us, and he will carry us through the darkest valleys.
2. Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
God’s right hand denotes action. God has not stopped acting in our lives.
He waits to strengthen us, and he upholds us with his righteous right hand. Lean into him if you are suffering today.
3. Romans 8:38-39
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
During times of suffering, it can be tempting to wonder if God has taken his love away from us.
We cannot understand everything God permits, but we can trust that his love can never be taken away from his children. Rest in this love today. He won’t waste your suffering.
4. 1 Corinthians 3:16
Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
Because God dwells in you, you can trust in him to comfort you, sustain you, and support you. He has poured out his Spirit on all of his children, and his Holy Spirit equips us to face even the darkest days in his strength, with his peace.
If you lack peace and strength as you suffer, ask God, through the power of his Spirit, to fill you with the peace that passes understanding. His peace will give you strength.
5. Deuteronomy 31:8
It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.
When I feel worried or anxious, a close friend often reminds me, “God is already there.”
No matter what you are facing today, God is already there. He is beside you, behind you, within you, and ahead of you. Nothing can take him by surprise. Trust that he will lead you, sustain you, and give you all you need.
6. Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
God wants his peace to surround you. The key to experiencing his peace is to surrender your worries to him and talk to him about all things.
When we learn to surrender our worries to God, he fills us with hope and peace, guarding our minds in Christ.
7. John 3:16-17
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
The greatest demonstration of love is for a parent to allow harm to come to his child on behalf of another person.
God demonstrated his love for us when he allowed Jesus to die for us. The Holy Spirit now dwells in the heart of everyone who believes this and follows Jesus. We have hope because the Spirit gives us hope.
8. Revelation 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
This is a message for all of God’s children.
At times, we turn our backs on him. Meanwhile, Jesus pursues us. He wants a relationship with all of his children. Have you responded to him as he knocks at the door of your heart?
Open the door, and he will fill you with his hope.
What does the Bible say about suffering? More Scriptures
9. Psalm 27:1
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
God’s presence is like a light for our paths. Trust that because God is with you, you don’t need to live in fear.
Cling to the hope that God will guide your steps.
10. Isaiah 43:2
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
God is with you. He will help you cross the raging rivers of life and walk through every fire with you.
11. John 16:33
“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
For years, I felt surprised every time life became difficult. Finally, I realized that trouble is to be expected. Jesus promised trouble. But he also promised his peace.
Are you facing a storm? Don’t be surprised. Also, remind yourself that Jesus has not left your side.
No matter what your storm looks like, Jesus is with you in the boat. He won’t leave you (Deut. 31:6). Lean into him and ask him to strengthen you. Keep your heart open to him. Keep seeking him. He won’t waste this storm.
12. Isaiah 42:6
“I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you”
When you don’t know which way to turn, cling to the promise in Isaiah 42:6.
God is with you in this storm, and he will protect you as he takes hold of your hand. Cry out to him and trust that he will never take his eye off you.
13. Psalm 16:8
“I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.”
Stormy seas in life threaten to shake us to the core. By learning to set the Lord always before us—and keeping our eyes on him—we need not be shaken.
What might it look like to set the Lord always before you?
For me, this looks like training myself to turn to God first when crises strike. By practicing turning toward him, I find peace and stability.
God uses difficulties to shape us into the image of Jesus. As we grow in maturity, we are better able to share God’s love and compassion with others. We also develop resilience and perseverance.
If this post on suffering blessed you, I invite you to explore our family devotionals and library of free devotionals and eBooks below!
Calling All Parents and Grandparents!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 15, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. You can find all three books here or read more below.
Attention All Boy Moms (and Dads)!
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Find Our Family Devotionals Here
Find all three books right here. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.
Learn Why Willpower Doesn’t Work and Experience God’s Deliverance and Healing
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book as a free eBook on Kindle Unlimited or for 12.99 in print right here. (If you do not have Kindle Unlimited, you can try it out with a free three-month trial!) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!
A Free Devotional to Help You Find God in Suffering and Pain:
Glimpses of Hope for When Life Lets You Down is my online devotional book for life’s hard seasons. This devotional will lead you through a daily reflection, Scripture reading, and questions for thought and reflection. It will help you bring your broken heart to God and process your emotions in his presence. It’s yours here. 
I also offer a library of free online devotional eBooks for free. I invite you to explore the collection right here!
