Digging Deeper – When Will My Suffering End?

Suffering is hard. No one desires it, and when we are in it, we are desperate for it to end. God cares about our suffering, so why does it sometimes seem to last forever?

While we know that God loves and cares for us, this does not always mean He intervenes immediately at our request. We are not spared the troubles of life simply because we are His children. In fact, Jesus told us that those who follow Him will suffer. Yet, Jesus also told us to take heart, for He has overcome the world (John 16:33). Only God determines the timing of His intervention. We have to trust in His timing, which is always perfect. His intervention may come in this life—after weeks, months, or even years. Or, His rescue from our suffering may not come until we meet Him face to face.

In his book Abide in Christ: The Joy of Being in God’s Presence, Andrew Murray writes, “The Christian wants to conquer his weakness and to be freed from it; God wants us to rest and even rejoice in it. The Christian mourns over his weakness; Christ teaches His servant to say, ‘I take pleasure in infirmities; most gladly will I glory in my infirmities.’ The Christian thinks his weakness his greatest hindrance in the life and service of God; God tells us that it is the secret of strength and success. It is our weakness, heartily accepted and continually realized, that gives us our claim and access to the strength of Him who has said, ‘My strength is made perfect in weakness.’”

So, whether our suffering ends quickly or lasts until we meet Him face to face, we know that in our weakness and suffering, God is glorified.