Devotionals for the Heart: How we should respond when we are suffering

Our Response to Suffering
A devotional by Karen Marstaller

“Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”

—Psalm 50:14-15 (ESV)

All throughout Scripture, the Lord calls us to give Him thanks in everything.

We are to rejoice in Him, and that means to be glad in the provision of the Lord. That doesn’t seem like much of a sacrifice when we first think of it, but what if God’s provision for us is something we don’t necessarily want?

The other night, a group of ladies and I were talking about the definitions of justice and mercy that God uses. We had to admit that we like God’s definition of mercy, but His justice isn’t quite so popular. We don’t always want some of the things the Lord hands to us. A job loss can really mess up our plans, but the loss of a loved one is even worse. And in our humanity, we don’t want either one.

A few weeks ago, a much-loved family member who lived alone had a fall and lay for hours on the floor before anyone found her. After a successful surgery, our family struggled to find a good rehabilitation center that could take her for physical therapy. One center looked very promising, but then the door closed.

Discouragement set in immediately. We kept searching, but no other options were available, and we didn’t know what to do. But the Lord says that we are to “rejoice always”, as the Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:16 (ESV). So, we started asking God what to do. Are we really going to rejoice and be thankful even when every option was a solid no? God is patient with us, thankfully. His directive was clear. We were to rejoice and that’s what we began to do.

As I began to pray, it was easy at first as I thought of all God’s goodness, but then my mind tried to get all tangled up in the requests for a suitable facility. There were tons of “what if” questions as I tried to second-guess the Lord about our dilemma.

Then another of God’s directives came to mind, almost like a dare! I was to offer thanksgiving and praise. Trying to be obedient, I praised Him for His provision, His character, and His powerful works throughout history. I even thanked Him for delivering the Israelites by parting the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21-22)! Then as the afternoon passed by, peace began to fill my entire being.

What joy we have experienced since that day! As it turns out, God had another plan all along, one much better for all of us, especially for our loved one. To us, His plan seemed impossible, but when has that ever stopped the Lord? We should know by now that “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26 NIV).

Our family continues to rejoice in the goodness of God. We praise Him for His faithfulness. We marvel at His unending kindness. We thank Him for His peace.

When the storms of life break out in our world, we can choose how to respond to the Lord God Almighty. Our compassionate God is right there with us, and He understands and accepts our pain, confusion, and grief. Human suffering is God’s suffering, too. But none of it is ever wasted or for no logical reason. Our hope rests in our Lord who knows that pain will bring us closer to Him, if we’ll let Him use it. He wants us to grow to be more and more like Him.

Let’s Pray: 

Dear Lord, 

You know the experiences of every one of us, and You have complete understanding of all our pain. Thank You for sending Jesus, Your Son, to die for all the sins of the world. You sent Him to die in our place and free us from the justice we deserve. Instead, You give mercy. We praise you for this priceless gift, and we ask that You restore joy in us as we draw closer to You. 

In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Song of Reflection #1: “One Thing I Know” by Selah. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #2: “Goodness of God” by CeCe Winans. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Karen Marstaller is a retired high school teacher who spent most of her career challenging creative students to write. Her heart is for her readers. 

She writes to encourage them, to make them laugh, to show them that life is a beautiful journey, and regardless of their past, to show them that there is joy ahead if they will just keep looking.

Karen and her husband live in central Texas in a sweet little home that they completely remodeled. They enjoy spending time with their family, which includes seven precious grandchildren.

Most of all, Karen writes in obedience to the command to love your neighbor, to offer a cup of water to those who are dying of thirst, and to comfort others with the comfort she has received.

You can reach Karen by emailing her at this address: klmarstaller@gmail.com