Where Is God When It Hurts
Where Is God When It Hurts? Where is God when we suffer? Let’s look at the story of Hagar of the Bible. It’s a story in Genesis, a story of suffering and how God showed up. Also, grab my the list of bible verses that will help comfort you in hard times.
Where Is God When Someone Is Suffering?
I think it’s safe to assume pretty much every person that has ever lived has asked the why question. Where is God when it hurts?
“That “why” question is not a new one; it goes back thousands of years. It was asked in the Old Testament by Job and the writers of the Psalms, and it was especially relevant during the 20th Century, where we witnessed two World Wars, the Holocaust, genocides in the Soviet Union and China, devastating famines in Africa, the killing fields of Cambodia, the emergence of AIDS, the genocide in Rwanda and the ethnic cleansing of Kosovo. And the 21st Century didn’t start any better. There was 9/11 and now the Syrian slaughters, and on and on. Why do all of these horrific things happen if there’s a loving and powerful God? Why do bad things happen to good people?”- Christianity Today
When we suffer, we must understand that God is letting us go through a certain period in order to teach us something or cause us to develop/grow stronger in our faith. Sometimes it can feel unfair, but we can be comforted by the fact that during these hard times, God will always be there guiding us and giving us the strength we need to endure it. The difficulties of going through pain is not one to be taken lightly but it will still be lessened if you know that your faith is being built up and sustained.
Having been reminded of this, I’ll continue on with my life knowing that God would never let me down even when others might and that at the end of every storm is a rainbow filled with possibilities!
Where Is God When We Suffer?
Let’s look at the story of Hagar of the Bible.
Shady stuff went down in the tents of Abraham, in the book of Genesis. Desperately craving a child, His wife, later named Sarah, forced her maid, Hagar, to sleep with her husband.
Desperation makes us do the unthinkable if our hearts aren’t focused on Christ.
Who Is Hagar Of The Bible?
When Hagar found out she had a bun in the oven, she got prideful and despised Sarah. Nothing good can come from sharing your man with another woman. (1 Corinthians 6:18, Hebrews 13:4, Jeremiah 13:27, Matthew 19:9, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, etc) Although in Abraham’s time, having more than one wife was acceptable in society, although never approved by God.
Hagar despised Sarah and was prideful. Sarah dealt harshly with Hagar. Not a good situation for either of them.
The Bible says that Sarah dealt harshly with Hagar and it made her flee into the wilderness. I can only imagine the feelings that overcame her. Was she scared, lonely, furious, hungry, thirsty, and confused? Do you think she took the time to look up to the heavens to pray and ask … “Where Is God When It Hurts?”
In Genesis 16, it tells more of Hagar of the Bible…
“But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her. The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai.” The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her.” The angel of the Lord also said to her, “I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.” And the angel of the Lord said to her, “Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son You shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has listened to your affliction. He shall be a wild donkey of a man his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.” So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.”Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; it lies between Kadesh and Bered. And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram. Genesis 16:6-17
What I want to focus on is the part where God sends one of His angels to find Hagar. In Hagar’s darkest moments God seeks her out.
God sees. He knows what went down. The sin on both sides of the situation.
He looked for Hagar. He deliberately took the time to find her in her pain. The Bible tells us that an angel of the Lord found her beside a stream. He protects her by sending her back to Sarah. I’d think going back and submitting to Sarah would keep her safer than wondering around in the desert alone and pregnant.
All the way out in the desert, alone, pregnant, and scared – God saw Hagar. This is the same God, our God, who sees you when you suffer.
Hagar may have cried out asking the same question we ask in times of suffering…where is God when it hurts. Let the Bible verses below be an encouragement you cling tightly too in times of suffering.
Why Does God Allow Suffering
How can we come to grips with our suffering? How can we endure it?
Here’s a plan of action when you find yourself asking, Where Is God When It Hurts.
- Expect to suffer. It’s a hard truth, but suffering is apart of life. Realize that in a fallen world suffering is the abnormal normality (see 1 Pet. 2:12-14).
- Realize that God is in control; nothing can happen unless He allows it. We should be humble before Him. (see Ex. 4:11; Job 40:2; Provide. 6:4; Isa. 45:7; Jer. 49:19; Amos 3:6; Rom. 9:20-23).
- Understand that though God is sovereign and man is responsible for his actions, suffering is a product of the Fall (see II Sam. 12:11; 16:21,22; Acts 4:27,28; Rev. 13:2,7,8).
- Accept the reality that sometimes God allows suffering for good and necessary reasons: to prepare us to comfort others (see II Cor. 1:4-6); to teach us to trust in Him and not in ourselves (see 1:9; 4:7,16, 18; 12:1-10); to turn our hearts toward heaven (see 5:1-4); to develop maturity (see James 1:1-12); to discipline us for sinful behavior (see I Cor. 11:30); and to judge wickedness (see Ps. 37:12,13).
- Remember that God has entered into our suffering to redeem us from it. He did this through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ (see Rom. 8:18-23).
- Remember that we do not yet see clearly. Many times we will not understand all the pain. We must trust God until answers to suffering are made clear (see Job 13:15; I Cor. 13:12).
- Remember that this life is nothing when compared with eternity. What is a lifetime of suffering in comparison with an eternity of heaven? (see Rom. 8:18).
- Read more from Back To The Bible.
Where Is God When It Hurts
Read over these passages when you need comfort and find yourself asking, “Where is God When It Hurts?”.
8 Bible Verses To Read In Times Of Suffering
Where Is God When It Hurts Bible Verses
Where Is God When We Suffer
God sees you! And you matter to Him. God’s character is love, just and merciful.
Just because you may be walking in a season of pain right now, that doesn’t mean God doesn’t see nor does it mean God is absent. Sometimes God call us to walk through hard times to help us seek His joy in it all, to better understand that He is our anchor.
- We all will go through hard seasons in life. We are actually to expect them. (Romans 12:12, James 1:12)
- God has said that the hard times, if we allow them, grow our character and relationship with Him.
- God always will provide and protect according to His will and purpose for your life.
I know this first hand as I’ve walked through the flames that threaten to destroy my life. God sees. Do not entertain the idea in your heart nor in your mind that God doesn’t care, because He does.
Perhaps you had to go through this to get your eyes focused on Him?
Be encouraged!! This hard season of life will come to an end and a new season of Joy will arise.
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion,To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” Isaiah 61:1-3
Hold fast to Christ! He has never left your side.
You and what you are going through matters to God.
Wrap yourself in His love!
More articles when you are asking the: “Where is God When It Hurts?” questions…
Suffering Well In Hard Times – Where is God in suffering? Suffering well requires learning how to return to joy from the injustices and pain of life. Suffering well in Hard Times is not just for us. It’s for others too.
Trusting God When Suffering Is Long and Hard – Anyone can trust God through one bad day, but how do we trust God through the long haul? When suffering continues?
Hope In Hard Times Bible Verses -Are you looking for Bible Verses About Hope In Hard Times? Here is a huge list of bible verses about hope in hard times. Use this list to encourage your heart, remind you that God has a purpose and a plan for this hard time in your life.
Where is God when it hurts? Right beside you. Watch this song, The God Who Sees.
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