Suffering

It feels like suffering has been showing up everywhere lately—close to home, in our circles, and across the world.  We don’t often pause to ask: What is God’s response to suffering?
It's difficult for us in real life—watching people we love walk through serious illness, facing difficult decisions in life and ministry and work, and learning again that hardship doesn’t mean God has stepped away.
One truth that keeps surfacing for me is this: when pain comes, the most important question isn’t why—it’s who. Who do we turn to? Who remains on the throne of our hearts when circumstances shake us?
We look at the lives of Joseph, Job, and even the three men in the fiery furnace—people who didn’t receive explanations in the moment, but did gain something far greater: a clearer vision of who God is. Scripture reminds us that God doesn’t promise to keep us out of the storm, but He does promise His presence in it.
This evening If you’re walking through something difficult right now—or loving someone who is—I pray that  this brings encouragement and peace. It’s a reminder that suffering is not wasted when God is near.