He Is With Us

Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.

Heather was a brand-new Christian, and she was excited about Jesus. She had just begun reading the Bible, and I was privileged to mentor her. One morning she stopped by after dropping off her kids at school. Before I had a chance to turn off the TV in the family room, she noticed a news clip about a devastating earthquake in another country. People were still looking for survivors in the rubble.

“How awful. I’m sure glad we won’t have to suffer like that,” Heather said.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Well, we’re Christians. God doesn’t want us to suffer.”

“Heather, God doesn’t enjoy seeing us go through hard times, but Jesus does say that we will have suffering in this world.”

“Really? If God is good and He loves us, why would He allow us to suffer?” she asked.

“When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden by disobeying God, that changed things,” I said. “Now we live in a fallen world, and sin, death, violence, natural disasters, wars, and disease are all part of it. Just because we’re Christians doesn’t mean we’re immune to suffering. But in spite of all the things we may have to go through in our lives, God loves us and promises to be with us in the midst of our pain.”

Some people have the mistaken impression that Christians don’t have to go through difficult times. Especially in the United States, where we have so much, it can be hard to imagine the living conditions among the poorest of the poor. We don’t like to think about the fact that tens of thousands of people die every day from hunger or that natural disasters can affect countless people.

But God has promised to be there with us. Isaiah 43:2 says, “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.”

Rest Assured

God, You are my “refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.” Therefore, I will not be afraid (Psalm 46:1-2).

Rest in Him: John 16:25-33