Discover how can you be blessed in suffering with encouraging, compassionate insights to find God’s blessings during trials. Explore faith, hope, and resilience.
One of the hard truths that we have to face in life is that we will always face hardship of some kind. Whether we are struggling financially, relationally, or otherwise, it seems that there is always some kind of hill in our lives that we have to climb.
In these seasons of struggle, it’s important to remember that we can still find blessing from God. In fact, the Bible shows us that our greatest blessings are often on the other end of the very hardships we face. In light of this, let’s tackle the question of, “How can you be blessed in suffering?”
Our prayer is that this inspires and encourages you in your times of suffering so that you can boldly stand firm in faith and trust God through your hardship for blessing. May you come out of your suffering victorious and truly stronger and with greater blessing on the other side.
Finding Hope and Blessings in Times of Suffering
So, how can you find blessing in times of suffering? Here are a few ways that you can do just that no matter what is going on in your life.
1. Seek support and encouragement from your Christian community.
In hard times, it’s tempting to isolate yourself and hide. However, some of your greatest strength is to be found in the community of fellow believers. Be honest about what you’re going through and ask them for prayer and support.
2. Trust in God’s sovereignty.
Remember that no matter what happens, God is still sovereign. He still works all things for the good of those that love Him. Truly take this to heart and calm your mind knowing that He is still in control. He is never surprised or taken off guard.
3. Practice gratitude.
While it may not seem like an easy question in times of suffering, asking yourself what you have to be grateful for might be just what you need. Reorienting your focus onto what is good in your life instead of being on what is not can be vital in finding your blessing within your hardship.
4. Immerse yourself in prayer.
There is no such thing as praying too much. Immersing yourself in prayer specifically in your time of suffering is key to making sure that you are close to the heart of God. It keeps your attitude in check and reminds you that you are not alone. God is right there with you. Stay close to Him through prayer.
5. Be encouraged by Scripture.
There are plenty of stories in Scripture about people finding blessings in hardship that will encourage you and remind you that you are not alone. In fact, let’s check out some of those stories now.
Biblical Examples of Finding Blessings in Hardship
How God’s people like Apostle Paul, Apostle Peter, Apostle John, Job, Joseph the dreamer, The Israelites under the oppressive rule of the Egyptians, and other followers of Jesus mentioned in the New and Old Testament books experienced great sufferings for Christ’s sake. They all experienced God’s glory and let’s discover together how endurance produces character.
1. Paul in Prison
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:4-7
Within these verses are some of the most encouraging ideas present within the Bible. However, when we read this, we can often think, “Paul, you don’t know what I’m going through. It’s just not possible to do this in my situation.” What we forget is that, historically, Paul was in prison when he wrote the book of Philippians. He was in some of the worst circumstances possible, yet he was still able to write, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” He is an amazing example for us to follow.
2. Joseph Exalted in Egypt
“And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.” – Genesis 45:5-7
Joseph certainly was no stranger to hardship. His own brothers sold him into slavery just because they were jealous of him. He was lied about and slandered to the point of getting put into prison for something he didn’t do. However, God used his hardship and his faithfulness through the hardship to exalt him at the right time so that he could do great things for His people.
3. Job Made Desolate
“The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part.” – Job 42:12a
Job is perhaps the poster child of the Bible for suffering and hardship. Everything was taken from him; his possessions, his relationship with his wife, and even his children. He was left desolate as part of Satan’s testing of his faith, but he did not curse God. Instead, he still blessed the name of the Lord and came out even better on the other side of this hardship.
4. Ruth’s Faithfulness
“Boaz replied, ‘I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.’” – Ruth 2:11-12
After her husband died, Ruth stayed with her mother-in-law in faithfulness even when her mother-in-law told her to go. Through their hardship together, God brought Ruth to Boaz, the amazing blessing she needed at the time. Through their union, they became part of the line of Jesus. What a blessing that is!
5. Daniel in the Lion’s Den
“Daniel answered, ‘May the king live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.’” – Daniel 6:21-22
Despite being taken to Babylon and thrown into a den of lions because of his faithfulness to God, Daniel’s faith stayed strong and he didn’t waver, even in the face of lions. Even through his hardship, God protected him from all that sought to harm him. He came out unscathed and prospered in the land.
6. David Becomes King
“As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.” – 2 Samuel 22:31-33
Before David became king, he was pursued relentlessly by Saul as Saul wanted to kill him. Even though David had been anointed by God as king, Saul did not want to accept this. He had to overcome many trials and hardships, but God protected him and he eventually rose to become the rightful King of Israel.
7. Esther is Heard
“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” – Esther 4:14
In Persia, a plot was formed by an evil man to eliminate the people of God. However, because of her faith and bravery, Esther stepped up and risked her life for her people. In the end, despite this hardship, Esther’s willingness to step out in faith led to the deliverance of God’s people.
8. Hannah Endures Mockery
“I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him.” – 1 Samuel 1:27
Finding herself unable to have children, Hannah was constantly mocked and ridiculed. She constantly prayed to God to open her womb, and, because of her faithfulness and persistence through her hardships, He listened. God gave Hannah a son who she then dedicated back to the Lord because of His great gift to her.
The Role of Prayer and Faith in Suffering
Dear Christians, our Heavenly Father, Christ Jesus, is the God of all comfort, the God of all grace, and Father of mercies. Christian life isn’t always smooth sailing, but the various trials bringing you much pain are nothing compared to God’s power, God’s love, and God’s grace. Good news: You can entrust your situation into God’s hands and see Him move in your life like never before. Let the Word of the Lord be your ultimate hope during this difficult season.
During times of suffering, the importance of prayer and faith cannot be overstated. In fact, the two go hand in hand. When you keep your faith strong through prayer by spending time in the presence of God, you ground yourself in who He is, not in what is happening around you.
This enables you to not be shaken by your circumstances and allows you to still take bold steps of faith in your life despite what is going on. Just because things are hard does not mean that God is not still shaping you and molding you into the person He wants you to be. You can still take steps forward in your walk with Christ even in times of suffering.
Do not neglect prayer in hard times and do your best to keep your faith strong. Ask God to help you with this and to strengthen you so that you can stand firm against the schemes of the devil during this time of suffering.
How to Support Others Who Are Suffering
One of the signs of spiritual growth is when you love sharing your experience of God in your life, comforting others during their personal suffering, and reminding them what the Word of God says about their situation. Mature believers know that leaning on one’s own strength during a hard time is not the safe place to go. For it is only in God’s presence that we truly see our very purpose. So go ahead and do the most gracious thing: be a friend to somebody today.
Maybe you aren’t currently suffering or you’ve been in a good place for a little while. Maybe there are others around you who are suffering. Luckily, there are things that you can do to help them during their difficult season. Here are three ideas of how you can do just that.
1. Pray for them.
This seems very obvious, but it is often left undone. Firstly, pray for them in private. In your own quiet time with the Lord, spend time in prayer for the people in your life who are suffering. However, also pray with them in person. Simply offering to pray for someone and truly praying for them in a heartfelt manner led by the Holy Spirit can mean the world to that person. It can give them the strength they need to carry on.
2. Serve them.
Ask those who are struggling what you can do to serve them. You may not know what you can do, but they might have a way that you can practically help. Even if you just take them a meal, it’s at least some way that you can serve them and show them that you are with them during their tough time.
3. Just listen.
Sometimes, we feel awkward when others share about their hard times because we don’t know how to react or what to do. However, the answer is much simpler than you think. Many times, we just need to actively and compassionately listen. When you do this, you show that person that you truly care about them and what they are going through. You don’t need to solve their problem for them; sometimes, you just need to listen.