Kindness in Suffering: 12 Ways God Shows His Goodness Through Trials and AfflictionsSample

Suffering Realigns Our Focus on God and Brings Us Closer to Him

When things seem to be going well in our life, we tend not to lean on the Lord as much. Our spiritual disciplines grow slack. Our prayer life becomes weak and lifeless. Our mind wanders away from thinking about God in favor of making our own plans for the future. In short, in good seasons, we wander away from God.

However, suffering has a way of drawing us back to the Lord. The writer of Psalm 119 echoed this sentiment:

“Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word” (Ps. 119:67). When we’re hurting, we do not look for outside assistance because we inherently know that only God is able to help us. In this way, our mind quickly shifts back toward the Lord. We pray more. We read the Scriptures more, especially the Psalms. We wait more on the Lord for His sustaining grace. And in this way, our communion with Him grows deeper and richer. We hear this testimony from David in Psalm 63:6–8,

When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches, For You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy. My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.

After enduring trials, the psalmist concludes, “It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes” (Ps. 119:71). Furthermore, he credits God’s own faithfulness as the reason for his affliction, as the act of drawing him back to the Lord demonstrates His lovingkindness (v. 75).

As our focus aligns more closely with God, we also find that He draws near to us and is with us in the midst of our suffering. Not only will He never leave us nor forsake us (Deut. 31:8), but in some ways we might become more acutely aware of the kindness of His presence as we walk through the trials.