When Life Shatters: Hope in Suffering

Do you know the feeling when one piece of bad news follows the next and your life seems to shatter into a thousand pieces? You ask yourself: Why is this happening to me of all people? Just a moment ago, everything seemed fine, and now you wish you had your old life back—the way it used to be—carefree and full of hope. Instead, you feel depressed, see no way out and ask yourself desperately how you will ever get out of it.

The Bible does not conceal these difficult questions. Job is a man who plunges from a happy position into the deepest suffering. Within a very short space of time, he loses everything—his possessions, his children, his health. In the Psalms, we encounter the lamenting question: Why do the wicked prosper while the faithful suffer? These questions are uncomfortable, but they are real. And they are not alien to us.

God allows these questions, but he also gives us an answer—our perspective is limited. God's plan is bigger, and he has a much broader view of our situation than we do. This does not mean that all suffering has to make sense immediately, but it does mean that God remains faithful even in chaos. In moments of hopelessness, we realize how little we have in our own hands. This experience can be painful, but it opens up a new possibility for us—to learn to trust God, even when the outcome is uncertain.

Sometimes this process feels like a test. Do you remember the fear and pressure of a difficult school exam? At the time, the moment seemed unbearable, but later you were able to look back on it calmly. Perhaps it will be the same one day when we look at our lives from God's perspective.

Life on this earth is the only opportunity to bear witness to God's faithfulness in the midst of suffering. One day he will wipe away all tears, and there will be no more pain (Revelation 21:4). But until then, we can know: God is good, he is faithful, and he has the last word. Suffering remains a mystery, but Job's story and the Psalms remind us that our suffering is not the end. God remains by our side—even if we sometimes don't feel it. And he will carry us through it.

Next step: Think about a lesson you have learned through your suffering that you want to thank God for today.