“To all who mourn in Israel, He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for His own glory.” – Isaiah 61:3
It was a day like any other day.
The birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and there wasn’t a dark cloud in the sky.
I had been married to my husband a couple months now and life was good.
I was pregnant and the expectancy of our baby-to-be overjoyed us.
Baby names and nursery decorations swirled through our heads.
And, we couldn’t wait for the day we’d hold our little one in our arms.
But all that changed on May 20th, 2017.
Within a split second all that joy and excitement turned into tears and sorrow.
It was the day I was in so much pain I just knew something was wrong.
The day I was rushed to the ER.
The day the ultrasound no longer showed our baby.
The day we miscarried and our little bundle of joy went home to be with the Lord.
This Too Shall Pass
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory…” – 2 Corinthians 4:17
We live in a fallen world where bad things happen to good people.
But it doesn’t mean that God doesn’t care.
It doesn’t mean that God has forsaken you.
It doesn’t mean that God is punishing you.
And it doesn’t mean that God isn’t good.
The truth is, no matter how hopeless the ashes look before you, God can make something beautiful out of them.
And everything you’re going through good or bad, easy or difficult, is only temporary.
So if you’re suffering right now know that you will not be suffering forever.
For this is not your forever home. (See John 17:6)
Jesus Had to Endure Suffering Before He Could Overcome the World
“Then they will hand Him over to the Romans to be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified. But on the third day He will be raised from the dead.” – Matthew 20:19
Our Savior also suffered.
He was mocked, beat up, and even killed.
He carried the entire weight of the world’s sin on His shoulders.
He was tortured to the point He didn’t even look like a man. (See Isaiah 52:14)
And for His disciples, all hope seemed lost.
He could have called a legion of angels to rescue Him. (See Matthew 16:53)
He could have quit altogether.
But He chose to endure the cross.
He chose to literally die in our place.
Why Did Jesus Do That?
“He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.” – Isaiah 53:5
Because He loved you more than you could ever know.
He knew that His death would enable you everlasting life.
He knew this was the only way your sins could be forgiven.
The only way you could spend all eternity in heaven with Him.
He knew that even though He would have to suffer, He wouldn’t suffer forever.
He would rise again.
And He would not only overcome the suffering He had to endure.
He would also overcome the entire world. (See John 16:33)
The Healing Process: From Open Wounds to Scars
Just like the flesh wound you got as a child when you scrapped your knee, healing takes time.
When it happened, you experienced tears, pain, and blood from the opened wound.
But as your parents treated it with disinfectant, Neosporin, and a bandage it started to get better.
Eventually, the blood stopped, the pain went away, and the wound turned into a scar.
Now I’m sure if you look at your knee today, the scar will still be there.
But it doesn’t hurt anymore, right?
You can even poke it with your finger, but you won’t feel any pain.
The same goes with our wounds of suffering today.
Your wound may not heal overnight, and your scar may always be there.
But eventually, it won’t hurt so bad anymore.
Yes, losing our child through a miscarriage was so difficult.
There were days I wondered if the tears and grief would ever stop.
But as I applied these “5 Ways” to my life, God began to dry my tears, heal my broken heart, and take away the pain.
And I promise you, He can do the same for you too.
5 Ways to Overcome Suffering That Really Works
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Have a devotional life:
One of the biggest ways God will comfort you is through His Word.
There, you will find people who’ve been through similar situations and all of the promises God has made to you.
It’s more than any ordinary book, but the true living Word of God.
He will speak directly to your heart, and through it, will give you the strength you need to never give up and keep pressing forward.
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Stay connected to God through prayer:
Having a personal relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ is the game changer.
Apart from Him, you cannot and will not overcome suffering.
But when you add Him and His supernatural power to your life and situation, then comfort, peace, and victory will be yours for the taking.
Being transparent with God will allow a healing process to begin deep within your heart.
Be real with Him, cry out to Him, and allow Him to put all the broken pieces back together again.
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Stay connected to other believers:
Our natural tendency is to shut out the world when trials come.
But more so than not, isolation will only lead to depression.
It may be hard to reach out to others, but letting a trusted brother or sister in will help you cope with the suffering you’re experiencing.
Let them pray over you, encourage you, bless you with hospitality, and remind you time and time again that you’re not alone.
Allow them to be your accountability, a shoulder to cry on, and a support group in your times of need.
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Get biblical based counseling:
When you have questions or need some guidance the best counsel will come from a Biblical based Pastor or counselor.
They will help you see your situation through a biblical perspective, and will give you some practical tools you can use to heal and press on in the midst of trial, suffering, and difficulty.
The key is that they point you to Jesus Christ and encourage you to walk down this road hand and hand with Him every single step of the way.
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Choose to trust God with all your heart:
You need to really choose to trust God completely.
If you don’t, bitterness and hardness of heart will begin to set in, and you will start to drift further and further away from the Lord.
You may never know why God allowed something to happen, but blaming and cursing Him will not make the pain and heartache go away.
Trust me from experience when I say, dealing with suffering is 100 times more difficult apart from God.
He loves you and still has a plan for your life. Chose to surrender your will to His, by choosing to trust in Him with all that’s within you.
Key Takeaway
“You have turned my mourning into dancing for me; You have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy…” – Psalm 30:11
There will be a day when all of your tears will be wiped away. (See Revelation 21:4)
A day when you will be in heaven for all eternity.
A day where you will see God face to face and never ever suffer again.
But until that day you must keep pressing forward.
You must reach your finish line and never give up.
This difficult season you’re going through will not last forever. (See Ecc. 3:1-8)
Your heavenly Father sees you, hears you, and sincerely does care about you.
He promises to work all things together for good. (See Romans 8:28)
And give you the strength you need to get through whatever comes your way. (See Philippians 4:13)
As a child of God, you can take heart.
You do have hope.
Even though here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.
Your Jesus has overcome the world. (See John 16:33)
He will give you a joyous blessing instead of mourning.
Festive praise instead of despair.
And a crown of beauty for ashes.
Really needed that today,,,I have been going through rough time.
Thank you and God bless
Stacy
Hi Stacy,
Thank you so much for your comment. Praise God He encouraged you today! Please let me know if there’s anything specific you’d like me to keep in prayer for you. =] I will be praying that God continues to minister to your heart and comfort you during this difficult time. Hang on to Jesus! He will get you through this storm!
“God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.”
– Psalm 46:5
God bless you, Stacy.
<3 Amanda
Really needed that today,,,I have been going through rough time.
Thank you and God bless
Stacy
Hi Stacy,
Thank you so much for your comment. Praise God He encouraged you today! Please let me know if there’s anything specific you’d like me to keep in prayer for you. =] I will be praying that God continues to minister to your heart and comfort you during this difficult time. Hang on to Jesus! He will get you through this storm!
“God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.”
– Psalm 46:5
God bless you, Stacy.
<3 Amanda
wonderful blog -thank you Amanda! 🙂
Aww thank you so much Pastor Greg!!! To God be the glory! 🙂
wonderful blog -thank you Amanda! 🙂
Aww thank you so much Pastor Greg!!! To God be the glory! 🙂
Thank you for this reminder.
Suffering is definitely a common denominator for everyone. We suffer at different levels.
I think many times we try to make earth our eternal home that we forget, as Christians, that we are here temporarily, and we certainly cannot compare what we have here to what we will have up there with our heavenly Father. May God continue to strengthen you and all of our brothers around the world to persevere and endure every trial through his strength and power.
God bless you Amanda
Hi John, Thank you so much for your comment and encouragement! I agree completely. I even sometimes get so caught up with the here and now on earth that I forget that it will all one day fade away. That’s why it’s so important, like you said, to have an eternal perspective. Remembering that we are but pilgrims here on earth passing through. Thank you again so much for your reply and your prayers! God bless you! =]
Thank you for this reminder.
Suffering is definitely a common denominator for everyone. We suffer at different levels.
I think many times we try to make earth our eternal home that we forget, as Christians, that we are here temporarily, and we certainly cannot compare what we have here to what we will have up there with our heavenly Father. May God continue to strengthen you and all of our brothers around the world to persevere and endure every trial through his strength and power.
God bless you Amanda
Hi John, Thank you so much for your comment and encouragement! I agree completely. I even sometimes get so caught up with the here and now on earth that I forget that it will all one day fade away. That’s why it’s so important, like you said, to have an eternal perspective. Remembering that we are but pilgrims here on earth passing through. Thank you again so much for your reply and your prayers! God bless you! =]
The trouble for me is never “if he can, or is able.” The problem is WILL HE do anything, or its so far in the future it’s no use asking for anything anymore. It’s like I believe Jesus is who he says he is, but I’m so discouraged even nice words are like stinging salt. I can’t listen anymore. It’s like this desolate horizon and I’m scared I waited for nothing. It doesnt help when people want to chide you for being honest. I can’t get out of this pit.
The trouble for me is never “if he can, or is able.” The problem is WILL HE do anything, or its so far in the future it’s no use asking for anything anymore. It’s like I believe Jesus is who he says he is, but I’m so discouraged even nice words are like stinging salt. I can’t listen anymore. It’s like this desolate horizon and I’m scared I waited for nothing. It doesnt help when people want to chide you for being honest. I can’t get out of this pit.
At least the author had a legitimate story of loss and heartbreak that made her words believable.
At least the author had a legitimate story of loss and heartbreak that made her words believable.