When It Feels Like There's No Help: Finding God in the Midst of Pain

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There’s a powerful, raw letter that once captured significant attention, penned by a girl named Anna. She wrote:

"I wish I could say that I believe in Jesus Christ, that He loves me and cares, but I no longer believe that. From a mother who is vicious and has wrecked my adoptive family, to the death of my adoptive brother, I no longer believe. I even find myself wondering if God really exists. I look around at all the Christians who say that they help people who don't know how to ask for it but they have not even noticed my pain. IF GOD LOVED OR EVEN CARED FOR ME, HE'D AT LEAST HELP WOULDN'T HE? BUT NO HELP HAS COME! GOD DOESN'T LOVE ME – ANNA"

    Those concluding words resonate deeply with countless individuals who have experienced profound pain or trauma. Perhaps you've heard the well-intentioned but often unhelpful religious clichés, like "God will never give you more than you can handle." Yet, for many, the questions linger: "Why is there so much hurt and pain in this world?" "Why doesn't God do something?" "Why does God allow these things to take place?" 

    Maybe as you are reading this your thinking "That is exactly how I feel, I can relate to Anna. Perhaps you have found yourself in that space? It might be the devastating loss of a loved one, watching someone dear to you suffer with debilitating health problems, or navigating your own personal trials and difficulties. These experiences can leave you feeling alone, abandoned, and utterly helpless. They might even chip away at your faith, leaving you to desperately ask, "Where is God  in all of this?" or "What is He doing to help me?" If so know that your not alone, many many people have felt that way as well. 

    You might feel a pang of guilt for asking those questions, believing it's wrong to harbor such doubts. You may think of your self "less spiritual" your faith has been shaken. However, you might be surprised to discover that these are precisely the questions we find people asking within the pages of the Bible as well. 

    All throughout the book of Psalms you will find individuals pouring there heart out to God who are facing sever trials. You will find people asking hard and difficult questions about the struggles and hardships that they were facing. Consider Job, a man who faced unimaginable suffering. He lost his children, his vast wealth, and his health was in rapid decline. He lost all of this in a day! Can you imagine losing everything you have in one day?  Listen to his anguished cry in Job 23:8-9 (ESV):

"Behold, I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but I cannot perceive him; on the left hand when he works, I behold him not; he turns to the right hand, but I cannot see him."

    Job's words in that passage are raw and brutally honest. Job, in his deep distress, felt God's absence. He searched, but God seemed hidden, unreachable. Perhaps you can relate. Maybe you like Job felt, alone, abandoned and not seeing God in any of these storms you going through. 

    So, how can we cope during such times? What can we do when we are hurting, when God feels distant, or when we question if He truly cares?

    Job, despite his pain, offers profound insight in the very next verse.

God's Presence in Your Pain

"But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold." (Job 23:10 ESV)

Don't miss the powerful truths Job reveals here:

  1. He Knows the Road You're On. Job declares, "He knows the way that I take." This isn't a passive awareness; it means God knows your path intimately. He knows every past difficulty you've endured. He knows the journey you are currently on, every twist and turn, every uphill battle. And significantly, God knows the road ahead of you as well. You may feel lost, wondering if God is even aware of your hardships or the direction your life seems to be heading. Rest assured, God sees and comprehends the entirety of your journey
  2. He is Testing (and Strengthening) Your Faith. Job continues, "When he has tried me." Job understood that part of the trouble he faced was a test of his faith. He recognized that the difficult road he was on served a purpose. If the path you're on is one you should never have taken, then the trial you're facing might be the very means God is using to guide you back to the right path. However, if you are indeed on the path God desires for you, and you're encountering a trial like Job's, then this hardship is something God is using to expand and deepen your faith and reliance on Him. Regardless of the specific reason for the trial, you can know this one thing with certainty: God is at work, and He has a purpose for every trial or difficulty in your life.
  3. God Will Bring the Trial to an End. Job confidently states, "I shall come forth," signifying that this trial will not last forever. Job understood that the same God who knows his path will see him through it. You may not see any end in sight right now; you might feel all hope is lost. But we must hold onto the truth that "this too shall pass." One day, these problems will be no more; one day, this pain will end. As followers of Jesus Christ, this is a profound hope the world often doesn't grasp. We know that a day is coming when all our pain, all our hurts, and all our sufferings will cease to exist.
  4. He is Refining Your Life. Finally, Job says not only that he will come forth, but he will "come out as gold." In other words, Job believed that God was using all the trials he faced to purify him. In our times of trial, we need to remember that God is actively refining our lives. He uses these hardships to mold and shape us, to make us stronger. Perhaps God is using these trials to set you on the path you need to take, or to prepare you for the journey ahead, or even to lead you to a brighter future than you could imagine. 

Romans 8:28 (ESV) offers a powerful promise that encapsulates this truth: "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."

    For those who cry out "Why?" and feel that no help has come, the message of the Gospel offers the ultimate answer. When Jesus Christ, the Son of God, willingly went to the cross, He experienced the deepest abandonment, suffering, and pain imaginable. He did this to bear the weight of our sins and to open a way for us to be reconciled to God. If you feel alone, know that Jesus fully understands your hurt, and through His sacrifice, He offers the very presence and help you seek. He is not distant; He is near, ready to meet you in your brokenness and bring you into His loving embrace, providing a hope that transcends every earthly sorrow.

Practical Applications:

  1. Acknowledge Your Pain and Questions: It is not wrong to hurt, to question, or to feel lost. God is big enough for your doubts and your tears. Bring them honestly before Him, just as Job did. Expressing your pain is the first step toward healing and finding God's comfort.

  2. Trust God's Knowledge and Purpose: Even when you cannot see it, believe that God knows your path completely. He sees your past, your present, and your future. Trust that He is at work, even in the midst of your trials, and that He has a divine purpose for everything you experience, designed to refine your faith and draw you closer to Him.

  3. Embrace the Hope of an Enduring Future: Hold fast to the truth that your trial will not last forever. For believers in Christ, there is an assured hope of a future where all pain and suffering will cease. For those who are exploring faith, consider that Jesus offers not just temporary relief, but an eternal hope that transforms how you face every difficulty.

  4. Seek Refinement, Not Just Relief: Instead of solely focusing on escaping your pain, ask God what He is trying to teach you through it. How might He be using this trial to mold you, strengthen you, and prepare you for what's ahead? Allow Him to purify your faith, making you more like gold.

Location: Ashmore, IL 61912, USA

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