Where is God When it Hurts?
If you’ve ever experienced any kind of loss or trauma, you know that one of the first questions often asked in pain is, “Where are you, God?” The question is not a new one. It is one that generations of hurting people have uttered in the depths of their trials and tragedies. When life gets hard, it is no wonder that we grapple in the darkness, searching for the hand of God to hold through our most difficult valleys.
Yet so many times, we can feel like God is absent in our pain, unaware of our ache and ignoring our cries. When we experience hurt, we need to know exactly where God is as our hearts throb from the brokenness we encounter this side of heaven.
If you’re in a place of asking that question right now, here are three important reminders of where God is in the midst of your hurt:
1. God is near you in your hurt
It is easy to wonder where God is in those moments when life gets flipped completely upside down. As we navigate the shock waves that can come when we find our hearts broken, it can be natural to search for God in the distance, and yet it is in the moments of our deepest wounds that He is closer than ever. King David was well acquainted with grief and pain in his life, which is why his words in Psalm 34:18 are so encouraging, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
If God is feeling distant right now in your hurt, remember that perhaps you cannot see him as clearly because He has wrapped you up in His arms and pulled you to Him. God will always show up in our pain and make Himself more real than ever before if we open our hearts to Him and the comfort He longs to provide.
2. God cries with you in your hurt
As our tears fall down in what can feel like a never ending puddle, we can wonder if Jesus is merely turning away from our cries. But, there is no greater picture of what Christ does when we weep than his response seen in the book of John when his friend, Lazarus, died. Scripture tells us that Jesus wept beside those who were filled with sorrow over the loss of their beloved brother and friend, even though he knew that he would soon raise Lazarus from the dead (John 11:35). He didn’t have to cry with them. He could have chastised them for not having enough faith; but instead, he simply wept beside them. This story is a reminder that God is never aloof in our pain, but He empathizes and mourns beside us in all of our griefs.
3. God sees you in your hurt
Nothing can quite make us feel as alone as going through a heartache. It can be easy to think that no one understands or cares about what we are enduring day in and day out. And yet, one of the many names of God is El Roi, “the God who sees me.” Psalm 56:8 tells us that God keeps track of all our sorrows and collects all our tears. He records every pain we’ve ever endured. In the middle of your hurt, God sees you and every tear that streams down your face. And the amazing thing about all of this is that He not only sees you, but He has a plan in the works to make things right again.
What does your heart need to be reminded of today in your pain? Do you need to remember that God is near you when you hurt, that He cries with you or that He sees you? While it can feel like God is distant when we are experiencing heartache, the truth is God is standing beside us, like a father near a toddler learning to walk. He is always present, ready and able to catch us when our steps are met with teetering. So, as you find yourself stumbling in the dark of unexpected trials and tragedies, remember the truth of where God is in your ache: He is right beside you, holding you in your pain and seeing all you are enduring.
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