Ali Elizabeth

“Held Through The Hurt”

If we’re honest, one of the hardest parts of following Christ is trying to understand suffering.

This week’s sermon challenged me with a truth that isn’t always easy to hear. Sometimes our suffering on this side of heaven doesn’t end the way we hope it will. Sometimes the diagnosis remains. Sometimes the grief still lingers. Sometimes the prayers seem to echo back in silence.

For many people, that feels confusing. “If God is good,” we ask, “why doesn’t He just fix it?” I’ve asked those questions too, especially in the midst of my own struggles. 

We often picture God as the One who immediately rescues us from every hardship. And sometimes He does. I’ve seen miraculous healing, restored relationships, and prayers answered in ways only God could do, even in my own life!

But sometimes His answer isn’t removing the suffering. Sometimes His answer is reminding us that we don’t have to carry it alone. The greatest promise of Scripture was never that life would be easy. It was that God would be with us.

There is something about walking through a valley that teaches us to cling to Jesus in a way the mountaintops never could. Suffering has a way of stripping away the things we thought we needed until all we have left is Him. And somehow, we discover that He is enough.

That doesn’t mean we have to pretend the pain isn’t real. Christianity doesn’t ask us to fake a smile or ignore heartbreak. Jesus Himself wept. He understands grief. He understands loss. He understands suffering better than anyone.

But He also understands eternity. We spend so much of our lives focused on the temporary that we forget this world is not our forever home. The aches we carry, the tears we cry, and the burdens we bear are all part of a broken world longing to be made new.

One day, there will be no more cancer. No more anxiety. No more funerals. No more goodbyes. No more wondering why. The joy of heaven will make every earthly sorrow seem incredibly small in comparison. Not because our pain didn’t matter, but because God’s glory will be so overwhelming that it eclipses everything we’ve endured.

That doesn’t make today easy. But it gives it purpose. If you’re in a season where the suffering hasn’t ended, maybe this is your reminder that God hasn’t left. He isn’t waiting for the storm to pass before He comes near. He’s already beside you, holding you through every tear, every prayer, and every sleepless night.

Sometimes He calms the storm. Sometimes He simply holds you while it rages. And somehow, that is enough to keep taking the next step until the day faith comes into focus.