the most explicit reference to divine pain comes in Genesis 6:6. Contemplating the evil of the antediluvian world, the text says: “The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.” And Isaiah 63:9 states that in all the distresses of His people “[God] too was distressed.”
The good news of Psalm 56:8 is that our God does indeed pay attention to our sorrows. Every cry, every tear, every pain matters to God.
Romans 5:3-5
Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
He sees how we suffer, and He is near to us in our suffering. No tear that you have cried has gone unnoticed by your heavenly Father. John 11:35 says very succinctly that “Jesus wept.” He has entered into our suffering and the God-man has shed tears with those whom he loves. He has suffered with us.
Theologians believe that humans can harm God in similar ways: They can't hurt God, but can still do God an injustice. But unlike human beings, God can't feel upset or otherwise emotionally dissatisfied.
We may believe that because “God is love” (1 John 4:16), He feels the anguish, pain, and grief of human beings. He cannot contemplate human suffering as an uninterested, unaffected bystander. He suffers with all of the suffering of the world. He suffers in deepest sympathy with the sufferings of every human being.
Even before God became man, it's clear throughout the Old Testament that God feels sorrow, even weeps for the crushing blows of His people. Psalm 34:18 promises us that “the Lord is close to the brokenhearted.” How can you be close to someone who is brokenhearted and not feel their pain?
Because Christ willingly bore that pain, believers have the benefit of forgiveness and eternal salvation, which is God's purpose behind Christ's pain. John 9:1-3 and 11:1-4 record Christ's testimony that suffering can come to us so that God might ultimately be glorified.
When we are suffering, God is right beside us. Nothing can separate us from His love. He wants to show us His love through His church, and give us a purpose through His Word!
God not only heals the souls of the broken; He also binds up our wounds. He takes the time to tenderly bandage the wounded places in our lives so we can be made whole. This level of tender care communicates several truths about God: God cares about those with broken hearts.
29 I am suffering and in pain. Rescue me, O God, by your saving power. 30 Then I will praise God's name with singing, and I will honor him with thanksgiving. 31 For this will please the LORD more than sacrificing cattle, more than presenting a bull with its horns and hooves.
He is able to help us when we are tempted to doubt God's existence or goodness in our suffering because He was tempted, yet without sin (Hebrews 2:18). He meets us in our suffering and walks with us through it. We do not need to face any suffering alone.
In your raw reality, Jesus is the one who can help you, save you, and bring you through your pain. The apostle Peter said about Jesus, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
Each time you face a difficult situation at home or work, pray, “Lord, I offer this to you for the sake of [insert name].” Each time you suffer a small cut, or perhaps a sore throat, bear it willingly and say, “Lord, I offer this sacrifice to you for [insert name].”
"The righteous call to the LORD, and he listens; he rescues them from all their troubles. The LORD is near to those who are discouraged; he saves those who have lost all hope."
We cry out to God in acknowledgment that He is God and we are not. In doing so, we look to Him as controller of the outcome. We pray in faith, knowing that God is more than capable of answering our prayers, but we also accept the reality that He may not answer in the way we want.
He hears our cries of unhappiness, pain, frustration, exhaustion, and fear. We can be honest with Him. His listening ear is always open to our prayers. His loving heart wants to embrace us as we cry on His shoulder.
In the face of human suffering, rather than asking why, Jesus swung into action and healed all kinds of sicknesses; he raised the dead and consoled the afflicted and comforted the broken-hearted; he forgave sinners, liberated those in the power of the devil, and welcomed the oppressed and rejected (Cf. Matthew 9:35).
2 Corinthians 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
So, we seek to relieve suffering, we pray for a baptism of repentance, and we look to the Lord to send His Holy Spirit to bring conversion, awakening, and revival in the church.
Sometimes when bad things happen, they empower us to act and serve. Even the Savior, our example, suffered infirmities, “that his bowels may be filled with mercy” and so that He could know “how to succor his people” (Alma 7:12). Trials can open our eyes to those who are suffering.
Friend, if you are going through times of suffering, trust in God and put your hope in Him. Don't give in to despair; His promises are true, and He will not disappoint.
Jesus understands and can sympathize with our suffering. Jesus understands our suffering because He suffered in our place. In Isaiah 53:5-9, we read of Jesus' suffering on our behalf. He was wounded, bruised, chastised, and whipped for our sins.