Devotionals about Suffering & Trials
Suffering is not the evidence that God has left — it's often where He does His deepest work. The devotionals on suffering and trials below refuse easy answers and sit with the real pain while pointing to the real hope.
210 devotionals about suffering & trials
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210 devotionals in Suffering & Trials
July 20, 2021
Peace in the Storm
Can we have peace in our hearts when our world is turned upside down?Pretty good question that requires an honest look inward. You see the kind of peace the world give us is pretty sketch at best. It can change on a whim with no notice at all. Happen to me just last week, may have happened to you...
sufferingJuly 16, 2021
Rain Falls on Just and Unjust
It’s been a “challenging” week, but one last thing on Job and suffering and let’s ring in the weekend. Job was a tremendously righteous man and suffered greatly. So do we assume that the more righteous we are the more suffering we are to expect? Not necessarily. The large part of Job’s life featu...
sufferingJuly 15, 2021
God's Way Through Suffering
You ever notice that when we finally get out of whatever it is we are suffering from it never seems to be the way we thought we would get out of it? Like during our suffering we could never understand or see the way out that God has for us. It’s because it’s His plan for us not our plan for us. H...
sufferingJune 30, 2021
Building Street Cred in Christ Through Trials
I want to stay with Paul in Philippians because I think it’s important to understand how he was using his imprisonments as an advantage to further the message of Christ. “so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righte...
perseveranceJune 3, 2021
Blessed Through Trials: The Crown of Life Awaits
Over the hump and headed to the weekend, let’s finish this lesson in James. “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”James 1:12 As we’ve talked about staying true to our f...
trialsJune 1, 2021
Rejoicing Through Trials: God's Shaping Purpose
Going to be a short week with the Holiday yesterday and I hope everyone took a minute to reflect on the sacrifice of our fallen men and women of the armed services. Heroes indeed. So over the weekend Valerie was telling me about a friend who was going trough some tough times. Specifically, her br...
evangelismMay 18, 2021
Planting Seeds of Faith Without Seeing the Harvest
So will we always see the result of the work we’ve done by witnessing to others and being there when they need us the most? Most certainly not. But that shouldn’t discourage us from being there and sharing the Gospel. You see, we never really know how God is using us, we just need to have faith t...
gods-peaceMay 13, 2021
God's Peace Beyond Our Circumstances
So, what causes us to think God’s peace equals perfection on earth? Our expectations. I read where a pastor once said, “If I’m going to live at peace, I’ve got to surrender my expectation of perfection. Peace isn’t found in a place or in a set of circumstances that are problem free.” Amen, huh?Wh...
peaceMay 3, 2021
Peace in Tribulation: Christ Has Overcome the World
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."”John 16:33 Do you ever feel like life is one problem after another?You make it through one issue, but before you can recover another one shoots up....
weaknessApril 20, 2021
Strong in Weakness
Hope everyone’s week is off to a great start. I want to shift gears this week by discussing probably my most favorite verse in the Bible;“So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass...
humilityApril 19, 2021
The Big Three: Pride, Lust, and Entitlement
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”Philippians 2:3 ESVSo we all have to deal with pride, lust and entitlement to some degree. Some more in one area than others. But to be able to deal with the weak areas of our life we need...
eternal-rewardsApril 15, 2021
Running the Race for Eternal Rewards
I’ve been writing about persevering the last couple of days and reading about the struggle on Earth and the eternal reward in Heaven. I’m an avid motocross racer. We know that. But I’ve never received a medal with out running the race. No successful business person or entrepreneur has ever had a...
character-buildingApril 13, 2021
How Perseverance Builds Christ-like Character
Grinding it out and persevering builds character. Plain and simple. Something about endurance has the incredible capacity to refine you. I guess it’s kind of like a fire for silver, removing impurities and strengthening the character. Often because endurance goes hand-in-hand with trials and tria...
gods-goodnessMarch 19, 2021
Walking by Faith When Life Doesn't Make Sense
We will all face those times in our lives when we question whether or not God is on our side. In September of 2016, I was seriously injured doing what I love, racing motocross. I broke my jaw requiring plates and screws and my back at the T5,6&7. While the weather was great that fall, I was laid...
weaknessMarch 18, 2021
Treasure in Jars of Clay: Embracing Our Weakness
You know, people will do almost anything to appear strong, successful, and worthy of admiration. We exercise our bodies with intensity post the process to Instagram, climb the corporate ladder at the expense of integrity, and struggle to accept the help of other people. Our society works by the p...
faith-journeyMarch 11, 2021
Ready to Walk on Water? Faith in Life's Storms
So, you ever have a lot of things going on and you’re really having to lean on the Lord to give you patience and strength and deliver you from this storm that won’t seem to subside? I have, and it gets me asking myself how strong is my faith and is it strong enough to survive it? Am I ready to “w...
sufferingMarch 1, 2021
When Life Gets Hard: Understanding God's Plan
I see a lot of post and stories in the media (that which I allow myself to see) and people seem, generally speaking, so mad and angry. Many times I see them questioning God or if there even is one! Why do we sometimes get frustrated or angry with God? Let’s face it, we all do it. We lose a job pr...
graceJanuary 20, 2021
Standing in Grace: Peace and Endurance
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that s...
fearJanuary 15, 2021
Past as Reference, Not Residence: Overcoming Fear
1/18/19So I’ve been thinking lately as I’m coming up on another year on this rock and reflecting on the past, both good and bad. And one of the things I keep coming back to is what and why I feared some of the things I’ve been through and survived and what or why would I fear what’s ahead of me....
faithNovember 30, 2020
Faith That Keeps Moving Forward Through Trials
I want to talk about what it means to have faith. When I think of faith, I think of many times in my life where I have struggled and wanted to quit or give up. But I didn’t. I kept moving forward. But the most recent, has been this year learning to fly. You see, when I first decided to take it on...
encouragementNovember 13, 2020
Take Heart: Finding Peace in a World of Tribulation
“Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have...
graceNovember 4, 2020
God's Grace Is Sufficient: Finding Him in Your Struggles
In 2 Corinthians 12:9 God says, “my grace is sufficient for you”. I feel like this is a message for us to the answers we seek. What I mean is we pray for God to remove certain things from our lives and sometimes it feels like He’s not answering. But what if He has already answered us with a hidde...
sufferingNovember 3, 2020
Your Thorn in the Flesh: Understanding God's Purpose
Yesterday I talked about the “thorn” that was placed in Paul’s side or his flesh as it were. You got one of those in you? A thorn is something that seems so small but, in reality, comes to occupy and consume all of our thoughts.Our thorns...these are the financial difficulties that seem to persis...
sufferingOctober 15, 2020
Finding Strength Through Weakness in Life's Battles
I had a brutal day yesterday I’m so many ways and one that just breaks my heart. But it got me thinking again to what we’ve been talking about with suffering. There are no shortcuts to fully living for Christ. This is a battle. To return to Proverbs, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is t...