Parenting by Design - September 25

Perspective on Suffering

Ps 9:9-10: The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you (NIV).

There is a unique vulnerability that comes with parenting. We long to protect our kids from hardship and pain. But when we see suffering as something to be feared, we have a harder time understanding why God allows difficult and sometimes unfair circumstances into our lives and the lives of our children.

God has a different perspective on suffering. He calls us to seek refuge in Him during these times and to trust in His goodness. When we fully grasp His love, we can rest in the security that our circumstances, no matter how painful, have eternal value. God may not always deliver us from those circumstances, but He promises to walk with us through them and never forsake us. When we look at trials through eternal eyes, we may be more willing to be perfected because we know we have not yet reached our final destination.

Trust the Lord; even in suffering.