Great Is Thy Faithfulness—Even in the Valley of Suffering

Have you ever found yourself doubting God's faithfulness?  Maybe you’re walking through a difficult season—sickness, grief, or loss—and wondering, Where is God in this? We've all had moments of doubt, trying to understand what God is doing in our circumstances. In our pain and suffering, we often question God, wondering what we have done wrong and why God allows such horrible things to happen. It is in these seasons that we find our hope in clinging to who God is. But it’s in these very seasons that we must cling to who God is. We may not understand His plan, but we can hold tightly to His character.

Pain Is Part of the Story

Painful seasons are nothing; the bible is filled with stories of suffering - disease, death, exile, war and famine are found in every book in the bible. The book of Lamentations expresses emotions we often feel in our difficult seasons. Written during and after the siege of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple by the Babylonians (587-586 BC), the poems in this book were written upon a rather morbid tapestry. Jeremiah wandered through the streets of his beautiful city, watching it be destroyed, and people starving to death in the streets. Though he knew why God allowed such devastation, he still cried out, “How long, Lord?”

Just like Jeremiah, we often ask the same question during times of suffering: How long?  Pain has a way of distorting our sense of time. We desperately long for the suffering to be over and to feel peace and joy again. While pain is an unfortunate part of the human experience, the good news is that we can trust in God and His perfect timing. During those seasons, we can lean on Him and in His unchanging character: his faithfulness, mercy and unending love. It's easy to trust God when everything is going well, but what about when it all falls apart? Do we still trust in who He is?

Trusting God in the Suffering

Our world has always been filled with suffering, and I know you have many stories of pain in your life. A teacher of mine in primary school used to sing the song "God is good, all the time" often, and this is something that we can cling to in our suffering. God is good all the time! God is good when life is sunny, and He is still good when storms rage around us: illness, financial hardship, broken relationships. How can I say that God is good in this season? Because God does not change. He is the same yesterday, today and forever!

These seasons, we must draw even closer to him. We must learn to become raw and honest in our prayer. Speak to Him like you would your mother or your best friend. Tell Him all your ugliest thoughts and pour out your heart to Him. God desires this kind of closeness with us. Dive deep into His Word and seek to experience these stories in a very real way. These aren't fictional stories; these were real people going through real situations and probably feeling similar to how you feel in your suffering-and learning the same things you need to learn. These stories still speak today.

God Is Faithful—In and Out of Season

Have you ever experienced a season like Jeremiah’s—one filled with nothing but grief, loss, or destruction? These seasons are deeply painful, and feelings of hopelessness often grow in these times. When Jeremiah looked around at Jerusalem, it seemed like God had abandoned them. The fear, shame, grief and sorrow were palpable. Jeremiah feels intensely for the people, yet in the middle of Lamentations chapter 3, something changes. Despite no shift in circumstances, Jeremiah remembers God’s love, faithfulness, and mercy. The situation was the same, and yet there is a distinct shift in his attitude towards God. Even in sorrow, Jeremiah didn’t let his emotions override what he knew to be true: God is faithful. His circumstances didn’t change, but his perspective did. He trusted that even in his circumstances, God would continue to be faithful to his people.

We are emotional beings—God created us that way—but emotions are not reliable. When we allow our emotions to dictate our reality, we move away from truth into fantasy. Our emotions change constantly like the wind, but God does not change. God is faithful because it is who he is. It's easy to remember this when we are in an easy season or when God has recently shown His faithfulness to us, but how do you respond when you don't see his faithfulness? Do you remember who God is when you are moving through the valley of death? Or do you allow grief to shape your perception of Him?

Cling to God's Truth

Our culture often promotes ideas like “my truth” or “your truth,” but Scripture teaches that truth is not relative—it’s absolute. When the storm strikes and the very ground beneath our feet seems to give way, we must cling to the unshakable truth of who God is. God is truth. Let God be your anchor in the storm. Proclaim His faithfulness, especially when it’s hard to see. That’s how we survive painful seasons—with hearts fixed on the truth of who He is.

God's love is unchanging

Relationships end, married couples separate, and family relationships break down. In a world with such tainted love, it can be hard to believe anyone can love unconditionally. It is sad, but the love we experience in this life is as broken and damaged as the individuals experiencing it. Because of this, we struggle to believe that God can love us unconditionally.He knows every detail of our lives (Psalm 139:16), and yet He still chooses us. Even when we feel we've failed too often or gone too far, God’s love never wavers. Like trusting in God's faithfulness in the difficult seasons, we must always trust that God loves us unconditionally. He chose you and called you by name, already knowing all the things you would do, both good and bad, and he loves you anyway.

Like the Israelites, we often live in cycles of rebellion—turning away, falling into despair, repenting, and being restored. Though it’s not the path God desires for us, His love doesn’t depend on our actions. That same faithful love is what Jeremiah remembered as Jerusalem lay in ruins. Though God was pouring out His righteous anger, He never stopped loving His people. The Israelites were still God's people, and he still loved them. It may not have always felt that way, especially when He used hard situations to turn their hearts back to Him, but He did love them. This faithful love is what Jeremiah was reflecting on.

When we find ourselves in rebellion and feel the guilt and shame often associated with sin, we often wonder Can God still love me? There is one big difference between the Israelites and our rebellion: Jesus. When He hung on the cross, He bore the full weight of God’s wrath—for you. Every sin, past and future, was paid for in full.

Jesus was primarily the object of his Father’s wrath — the most just, righteous, and terrible wrath there is. And he became that object willingly, even when his every human impulse longed for escape (Mark 14:36). It’s the very reason he came. (Jon Bloom, 2020)

Jesus' death was the ultimate display of God’s eternal, unchanging love. A love we can never fully comprehend, but one we are called to imitate (John 13:34). Loving God also means loving one another, unconditionally. To love God means to love others—yes, even those who hurt or reject us. This kind of love is only possible through the Holy Spirit working in us.

God's mercy is never-ending

We often downplay the cost of our rebellion. We talk about "messing up, making a mistake", or "missing the mark". The truth is, sin is a rebellion against God. It is knowing what is right and choosing not to do it (I know there is more nuance to it, but that is the simplified understanding of sin). Romans 6:23 reminds us, “The wages of sin is death,” but it also offers hope: “the gift of God is eternal life.”

We have all sinned (Romans 3:23), and this debt must be paid, but I have beautiful news for you, your debt has been paid. When Jesus drew his final breath and said, "It is finished", your debt was paid! This is something to be eternally grateful for. God has shown us his never-ending grace by sending his son to die on the cross for our sins. When Jesus died on that cross for you, all God's wrath was poured out, and his mercy was extended to you. God paid the price for you so that you could come back into a relationship with you. Your sins were washed clean, and you can now be in the presence of God every day. Are you embracing that truth in your life?

One thing I struggle with (unfortunately) more often than I'd like to admit is spiritual laziness. I know that spending time with God is important, but I allow other things to take priority. I'm sure that you have been through seasons of this, too. When we become spiritually lazy, we show a lack of gratitude for God. We become complacent toward His love, mercy and faithfulness. Spending time with Him gets pushed to the back burner, and we become distant to God. This happens very easily and most of the time it is not an intentional act of rebellion but it is still rebellion. We know that God needs to be the most important thing in our lives and yet we still allow ourselves to become swept away by other things.

If that’s where you are today, let this be your reminder to return. Repent, and thank God for His love, mercy, and faithfulness. If you're not sure where to start, here’s a simple prayer you can offer:

Dear God, Thank you for loving me unconditionally. I'm sorry for allowing busyness and spiritual laziness to make me callous to your love for me. Thank you for dying for me on the cross, for paying my debt so that I could live in your presence. Please help me to draw close to you every day, no matter what season I find myself in. Help me to remain faithful to you all the days of my life. In Jesus name, amen.

Hold On To The Truth in Every Season

Difficult seasons come to us all, and they often challenge everything we believe—even our faith in God. But the truth remains: God is faithful, loving, and merciful, no matter what. He is our anchor in the storm, our firm foundation, our unchanging rock. His love is not like any other love; it isn't based on our performance—it was proven on the cross, long before we even knew we needed it. His mercy washes us clean, and His presence is available every day. All we have to do is choose to be with Him.

Are you drawing near to Him today?

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