Have you ever wondered why God allows us to feel hurt?

When we experience physical or emotional pain, God hears our cry and cares about our pain.Our pain is not continuing because He has forgotten us; it continues because He has a plan for what is happening. Jesus suffered much injustice here on earth because His suffering demonstrated the evil of sin. People who thought they were doing right according to their ways hurt Him, showing how things we think are right may actually be evil.

Our suffering has a wonderful and powerful purpose in God’s kingdom, just as Jesus’ suffering did. His suffering made a way for us to come to Him. Our suffering lights the way He made for people around us.

But how? When we rejoice in our suffering (Matthew 5:10–12) others around us see how different we are, and are amazed that someone could truly experience joy in time of suffering. There is great power in forgiveness!

Remember how you felt when God forgave you your sin and made you His child? We can offer a taste of that to those who harm us too—forgiveness that is not earned or deserved, but given because we are like our Savior!

The power of undeserved love is just as great. Love attracts others to us, like moths are attracted to light. Then through our love, they get to know Jesus’ love for them.

God has given us many promises that bring us hope even in our suffering. One of the great promises is from Romans 8:18: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

Suffering is never pleasant, but we can rejoice in it because we believe His promises that He will not only use our suffering for His kingdom; He will turn our suffering into good for us. Great hope is ours, in Him, that our suffering is never without eternal purpose!

This devotion was written by one of Global Media Outreach’s online volunteers.