Why am I here? Why do I have to suffer?
16 Scriptures about purpose and suffering
1) 1 Peter 2:9 ” But you are a chosen people, A royal priesthood, A holy Nation,
God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you
out of darkness into his wonderful light”
2) Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you before you were
born, I set you apart”
3) Jeremiah 29:11 ” For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord,
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
4) Ephesians 2:10 ” For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do
good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
5) Psalm 34:19 ” The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord
delivers him from them all.”
6) James 1:12“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because having stood
the test that person will receive the crown of Life that the Lord has promised to
those who love him.”
7) Colossians 1: 16 ” for in him all things were created: things in heaven and on
Earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; All
things have been created through him and for him.”
8) Ecclesiastes 3:1 “There is a time for everything and a season for every activity
under the heavens.”
9) Ecclesiastes 4:9-10“Two are better than one because they have a good return
for their labor: If either of them falls, one can help the other one up.”
10) Romans 5:3 ” Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we
know that suffering produces perseverance.”
11) Romans 8:18” I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing
with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
12) Romans 8:28 ” And we know that in all things, God works for the good of
those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
13) Psalm 119:71 ” It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your
decrees.”
14) Psalm 147:3 ” He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds.”
15) 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 “We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted; struck down, but not destroyed. We
always carry around in our body to death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may
also be revealed in our body.”
16) Revelation 21:4 ” He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no
more death or morning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed
away.”
Key Takeaways
➔ God is sovereign over all. He is a redeemer, healer, and counselor. He is omnipotent and omnipresent.
➔ He loves us in our suffering, he isn’t against us, and is fighting with us, in our leviathan, in our chaos-filled lives.
➔ Bad, awful, uncomfortable things produce good fruit in an appointed season of time. Reframe and change your understanding of suffering. Allow yourself to see it as an opportunity for growth and transformation, and how our trials can refine our characters. Strengthen our faith, helping us rise above despite the cards that were dealt to us.
➔ God transcends time. He created it, and everything has a time and place for it to happen in his will and glory!
➔ Everything isn’t about you. Your story isn’t about you, even if you’re the main character, the background characters, past, present, and future ones, all can be affected by you, and even their choices. Actions have consequences. This is known to be the case, especially if it’s generational trauma/curses.
➔ Innocent suffering doesn’t mean God is punishing you; he is compassionate, loving, and merciful. God still loves us even when we don’t deserve it. Nothing we do will make us worthy of his provision, but he gives it to us anyway. Now that’s unconditional love!
➔ Even in your circumstances, you are still worthy and called to make something happen; you only need to surrender yourself or something that’s holding you back from growing in a relationship with him and your self-identity that is also in him.
➔ You’re deserving of love and are already loved! You are made with a purpose, even when facing storms of uncertainty and brokenness. This is why we use scripture as a tool to strengthen and encourage us to lean on God’s promises, even in hardship or in goodness, to see his hand at work no matter what!
➔ God is sometimes silent during tests, but this doesn’t mean he’s ignoring you, even when it feels like it. Sometimes he speaks, sometimes he shows, but he always listens. When you talk to him and tell him what you need, do you listen, be still, and wait to hear a response??
➔ Pray, pray, pray! In gratitude, in joy, for peace, for mourning, pain, and exhaustion. Pray in everything you do and in every emotion you experience, even if God knows it before you say or think it, he wants a relationship with you!
➔ Do life with Jesus, and not just on Sunday! Life is hard, and hard things will seem so much easier when we consistently pray and read our Word. Like everything else (your diet, gym routine, and hygiene have to be maintained for you to be healthy and get the results you want), so don’t be upset with God, if you only prayed once, went to church only on Easter, had the bible read to you in Sunday school as a child, and didn’t listen to the last thing he told you to do… I’ll wait.
➔ We weren’t meant to do life alone! Find like-minded people who encourage and correct you. If this isn’t accessible in person, join online support groups to create or find your chosen family so they can offer support, prayer, or sit in silence with you.
Prayer,
Lord, thank you for this day, even if we don’t feel like it or don’t see that you are working in our lives. We are grateful that we can be still and know that you are God. Help us cherish the life you gave us and complete the purpose and plan that you have for our lives, no matter how painful or uncomfortable it is; let us see that we are valuable, special, and chosen. Let us know that our sufferings are temporary and can’t be compared to the joy that is coming. If you can’t take us out of it, Lord, help us through it and change us so that we’ll be able to see a fresh perspective. What can we learn from the circumstances we are in, teach us, guide us, and comfort our hearts and minds when we need it most? Hear our cries, heal our pain, and take any burdens we are experiencing in return for your perfect peace that surpasses all understanding. Thank you, Jesus, for your steadfast love, grace, and mercy, you are Jehovah Rapha, Nissi, and Shalom, you are all things, and help us to never forget that nothing can separate us from your love and that you made us fearfully and wonderfully no matter what we feel or experience right now. Let us hold fast to the promises in scripture, encouraging one another to rise above the challenges we face and embrace the journey toward our purpose. Teach us that sometimes our suffering isn’t in vain; rather, a catalyst for the discovery of resilience and fulfilling the unique calling you have for us. Thank you, Jesus. We pray in light of all the verses above, in Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.
Thank you for reading this far. I hope reading this was just as much of a blessing as it was to write it. Come back to this devotional when you need a spiritual whiplash to snap you out of your funk! If you’re able to come back to this post, choose one verse, one that tugs your heart or tickles your brain, then write or ponder in a quiet area, or listen to your favorite gospel (whatever is best accessible for you), and think about how
➔ The verse relates to your purpose if you have found one yet or already have.
➔ How does it relate to your suffering?
➔ How can you give your struggle to God and find your purpose in it?
➔ How can you reframe your mindset in your suffering?