The Sing! Hymnal
The Sing! Hymnal
There’s no guarantee that because we’re in a saving relationship with God through Christ that we’re going to be exempt from darkness.
Articles on Trials and Suffering
319 results found
A Momentary Affliction in Light of Eternity
All Christians, especially those who are suffering, should be daydreaming about eternity on a regular basis.
2 Reasons We Don’t Know How to Lament
The notion that lament isn't familiar is actually an indictment of the state of the American church.
Caregiving Is a Stewardship of Grace
It is easy to focus on physical needs in desperate times, but by God’s grace, remember there are spiritual issues, too.
George Herbert, Stephen Witmer
The dispeller of despair is Jesus, his eyes closed in the storm but his heart open toward us. That storm, it turns out, is the triumph of his art.
John Piper’s Prayer for the COVID-19 Pandemic
Grant recovery. Grant a cure. Deliver us—your poor, helpless creatures—from these sorrows, we pray.
An Open Letter to the Child Facing End-of-Life Decisions for a Parent
How can you make rational medical decisions while flailing in grief? Even if you know your parent’s wishes, the burdens can feel too heavy.
Podcast: Fighting for Faith in the Midst of Doubt (Glenna Marshall)
Glenna Marshall discusses how we should view our doubts about the Bible, the gospel, and God's love for us, and how our struggles with doubt should give way to a more resilient faith.
How to Fight for Joy During a Season of Spiritual Dryness
The answer to the question “What do you do when you’re not happy in God?” is to preach to yourself. Preach to yourself Psalm 42—and all the other glorious promises of the Bible.
Podcast: Trauma, Pain, and Loss: A Doctor’s Story of Faith and Healing (Katie Butler)
Kathryn Butler discusses her work as a trauma surgeon working in the ICU, sharing what it was like to be inundated with life and death situations day in and day out.
No One in Our Lives “Always” Acts a Certain Way—Except God
Every. Single. Day. Always. The Lord has no off days and no half-hearted days. No days where instead of pursuit he dawdles in his goodness or forgets to follow in his mercy.
If you’re not dealing with hardship now, you will someday. And if you’re not dealing with it now, you are near someone who is.
Why We Don't Have to Hide Our Pain from God
Like a child going to a parent, we don't have to clean up our spiritual act to pour out our hearts to God.
Podcast: Where Is God in Suffering? (Ligon Duncan)
How can Christians can face profound life-changing suffering with their faith intact and find encouragement from God's word in the midst of a season of intense pain?
We forget who we are, and when we do, we begin to give way to doubt, fear, and timidity. Identity amnesia makes you feel poor when in fact you are rich.
A Sufferer’s Great Resource in Tragedy
In the early days, the pain and sorrow of losing my son were so intense that I could not focus on anything beyond daily survival. But hope prevailed.
My Suffering Savior Taught Me to Sing
My suffering Savior has taught me to always choose a song—a song that fortifies my faith against discouragement and breathes hope into my heart.
An Open Letter to Those Suffering in the Hospital
Perhaps in the hospital bed, you try to pray but can’t find the words. The spiritual disciplines upon which you’ve depended seem oceans away.
Your Joy and Grief at Christmastime Are a Shadow of Something Greater
During the Christmas season we have a heightened longing for hope, joy, and all that is good and beautiful. And yet these prove to be a mere shadow of what we truly long for.
Podcast: Don’t Waste Your Waiting (Mark Vroegop)
Mark Vroegop offers his thoughts on the difficult yet important question of what it looks like to wait well as a Christian.
Suffering: A 7-Day Reading Plan
This 7-day Bible reading plan was created to help you draw encouragement from God's Word in the midst of suffering—leading to hope in the gospel through the power of the Spirit.
The Biblical Difference Between Misplaced Shame and Well-Placed Shame
The Bible makes it very clear that there is a shame we ought to have and a shame we ought not to have.
Why You'll Never Grieve Well without Hope
To grieve well is to have a growing sense of confidence and rest that God's promises of resurrection, centered in the resurrected Jesus, are really true.
Podcast: Paralysis, Heartache, and Hymns of Hope (Joni Eareckson Tada)
Joni Eareckson Tada talks about how she has wrestled with the truth of God’s sovereignty over her life through the years and how she hangs on to the hope of heaven each and every day.
The Best News Ever for Our Sexual Struggles
What does God give us to face our inevitable struggles and sufferings? The resoundingly glorious answer of Romans 8 is that he gives us the only thing that can truly provide the rescue, wisdom, and strength we need.
What We Think We're Entitled to in the 21st Century
We realized just how much we had assumed we would have, how many things we believed were almost rights of ours.
Who Is Responsible for the Suffering in the World?
Humans fell into sin only after being tempted by Satan in the garden. Thus, both human sinfulness and the devil’s work are instrumental in causing human suffering.
Spiritual warfare made the Puritans what they were. They accepted conflict as their calling, seeing themselves as their Lord’s soldier-pilgrims.
All the Very Best Stories Lead Us to Hope in the Darkness
Stories, it seems, can remind our kids that in Christ, morning will always come, no matter how deep the darkness.
Podcast: Asking God "Why" in the Midst of Suffering (Mark Talbot)
Is it okay to ask God why when suffering? What do you do when you go through profound suffering?