A Surprisingly Unhelpful Promise for a Hurting Friend
For many of us, asking for help goes against every fiber of our being.
Articles on Trials and Suffering
288 results found
When Christ Turns Persecutors into Persecuted (for His Glory)
Jesus is alive, is at work, and he’s bringing men and women to himself.
Suffering is so real, so physical, so emotional, and so life-dominating that it’s hard to think of anything but the present moment of pain.
Is Doubt the Backstory Behind Your Apathy?
While I am consoled somewhat by the fact that doubts are normal and potentially formative, they still feel like what Lewis calls an emotional “blitz” on my belief.
Why We Can’t Lament without Listening
When it comes to loaded subjects like racism or ethnic tension, too often believers fall into the familiar ditches of denial or despair.
The Paradoxical Pattern of Jesus’s Life
God is unswervingly active in bringing about good from troublesome circumstances in the Christian’s life.
Dave Furman's Story: Finding Help in Suffering
In this video, Dave Furman, author of Being There: How to Love Those Who Are Hurting, shares his story of debilitating need, resilient care, and finding the help that only God can supply.
Learning to Endure Life's Troubles Like Jesus
Whatever trouble you are facing, there is somebody that you can relate to in the Bible.
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.
Practically Caring for Others in the Midst of COVID
It behooves us all to reach out and stay connected with people who are working in the hospital right now.
We Need Another Storyline to Put Ours in Perspective
Orienting ourselves by stories involves using their storylines to put our lives in proper perspective.
Podcast: The Power of Habitual Gratitude (Sam Crabtree)
Sam Crabtree explains why gratitude is actually more foundational to the Christian life than you probably think and offers practical advice for cultivating gratitude in the ups and downs of our everyday lives,
Trusting When We Don't Understand, Believing When We Can't See
The question that haunts most people who experience significant suffering and loss—is, “why?”
Where is the hope in Psalm 88?
Podcast: Surviving College with Your Faith Intact (Michael Kruger)
Michael Kruger discusses the top intellectual challenges to biblical Christianity many students will face on a secular campus.
What to Say to a Grieving Person
Sometimes it can be hard to know what to say to someone who is grieving. Yet there are helpful words we can give to people who are suffering—words that will actually help and encourage in the midst of grief.
Learning to Lament: A 5-Day Devotional
Explore how the psalms of lament and the book of Lamentations give voice to our pain and invite us to grieve, struggle, and tap into the rich reservoir of God's grace and mercy.
When Trouble Comes: Phil Ryken’s Personal Testimony
A year or two ago, Phil Ryken went through a season of deep spiritual discouragement; some would probably call it depression.
Why All Christians Should Expect Trouble
The longer you live in this fallen world, the more kinds of trouble you face.
Nancy Guthrie's Story of Hope in the Midst of Grief
In the midst of Nancy Guthrie's incredible pain, God was at work.
How Parenting Kids with Special Needs Shifts Your Reality
In a sense, our story was really one of reconsidering every aspect of our lives.
How Embracing Our Depravity Helps Us Suffer Well
Becoming bitter prevents healing, creates hardened hearts, and creates distance in our relationship with God.
How We Can Best Pray for Our Hurting Friends
Rather than just telling people you're praying for them, pray aloud for them in their presence.
2 Principles for Formulating Advance Directives
There are two important things to think about when equipping those you love how to act on your behalf.
This gospel meditation by Paul David Tripp laments the effects of sin’s curse on the world.
The Wilderness Offers Us New Sight
When we walk through any season of wilderness, the greatest danger is not the scorching heat of the trial; it is that we would be blind to the God who sees us.
Help! My Teen Is Struggling with Anxiety
Go to God and ask him to lead you into more understanding of the various factors involved in your child’s suffering: physical, emotional, spiritual, mental, and social.
4 Ways to Think about the Persecuted Church
The persecuted church often display joy that can be a powerful example to us that Christ is with his people.
Video: J.I. Packer on Weakness
J.I. Packer, renowned theologian and author of the forthcoming Weakness is the Way, reflects on his experience of weakness, having been hit by a bread truck as a child and now facing the realities of aging.
What someone shouldn’t immediately offer to the couple struggling with infertility is a set of solutions to the problem.