God uses suffering to break us of self-dependence and bring us to rely on Him. He helps us learn that He alone can bear the full weight of our pain, and give us strength and life when we feel only weakness and death. Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

When suffering and evil come our way, they’ll exert a force that either pushes us away from God or pulls us toward Him. The per­spectives we’ve cultivated between now and then will determine our direction. In my experience, most Christians lack grounding in God’s attributes, including His sovereignty, omnipotence, omniscience, jus­tice, and patience. We dare not wait for the time of crisis to learn per­spective! The time to study these things in the Bible is now.

Now is the time to contemplate these words of God about the future that awaits us:

Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” (Revelation 21:3–5)

But what about when we’re already experiencing suffering—when it’s too late to prepare, or even when we’re as prepared as we could realistically be? What can we do to more fully embrace God’s pur­poses in the midst of our ordeal?

We should realize it is not too late to prepare, because the time we spend today worshiping God and learning from His Word and His people will prepare us for tomorrow.

Based on what God has given us in Christ, we can be sure He’ll give us all we need to endure evil and suffering. “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). When God has given us the greatest gift, the one that cost Him everything, shouldn’t we trust Him to give us the good gifts that cost Him nothing?

Trusting God for the grace to endure adversity is more an act of faith than is trusting Him for deliverance from it. And we can demon­strate that trust with actions and attitudes like these:

1. Look to God’s Promises for Comfort.

Holding on to Scripture sustains us through suffering. A woman in our church who has suffered reads her Bible each night, then hugs it as she falls asleep. She asked a pastor self-consciously, “Is that weird?” It may be unusual, but it certainly isn’t weird. By clinging to God’s promises, she clings to God.

In a time of dark suffering and dread, David affirmed,

The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?… Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear.

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