5 Places You Can Find God When Life Hurts

I was sick, and my doctors could not diagnose my ailment. Yet, I hurt.

Restlessly, I shifted in my bed, my body tossing from side to side, the quest for the perfect comfort eluding me.

I adjusted the thermostat, first lowering it, then raising it again, yet nothing seemed to alleviate my discomfort, and nothing felt quite right. The issue wasn’t with my bed or the room’s temperature; it was the weight of an unspoken thought, a question I felt afraid to ask.

I harbored a nagging worry that clung to my thoughts like glue. This question wasn’t directed at someone I could see; instead, it was a yearning aimed at an entity beyond my physical reach, whose absence I acutely sensed. It was a question addressed to God Himself, and it resonated like an echoing cry in the stillness of my room.

“Where are you?” I implored, my voice, a whisper in the night. “Where are you when my life spirals in endless circles? Where are you when darkness engulfs my world?” Where are you while I teeter on the brink of death?

If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. I was in your shoes as David wore the same pair. In the dark night of his soul, he screamed,

“God, God . . . my God! Why did you dump me miles from nowhere? Doubled up with pain, I call to God all day long. No answer. Nothing. I keep at it all night, tossing and turning.” Psalm 22. MSG.

Out of David’s profound moment of despair in Psalm 22 emerged his most comforting composition, Psalm 23. In God’s absence, he found His abiding presence.

Today, I would love to share “5 Places You Can Find God When Life Hurts.”

At every turn in my pains, I found God. You will find Him too in:

1- YOUR TEARS

We have been told many times not to cry! But Jesus wept! Yes, you read that right, John 11:35. As if He were leading an example for us to follow, it is okay to cry when it hurts. In the place of lamentation, we lay down our invulnerability. We lay down our pride and pick up our humanity by recognizing our limitations. When we cry, we affirm the situation is beyond our control; in doing so, we entrust it to the one who possesses the strength to bear the burden.

David lamented a lot; the book of Psalms records his lamentations. Psalm 22 is one of David’s many psalms of lament. But there is always a trend; David emerges from his lamentation stronger. From Psalm 22 came Psalm 23, one of the most reassuring chapters in the bible.

However, when you cry, don’t cry as one who doesn’t have hope, remember:

” You’ve kept track of my every toss and turn through the sleepless nights, Each tear entered in your ledger, each ache written in your book.” Psalm 56:8

 

2- THE QUESTIONS YOU ASK GOD

When it feels like God is absent at the worst possible time in your life, ask Him where He is. It takes a massive step of faith to question God when you believe He is nowhere near you.

I remember when my close friend lost her only child, in her moment of grief, I encouraged her to ask God the “why …why…why” questions she directed at me. Who is better positioned to speak to a hurting child than a loving father?

Job knew this when he questioned God.

Jesus knew it when He cried to His Father on the cross, “My father, my father, why..why…why have you forsaken me?” Question God and ask Him what He is up to when He seems far from you. Ask questions, but don’t lose faith. In those questions, if you listen, God will speak to you.

“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” Mathew 27:46b. MSG

 

3- STILLNESS

You cannot listen if you are not still. You cannot listen when all you see is the raging sea.

In times of hurt, you are like a boat surrounded by many waters. Though surrounded, you will always be good with God on your side. What you cannot afford to do is allow the surrounding water find its way into your very core, for that is when you sink.

Surrounded by noisy waters, practice stillness, listen, and focus on the God you yearn to hear from.

 

4- HOPING AGAINST HOPE

When you cry, lament, or ask God questions, don’t do it like one with no hope. It’s hard to hope when there is nothing to cling to. But in the state of hopefulness, we are more inclined to listen and hear God. In our hopelessness, we must cling to the hope that is anchored in the work of Christ as Apostle Paul admonished in Hebrews 6;18

“We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go.” Hebrews 6;18 MSG

 

5- WAITING

God works in season and not out of season. He maintained the balance of the universe on the principles of rain in its season, sun in the day, moon in the night, a time for everything.

So, a delay is never a denial. When He says wait, He wants to prepare you.

Through periods of waiting, Men of faith are forged like steel. Abraham believed in God’s promise, and it was counted for faith.

Healing transients into resurrection- “if you were here my brother won’t have died”. But Christ delayed Lazarus’ healing for resurrection.

In waiting, God conforms us to His life. We are formed as we behold!

 

CONCLUSION

God is never concealed from us; His presence is ever within reach. Yet there are times when we grapple to find Him amidst life’s trials. Paradoxically, amid life’s pains, we often unearth the depth of God’s presence, particularly during our most vulnerable moments.

It is when we humbly approach Him, bearing the fragments of our shattered hearts and minds, that we feel the Divine Restorer’s gentle touch. Sometimes, God employs life’s tempests to invite us to place our broken pieces at the foot of the cross, trusting in His healing grace.

How have you found God in the dark moments in your life? Please share in the comment box below. I look forward to hearing from you. Don’t forget to join our mailing list to receive our new posts.