He Always Cares
King David suffered many things during his lifetime. He had been betrayed by his wife, the king he served, friends, and even his own son. He spent time living in the wilderness on the run. He experienced the horrors of war, sometimes against seemingly impossible odds. Through all of these things, God would be his constant comfort.
You have kept count of my tossings;
Psalm 56:8
put my tears in your bottle.
Are they not in your book?
The imagery he employs to describe God’s concern for the suffering of his people is intense. God counts every tossing. He collects every tear. He has a written record of all of your pain. He not only knows what is bothering you but is aware of every bit of how it is affecting you.
He’s Suffered Too
When the Son took on human nature he experienced the same sufferings and temptations that we do and Hebrews points out how this enables him to understand our experiences from the same perspective.
Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Hebrews 2:17-18
Not only is God conscious of all of our suffering but he also understands them as someone who has suffered these same trials as we have in our lives. He not only has full knowledge but also personal experience with the pains we face.
Jesus also suffered betrayals. People attacked his character. Nobody esteemed him to the level he was due. He experienced hunger, poverty, the loss of loved ones, and everything else life in this fallen world entails. Then, he was beaten and mocked before being publicly executed.
Comfort In Trials
Some believers may live in a time and place where the believers with whom they fellowship don’t experience the type of hunger or poverty that Jesus lived through. However, nobody in this fallen world will escape all suffering.
Often times, our pain goes unnoticed. Even if our brothers are great about mourning with those who mourn (as we have been commanded [Romans 12:15]) odds are none of them know the half of it.
However, we have an omniscient God who doesn’t miss a thing. He knows what you’re going through better than you, yourself, do. Every tossing in your bed, every tear you cry, and every unspoken pain is as written text before him.
Not only that, he can personally relate to your pain. He’s not some stoic observer who impersonally witnesses your pain but lacks empathy. Instead, he is a God who has walked in your shoes and cares personally about you.
There have been many times where my bitterness grows as I ruminate on how indifferent others seem to what I’m going through. It’s a lie that only killed my own joy! I’ve never suffered even the slightest discomfort without God knowing and relating completely.
We have a God who is with us through it all, no matter what “it” is. Getting to know the God who knows our pain means always having someone to bear our burdens with us.
