Imagine a nurse standing in front of you and telling you that your son is so sick that not only is he going to die, but that he is going to suffer greatly.

The complete hopeless that is felt in that moment would be devastating. Where most people would get angry at God or quickly lose faith. Marie did something completely different.

Thank you to WoodsEdge Community Church for permission to share this powerful testimony.

As Marie looked into the eyes of the nurse, she said,

“No, you don’t understand. I serve the Alpha and Omega. And He alone has the last word over my son. Where you are limited, my Father in Heaven has no limitations.”

What an amazing step of faith.

Marie began to pray and worship God because she understood that whatever happened was because God had the final say. And that whatever that was, He was worthy of praise.

Two hours after the nurse had updated her, she was ushered back into the room of her little boy. In that moment, when she thought she was being brought to the bed side of a lifeless body, she was not. Jacob has stopped bleeding internally, the color was coming back to his skin, his blood pressure stabilized, and his lungs began to function on their own again.

Even though she had no idea what was going on, she knew all glory belonged to God. While this change was miraculous, the doctor’s informed Marie that Jacob’s recovery would still involved a lot of time and rehab, and he would never be able to fully function normally again.

But Marie knew that God would would not bring Jacob this far to leave him at the halfway mark.

Now, 6 years later, Jacob is not just surviving but thriving. And the family gives all glory to God.

No matter where you are in life, whether in the deepest valley or highest mountain, God never leaves us.

Marie’s story reminds us that God brings hope to the hopeless and shows us three responses to suffering.

1 | Anticipate Suffering

We know that we will experience suffering here on earth because we live in a broken world. This suffering isn’t a sign of God’s absence, rather an opportunity for our hardships to shape us to be more like Jesus. Throughout Scripture we are reminded of the reality of suffering. It’s not a matter of if we’ll experience it but when.

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. | James 1:2-4

2 | Embrace Suffering

No one likes to suffer or experience hard things, however, we are responsible for our response in the midst of it. The things that cause pain are the very things that deepen our dependency on Jesus.

“I have learned to kiss the waves that throw me up against the Rock of Ages” | Charles H. Spurgeon

3 | There’s Hope in Suffering

In the mist of suffering, we have an eternal hope and comfort in God . When we experience hard things, we are not alone. We are urged to give our burdens to God and let Him carry the weight. We are not left alone in our pain, but we have a High Priest who knows our suffering and brings healing. And while God heals and brings hope, He gives purpose to our experience. Using our story to bring comfort and help others who need a glimmer of hope in a hopeless place.

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. | 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

This life is hard, but you are not alone. Just like Marie, you have a faithful God who is with you through the afflictions of life and uses those things to bring Him glory.

Start Your Journey to Hope Today | Beyond Suffering Series