Devotion for Times of Pain

“My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you” (Job 42:5 NIV).

What kind of storm transforms mere knowledge of God into a soul-shaking, eye-opening encounter? Thousands of years ago, Job—the man synonymous with unthinkable suffering—wrote these profound words:

“My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you” (Job 42:5 NIV).

While my trials pale in comparison to Job’s, I’ve walked through a storm that left me forever changed. The sudden, tragic loss of our firstborn son, Christopher, shattered my world. But in the wreckage, I found something unexpected: grace. God came near. Heaven felt closer. The promises of Scripture became more than words on a page—they became life itself.

And while it’s impossible to “move on” from a loss like that, we can move forward, past merely surviving, into living fully.

Lessons From Painful Times

Here’s what I’ve learned while sitting in the shadow of grief:

1. Eternity Becomes Real

Suffering peels back the veil, exposing the temporary nature of earthly concerns. Priorities are realigned amid loss and pain. Losing Christopher shifted my focus to what truly matters—God, relationships, and living with eternal purpose.

2. God Draws Near in the Storm

Psalm 34:18 reminds us, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted” (NIV). In my pain, I encountered God in ways I never had before. His presence became a balm for my soul, and His Word came alive with power and truth. He held me in His arms and showed me the side of Jesus, who knew pain and suffering, who experienced the whole spectrum of human emotion, and who intimately knew what I was experiencing.

3. Faith Is Refined by Fire

Trials strip away distractions and idols, leaving behind a purer, more focused faith. Like gold refined in fire (see 1 Peter 1:6-7), suffering reshapes us, aligning our hearts with God’s purposes.

4. Resurrection Power Is Found in Suffering

Paul writes in Philippians 3:10, “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings” (NIV). When we share in Christ’s suffering, we also experience the power of His resurrected life.

If you’re in a storm right now, know this: God is not absent. He is right there with you, ready to transform your pain into purpose. Suffering doesn’t have to define us—it can refine us. Joy doesn’t come from avoiding suffering but from enduring it with hope.

So let your trial speak. Let your pain become a testimony of God’s power to redeem, restore, and resurrect. This world defines meaning through ease and success, but God reveals purpose in the midst of the storm.

Fear not—your suffering may just be the soil where God’s grace takes root and blooms into something beautiful.

“My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you.” May your eyes see Him, even in the storm.

Get these articles in your inbox!

—

Cathe Laurie is the founder and director of the Virtue women’s ministry. She is also a featured speaker on The Virtue Podcast, at Harvest events, and the author of As I See It. You can find her weekly articles here on harvest.org.