Seeking God in Suffering

How do we deal with the difficulties we face? Do they turn us from faith or drive us deeper in our faith? Do we isolate ourselves or seek solace from the community around us?

God never promises that life will be easy on this side of eternity, but God does promise to be present with us through the Holy Spirit. He is our comfort as we face the major and minor storms of life; we are held by the God who is much bigger than any of our problems. He also knits us into a community of believers who hold one another up in times of struggle. We never have to go it alone.

In this month’s series of devotions about seeking God in suffering, Bonny Mulder-Behnia shares from her experiences of facing cancer and grief, and she shows that the people in her family and ministry network have been some of the richest resources for navigating difficulties and finding strength in God and his Word. Their faith in God in the midst of trials, she says, has been inspiring and instructive.

Bonny Mulder-Behnia is a pastor in Bellflower, California, with 25 years of experience in church staff, educational, congregational, and pastoral ministry. She is married to Jahan and has two adult children and a grandson.

It has been an honor to work with writers like Bonny over my last 13 years as the Executive Editor of Today. God has led me to focus on some new challenges, including doctoral research and our family’s bed and breakfast in Grand Rapids. We would like to develop our bed and breakfast as a greater ministry opportunity. We've already hosted some marriage retreats there, and we want to expand that with more retreats and other events for parents and pastors. As Kurt Selles steps in as the new Executive Editor for Today, I’m confident that he will faithfully serve in this role. (Look for an upcoming post from Kurt introducing himself and the Today team.)

May you be blessed by the wealth of comfort and care available in God's Word, in God’s healing presence, and in the community of believers who call on God’s name.