REJOICE IN SUFFERING
“Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.” James 1:12
My Bible study devotional today led me down a path that was hard for me to accept at first. But the more I read the passage above, the more I accept it, the more I want it.
I don’t know what God’s plans are for my Husband and I. I don’t like the phrase “everything happens for a reason,” but I truly feel like I had hardened my heart to God so much at that point (before Walker) that it was the only way God could get my attention. It was a tragedy beyond reckoning in my eyes, and yet I still didn’t turn to Him. No, I didn’t turn to Him until months later when we still had not gotten a positive pregnancy test and I was angry enough and hurt enough that I was talking to Him again. It was that night that I turned to God again. Because He was there with me the whole time, and I refused to see Him.
I feel like God used my tragedies and my suffering to catch my attention because that was the only way I would turn to Him fully. God used my suffering to turn me to Him, and in turn, lead me to turn others to Him.
I’m not saying that your grief and suffering isn’t painful. I’m saying that it was never wasted.
Suffering is not a path anyone volunteers to walk. When you first heard the news of your miscarriage, the loss of a pregnancy, or have been unable to conceive at all, you may have felt like the ground beneath you gave way. The dreams you had nurtured began to fade, and your heart started to carry a weight it was never meant to bear alone. In that moment, everything changed—and yet, the world kept moving as if nothing had happened.
Suffering—especially the kind that surrounds pregnancy loss or infertility—often takes place in silence. It is an invisible wound, tucked beneath layers of daily life, responsibilities, and social expectations. For many women, it’s a grief that is hard to put into words. How do you explain the ache for a child you never held? The longing for a positive test that never comes? The hope deferred so many times, you’ve stopped counting?
And yet, this suffering—this journey you never asked to be on—is not without meaning. In God’s economy, pain is never wasted. Grief is not ignored. And loss is not the end of the story.
Throughout the Bible, we see that God never leaves His children in the pit of suffering. Instead, He meets them there. He doesn’t require us to pretend everything is okay. In fact, He invites us to bring our brokenness to Him.
When Job lost his children, his wealth, and his health, he tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell to the ground—not in bitterness, but in worship (Job 1:20).
When David’s heart was overwhelmed with sorrow, he cried out to God with raw honesty, “Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1).
When Jesus faced the anguish of the cross, He prayed with tears and even sweat like drops of blood, pleading, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me…” (Luke 22:42).
Suffering, in Scripture, is not hidden or sugar-coated. It is acknowledged, expressed, and honored. And more importantly, it is seen by God. Your suffering is seen too.
In the world’s eyes, suffering is something to be avoided at all costs. But in the Kingdom of God, suffering is sometimes the place where transformation begins. It is a holy invitation—an opportunity to experience the nearness of God in a way we never have before.
James 1:12 reminds us that those who persevere under trial are not only noticed by God – they are blessed. Not because the trial is easy or painless, but because the endurance it produces draws us closer to the heart of God. And that’s exactly what He did with me. The pain and heartbreak that I am still struggling with today, more than a year later, is being used for something so much greater!
“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial…”
This verse isn’t telling us to rejoice for the pain, but rather to rejoice in what God can do through it. There is a blessing that comes from standing firm when everything in you wants to fall apart. There is a crown of life promised to those who continue to trust God even when life makes no sense.
If you are reading this and wondering how you’re supposed to rejoice when your heart is shattered – read this:
You don’t have to feel strong to be strong in God.
You don’t have to have perfect faith for God to bless your perseverance
You just have to keep showing up!
Keep breathing!
Keep whispering prayers – even if they’re only tears.
That is endurance. And that is holy.
I know in my heart that Jesus is holding my babies. And I have the highest faith that I will be able to hold my babies when my time is here. As much as I wish that I was able to hold them here on earth, and experience motherhood with them, I know that they are safe and I know that they are cared for. And that’s all a mother wants for her children, right?
I know that rejoicing might feel like an impossible concept right now. You might be too numb, too raw, too tired. But the seed of rejoicing is there in you. It is a seed so small, and it is buried. But the seed of rejoicing is not rooted in circumstances – it’s rooted in Christ.
It is the quiet belief that God is still good, even when life isn’t.
It is the whisper of hope that this pain will not last forever.
It is the courage to believe that healing is possible.
It is the faith to trust that joy will come again, even if life looks different that you dreamed it would be.
Psalm 126:5-6 – “Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy. Though one goes along weeping, carrying the bag of seed, he will surely come back with shouts of joy, carrying his sheaves.”
Your tears are not in vain. They are watering something deep and sacred. Something eternal. The seed of rejoicing has already been plated – and one day, whether in this life or the next, it will bloom. I have such strong faith that God has my husband and I right where He needs us to be to fulfill His plans. And I have no doubt that He will bless us when we need it the most.
