My groaning is not hid from thee. —Psalm 38:9

One of the strongest and sweetest consolations God gives to His sick and afflicted ones is the assurance that He not only “knows their sorrows” and tenderly sympathizes with them in their griefs, but that the appointment of the trial proceeds from Him, and that its whole course and continuance are watched by Him with infinite love and care.

As a physician keeps his finger on a suffering patient’s pulse, that he may know just the limit to which pain may be safely endured, so does our God hold our right hand while we are passing through the furnaces of trial that lie on our road to heaven, that He may support us through them and bring us forth in due time to praise Him for His comforting and sustaining grace.

Do remember, dear friend, that the God you love, the master you serve, is never indifferent to your grief or unwilling to hear your cry.

In time of trouble, the soul is greatly helped by cherishing great thoughts of God; they are sure to induce great longings after Him, great faith in Him, and great love toward Him.

Pain, whether bodily, mental, or spiritual, is always unwelcome and at first sight wears an aspect that alarms and discomforts us. But it is often an angel in disguise, and many times we have found that, underneath its terrible exterior, there are hidden the tender smiles of God’s love, the gentle discipline of His teaching, and the sweet pity of His marvelous forbearance.

-Susannah Spurgeon

Soli Deo Gloria!