Overcoming Pain: How to Find Joy and Trust God in Difficult Times

In this episode of 'Out of the Darkness', Ruth Hovsepian discusses the challenges of dealing with pain and suffering while finding joy and peace in Christ. She shares personal experiences of hurt and emphasizes the importance of trusting God's love, even in difficult times. Ruth provides practical steps for leaning on God, inviting community support, and understanding that suffering can lead to growth and deeper faith. The conversation encourages listeners to embrace their struggles and find solace in God's unwavering presence.

Takeaways

• Dealing with hurt is a universal experience.
• God's love remains constant during our darkest moments.
• Trusting God can be incredibly challenging but is essential.
• Pain can lead to profound questions about faith and identity.
• C.S. Lewis described pain as God's megaphone to the world.
• We can take our pain to Jesus, who understands it deeply.
• Sharing our suffering with others can provide strength.
• Our ability to trust God hinges on our understanding of His character.
• Life is a story with many chapters; the current chapter isn't the end.
• Praising God during tough times can shift our focus from pain to His power.

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Transcript

Ruth Hovsepian (00:01.26)
Welcome to another episode of Out of the Darkness with Ruth Hovsepian. If you haven't already, go ahead and make sure that you have subscribed so that you never miss an episode. Today, we're diving into a topic that's close to my heart, dealing with hurt and finding joy and peace in Christ, even during the most difficult times.

Welcome to another episode of Out of the Darkness with Ruth Hufsepian. And if you haven't already, make sure to subscribe so you don't miss the weekly episodes. Welcome to another episode of Ruth Hufsepian.

Ruth Hovsepian (00:45.748)
Welcome to another episode of out of the darkness with Ruth Hovsepian. you you

Ruth Hovsepian (00:55.498)
Welcome to another episode of Out of the Darkness with Ruth Huff -Sepian. If you haven't already, go ahead and make sure that you subscribe so you don't miss any of the upcoming episodes. Today we're diving into a topic that is near and dear to my heart and that is dealing with hurt and finding joy and peace even during the most difficult of times and how we do.

Welcome to another episode of

Ruth Hovsepian (01:33.354)
Welcome to another episode of Out of the Darkness with Ruth Hov sepian And if you haven't done so already, go ahead and subscribe so you don't miss any episodes. Today, we're diving into a topic that is near and dear to my heart, and that is dealing with hurt and finding joy and peace in Christ, even during the most difficult of times. know, trusting God during hard times can be incredibly difficult.

and challenging, but I'm here to tell you today that you are not alone and that it is not impossible. Maybe you've asked yourself, but where is God in my pain or wondered why would a good and loving God allow such hurt to happen in this world? Well, you're not the only one thinking that I wrestled with these questions myself.

You know, I think back in as a teenager, I was probably angry most of the time at God when I was bullied for my size. And then in my twenties, my heart shattered after experiencing multiple miscarriages and my world crumbled again in my thirties when I became a single mom after a painful divorce. And in my forties, I was frustrated because time in and time out I was

missing out on those promotions and in my fifties, I fell into a depression after losing my career and battling a 15 year addiction. We live in a world filled with pain. Just look around. But today I want to remind you that God's love is constant if nothing else is, even during our darkest moments.

His love is greater than any love we could ever experience. As a mother of three adult children, a son -in -law and a daughter -in -law, I didn't fully grasp unconditional love until the birth of my first child. And even though that love pales in compare, as a mother of,

Ruth Hovsepian (03:56.714)
As a mother of three children, a son -in -law and daughter -in -law, I never fully understood what unconditional love was until my firstborn child. Yet even that love pales in comparison to the love that God has for you and for me. Our God is a good and loving father and he created us because he wanted to love us.

In John chapter three, verse 16, we are reminded of that profound love for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. John chapter 15 verses nine to 17, Jesus speaks about remaining in his love, obeying his commands and loving one another.

as he has loved us. It's a love so deep that he calls us his friends and invites us into a relationship with him. As a parent, I wanted to protect my children from every hurt and every disappointment, put them in a box, you know, and protect them with cotton. But the reality is that they would face challenges just as we all do.

And even though we may know Bible verses and be involved in Christian communities, that doesn't guarantee that we won't be experiencing feelings of helplessness, loss, or suffering. You might even feel betrayed by God during tough times. After all, we've been taught that He can change our circumstances.

yet it might feel like he's indifferent to our pain. So how do we move forward toward a God when we feel uncertain about him? C .S. Lewis once described pain as God's megaphone to rouse a deaf world. Suffering has a way of turning our worldview upside down, making us question everything.

Ruth Hovsepian (06:24.792)
When you're hurting, you might ask, why does God allow suffering or how am I going to move forward? These are legitimate questions, but there are deeper ones that can help ground you during your struggles. What is still true of God, even in my pain? Or how about who am I when the things I love or define me are taken abo

taken away? Or what kind of person will I become because of this pain? And finally, who would I be if I had never experienced suffering? The Bible tells us that God is close to the brokenhearted and that Jesus endured suffering so we could know we aren't alone. We can take our pain to Jesus because

He understands our pain and He understands it more deeply than anyone else. But God also encourages us to share our suffering with others, allowing us to experience His presence through the support and care of those around us. When we're not alone, we have more strength and courage.

to face the difficulties that life throws our way. And it's in accepting our situation that we can truly experience God's presence. Our ability to trust God hinges on what we believe about his character. Circumstances change, but God's character does not. Life isn't made up of one moment. It's a story.

many chapters of a story. It's a story and we're characters who can't see the ending or make sense of the plot, but we can trust the author of our story, our Heavenly Father. So look at your circumstances through the lens of God. Let the lens of God's character rather than judging God's character

Ruth Hovsepian (08:49.578)
So look at your circumstances through the lens of God's character rather than judging God's character through your circumstances. Remember how painful your current chapter is. The story isn't over yet.

How do you welcome God into your life, especially when you're hurting? Remember, your suffering isn't a sign that God has abandoned you and doesn't care. He's right beside you, carrying most of the load and allowing only the most crucial challenges for your growth. But you still need to lean into Him and completely surrender your pain.

So you can move through it. Psalm 23, four reminds us, even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid for you are close beside me. Your rod and staff protect and comfort me. God is with us through our challenges, but are we walking that belief out? Sometimes.

We want specific outcomes, but those are based on our limited perspectives rather than God's grand plan. Even when we try to handle things our way, he's there with us, but we need to turn to him and seek his will. Have you ever cried out, why God, why? Or thought, if God loves me.

Why would he let this happen? Maybe you're so hurt or angry that you can't even turn to him. I've been there too.

Ruth Hovsepian (10:52.558)
But I want you to know you are not alone. Your heavenly father already knows how you feel and there's no need to hide it from him. He understands the difficulties of this life. In John chapter 16 verse 33, Jesus says, I've told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakeable.

and assured deeply at peace in this godless world, you will continue to experience difficulties, but take heart. I've conquered the world. Cry out to God in your time of need. Tell him exactly how you are feeling. He knows you're broken. And when you're honest with him, you can begin your journey.

out of the valley. Where do you go from here? First, invite a few trusted friends into your struggles. Be honest with them about what you're going through. Ask them to pray with you. Place your confidence in God's presence. Without him, your difficulties will wear you down. Here are

a few ways to help you through tough times. First, get to know God. Trust works best when you know the person you're trusting. Spend time getting to know God's character, his love, strength, and compassion are infinite. As you deepen your relationship with Jesus, you'll see that no one is more worthy of your trust.

Matthew chapter 11 verses 28 to 30 remind us that Jesus invites us to come to him with our burdens and in his presence we find rest. Put on garments of praise. might be thinking, Ruth, how can I praise God when I'm hurting? But I've learned that praising God even in the darkest times.

Ruth Hovsepian (13:18.062)
shifts our focus from our pain to his power. Isaiah 61 -3 speaks of putting on a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. Praise allows us to wrap ourselves in God's faithfulness and find refuge in him. Three, God has a purpose. It's tough.

But in all circumstances, God is working. Deuteronomy 31, six assures us that God will never leave or abandon us, even in our darkest times. Romans eight 28 tells us that God is orchestrating everything for our good, even when we cannot see it. And for surrender to God, when you feel like you can't take another step. That's.

when you need to surrender everything to God. 1 Peter 4, verse 19 encourages us to trust our futures to a faithful Creator knowing that He is in control.

Ruth Hovsepian (14:44.28)
Friend, these are just a few ways that you can lean into God. Trust Him. He knows your pain. Even before you know what you need, He knows it. Trust Him. Ask those friends to come and pray with you, support you, and be there for you. But at the end of the day, know that God understands and the next chapter will be easier.

for more encouragement and more stories of redemption and how to find your joy and peace in Christ. Subscribe to Out of the Darkness with Ruth Hovsepian And every week we talk about a way that we can draw closer to God. Until next time, God be with you.