Perseverance & Suffering

Scripture doesn't pretend suffering is easy. From Habakkuk's raw complaint to Paul's thorn in the flesh, the Bible has a theology of pain — and it's more honest than most sermons let on.

Studies in This Series

What the Bible Says About Enduring

The Bible gives suffering a lot of room. A large share of the Psalms are laments, Job argues with God for dozens of chapters, and Lamentations is a whole book of grief. That does not mean Scripture treats pain as pointless. Paul writes that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance produces character, and character produces hope (Romans 5:3 to 4). James tells believers to consider it pure joy when they meet trials, because the testing of faith develops perseverance (James 1:2 to 4). The point is not that pain is good. It is that God can work in it.

Honest Questions Are Allowed

Habakkuk's book is the anchor of this series because it models honesty. He asks "how long" and "why," and God answers him. Jeremiah 12:1 and Psalm 73 voice similar questions about the prosperity of the wicked. Psalm 13 opens with four "how long" questions and ends in trust. These passages show that faith and doubt can sit in the same prayer, and that bringing a hard question to God is a form of worship.

Grace in Weakness

Paul's thorn in the flesh, mentioned in the lead above, is the other major passage in this theme. In 2 Corinthians 12:7 to 10 he asks three times for it to be removed and is told, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness." He does not receive the healing he asked for, but he receives something that changes how he understands his weakness. Hebrews 12:1 to 3 completes the picture by pointing to Jesus, who endured the cross and sits at the right hand of God.

Suffering and the Community of Faith

Scripture rarely pictures endurance as a solo effort. Paul tells the Galatians to bear one another's burdens (Galatians 6:2), and he describes God as the One who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others with the comfort we received (2 Corinthians 1:3 to 4). Hebrews 12:1 describes believers as surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, people whose faith held when the outcome was uncertain. Habakkuk wrote his final song for the choirmaster and meant it to be sung with others, a point the third study picks up.

What This Series Does Not Claim

These studies do not offer a formula that explains every hardship, and they do not tell anyone that pain is an illusion or that faith will remove it. Job's friends tried to explain his suffering and God rebuked them for it (Job 42:7). The series stays close to what each passage actually says, which is often less tidy than we would like and more honest than we expected. If you are in a hard season right now, take the studies slowly and read the passages for yourself.

How to Use This Series

The three current studies follow one book from start to finish. Read Habakkuk 1 first, then watch or read God's Answer to Suffering. Move to Habakkuk 2 for the watchtower and the vision, and finish with Habakkuk 3:17 to 19 for the closing song. The whole book is only three short chapters, so reading it straight through before you begin the studies will take only a few minutes.