The most important thing I can say is to assure you that God hasn’t forgotten you or turned His back on you. God’s promise is clear: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).

Let me be honest: We don’t always know why God allows bad things to happen to us, and when they come it’s easy to conclude He must have abandoned us. And when they do happen, our first prayer is usually for Him to remove them. But we see only part of the picture — while He sees the whole. Sometimes He does remove the problem — but sometimes He doesn’t.

But even when He doesn’t answer our prayers the way we wish He would, He hasn’t turned His back on us. Instead, He may want to give us the strength to endure the problem, or help us find a solution to it. Make these your prayer — and then stand back and see how God will answer. The Bible says, “We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3-4).

Remember: The greatest proof of God’s love for us is Jesus Christ. He endured far more suffering than you and I will ever experience — not just physical suffering, but the spiritual suffering of having all our sins placed on Him. Have you opened your heart to Him? Trust your life into His hands — today and forever.