We Desire Liberation from Suffering, but God Desires Our Surrender in Suffering

We live in a culture that prizes quick solutions. With just a click, we expect problems to be solved and burdens to be lifted. Yet the life of faith does not always work according to this pattern. For the Christian, suffering often lingers, prayers seem unanswered, and the way forward remains hidden. In such moments, the temptation is strong to believe that God’s love is proven only when our problems are resolved.

But Scripture teaches us otherwise. We desire liberation from suffering, but God desires our surrender in suffering. Through surrender we are transformed; and in transformation we encounter God himself as the greatest gift. Obedience is the key that opens us into this deeper relationship. As Jesus declared, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23). This reflection invites us to consider obedience as the pathway to experiencing God in the midst of suffering, where his Word becomes both instruction and illumination for our journey.

Obedience, the Word, and the Presence of God in Suffering

God does not merely desire the resolution of our problems. What he seeks above all is our obedience. We long for circumstances to change, but God longs for us to be changed. As Paul reminds us, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God” (Romans 12:2).

Obedience opens the door to perseverance. It grants us the strength to wait without haste in the face of pain and the courage to walk in the light of the Word even when no answer is visible. James writes, “The testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:3–4).

We often search for shortcuts, but the path of obedience to God is, in truth, the quickest and safest way. God’s will is always fulfilled through obedience. As Samuel declared to Saul, “To obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22). We seek a way out, but God provides a way through.

This is why God has given us his Word. His Word is not a mere text to be read for information; it is divine instruction that shapes us in suffering, heavenly wisdom that points the way even in despair, and the holy key that guides our lives. The psalmist proclaims, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).

The Word does not eliminate suffering. Yet it illuminates the path by which we follow God in the darkness of pain. On that path we hear his voice and encounter not merely solutions but his very presence. Jesus himself promised, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27).

Why Does God Desire Obedience?

When we obey God in the midst of suffering, we encounter not merely his gifts but God himself. We may desire the gift of healing, but God longs to give us the greater gift—his intimate relationship with us. Only through obedience can we taste the depth of his presence. As Jesus said, “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him” (John 14:21).

Christians do not obey in order to be saved. Rather, we obey because salvation has already been given by grace. Paul reminds us, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9). Thus, obedience is not a legalistic burden but the fruit of grace. It is not compulsion but joy, not reluctant submission but the free response of love.

Therefore, even in suffering we can still obey. In the place of obedience, we discover new opportunities to encounter God. Do not be deceived by the world’s lies: the presence of suffering is not the absence of God. As the psalmist declares, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me” (Psalm 23:4). Even when suffering is unresolved, we can believe, we can rejoice, for God himself is the greatest gift to humanity. 

Faith that Clings to God in Suffering

I know—suffering is painful. At times you want to give up, to collapse under the weight of endless pain and broken hope. In those moments, a voice of temptation whispers, like Job’s wife: “Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9).

But lift your eyes to God. Hold fast to his goodness and faithfulness, to the promise of eternal life, and to his abiding presence even now. The psalmist testifies, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18). God is greater than any solution, deeper than any healing. He himself is our most precious treasure. As Paul declared, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8).

Conclusion

We desire liberation from suffering, but God desires our surrender in suffering. Through surrender, we are transformed; and in transformation, we encounter God himself as gift. Obedience is the key to this deeper relationship. Obedience is not the shortcut to solving our problems; it is the way we experience God’s presence in the midst of them. The Word does not remove suffering but illuminates the path of faith through it. Obedience is not a legalistic requirement but a grace-filled response to salvation already received. In suffering, obedience becomes the doorway to intimacy with God, reminding us that the greatest gift he gives is not the absence of pain, but the presence of himself.