Weekly Devotion: Why Should I Praise God When I've Suffered Greatly?

By: Jessika Sanders

Why should we praise God when we have suffered greatly?

Psalm 71 is said to be written by King David when his son, Absalom, staged a revolt against him causing David to flee from his throne and from the city of Jerusalem. The psalm is stacked with the king’s raw emotions. 

Feelings of betrayal.

David is being chased and hunted by his own son. 

Feelings of deep pain.

David has lost the kingdom given to him by God.

Feelings of shame.

David, yet again, finds himself retreating to save his life.

Though the psalm is peppered with the processing of complex emotions, it’s also important to note it’s sprinkled with praise.

And that might leave you wondering, why should I praise God when I’ve suffered greatly?

Tucked away toward the end of Psalm 71 is a powerful promise David preaches to himself and to us generations later.

“You have allowed me to suffer much hardship, but you will restore me to life again and lift me up from the depths of the earth. You will restore me to even greater honor and comfort me once again.” -Psalm 71:20-21 NLT

David acknowledges his pain and suffering. He acknowledges that the sovereign God of the universe, for reasons unknown to him, has allowed the trials of his life. And instead of wrestling with the why, in David’s wisdom and older age, we witness a shift.  David chooses to preach the gospel to himself by reminding his weary, downcast spirit that His Lord, His Refuge, His Redeemer, will come to his aid. 

David is confident in God’s unchanging, faithfulness. He is sure that the same God who was, is.

If you’re navigating a high-risk pregnancy, infertility, postpartum depression, a child’s illness or hospitalization, or even the unimaginable loss of a child you may find yourself struggling to understand.

How can a good God allow things that are anything but good?

And why should I praise God in this season?

We want to not only point you to the words of David in Psalm 71:20-21 but also gently remind you of the words of Jesus found in John 16:33 NLT. “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

One day Jesus promises to redeem and restore all that is lost and stolen. In fact, Revelation 21 is packed with the promises of what is to come. God will make all things new. Death, sorrow, crying, and pain will all be gone forever. He will dwell among us and glory and honor will fill the atmosphere. This is restoration. This is the restoration of Eden and all the Lord had originally prepared for us. This is the hope that King David clung to, and this is the hope we can cling to too. And this promise is precisely why we should praise God even when we have suffered greatly!

Sovereign God, You are the Alpha and the Omega. You are faithful and true. You are the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow–and you are good! Walk with me through this valley. Walk with me hand-in-hand through this life. With my whole heart, help me to trust you, Lord. Help me to lean into your promises with the full, unshakeable confidence that in Jesus they are all yes and amen. You will comfort me. You will lift me from this place. You will restore me. In your holy, precious name I pray. Amen.

Dig Deeper into How to Navigate What is Ahead with Real Hope

Reflection Questions:

1. What suffering and hardship are you navigating right now? What are some of the emotions you can identify in this season?

2. Take a moment to search your heart as you reflect on your initial response to the thought of praising God in your suffering.

Put Your Faith Into Action:

In seasons of suffering it’s easy to get swept up in the rising waters. It’s easy to become disorientated in your surroundings. But as followers of Jesus, we want to fix our eyes on Him–our steady, firm foundation and the one who with a word can command the waters to cease.

This week, we encourage you to fix your eyes on Jesus and His promises.

Grab some post-it notes or index cards and write promises of His restoration that await us. Place them in prominent places around your home, car, or workplace so that you will be reminded of Truth in your trial.

Ex: “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” -Rev 21:4

Further Reading:

1 Peter 5:6-10

Revelation 21

Revelation 22

Verse to meditate on and memorize:

Psalm 71:20-21 NLT: “You have allowed me to suffer much hardship, but you will restore me to life again and lift me up from the depths of the earth. You will restore me to even greater honor and comfort me once again.” 

Jessika Sanders is a published writer who has been featured in Proverbs 31 Ministries’ Hope When Your Heart is Heavy devotional (2021), Focus on the Family’s Clubhouse Jr. magazine (2023), and Tyndale’s So God Made a Mother (2023). She is also the co-author of The Good Book Company's, In His Hands: Prayers for Your Child or Baby in a Medical Crisis ( July 2024). Jessika is the Founder and Executive Director of Praying Through ministries.