Continuing through the story of Scripture, we’ve come to Moses and the burning bush. Yes, we did just skip about forty chapters of Genesis and went from Abraham beginning his journey to the promised land to about 400 years later in Egypt. It’s a long story, but basically, Abraham’s offspring eventually went to Egypt to survive a famine and stayed there. They grew to be the size of a small nation and were eventually enslaved by the Egyptians. And that’s where we find ourselves now.

Moses, an Israelite, has fled Egypt for the sake of his life and left behind his suffering people.

Suddenly, his life is turned upside down when he encounters a burning bush that’s not being destroyed. Many people reading this have probably heard this story 100 times growing up.

Unfortunately, we often miss the comforting message God is giving to us in our suffering through this story.

Three Truths about God that Sustain Us in Suffering

1. God hears us in our suffering (Exodus 2:23-3:7)

The people of Israel cry out to God in their suffering. I imagine many of their cries are out of frustration, anguish, and even doubt. They were likely struggling to believe the promises that were made hundreds of years ago to Abraham. Whether they had great or little faith, God heard their cry, and when He hears His people’s prayers, He responds for their good.

We can count on this promise, too. Jesus makes this abundantly clear in Matthew 7:7-11, for our God is a good Father who will give good gifts to his children. Will you cry to Him in your suffering?

2. God knows our suffering (Exodus 2:25 & 3:8)

But God doesn’t just hear our prayers about our suffering from some far removed location. He knows our suffering, not just intellectually like I know the score of last night’s Knicks’ loss (I would say game, but really, I’m pretty sure I can count on a loss no matter what day you’re reading this).

Anyway, God knows our suffering because He has suffered. The Father knew he would send Jesus to suffer on the cross, and that pained him even 1500 years before it happened. Our God is not one who can’t understand our pain, but he can relate to us in every hurt and temptation we could possibly experience (Hebrews 2:17-18 & 4:15-16).

Draw near to the God who understands perfectly the pain you are enduring.

3. God remains with us in our suffering (Exodus 3:8-15)

Finally, God reveals his great name to Moses in Exodus 3:14: “I AM WHO I AM.” This name, though pretty cryptic at first glance, communicates that God will always remain who He is: good, perfect, and true to his word. It also expresses the idea that He will remain with his people no matter what. These are huge promises for those who are suffering. We have a God we can count on, who will never fail us, and who has proven himself time and again through His Word.

If you’re suffering, remember that God hears, knows, and remains with you in your suffering. Be real in your cry to Him, and trust in His unchanging grace.