He has chosen not to heal me, but to hold me. The more intense the pain, the closer His embrace.

Suffering is arguably God's choicest tool in shaping the character of Christ in us.

There is nothing that moves a loving father's soul quite like his child's cry.

In the Christian faith, God really puts suffering front and center. He doesn't get squeamish about it.

Christianity isn't all that complicated ... it's Jesus.

Anyone who takes the Bible seriously agrees that God hates suffering. Jesus spent most of his time relieving it. But when being healed becomes the only goal - 'I'm not letting go until I get what I want' - it's a problem.

Faith means being sure of what we hope for now. It means knowing something is real, this moment, all around you, even when you don't see it.