Emotional aspects of suffering

Causes of emotional suffering

A sense of injustice

Psalm 119:53 KJV 1900

Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked That forsake thy law.

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Frustration

Job 19:8 KJV 1900

He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, And he hath set darkness in my paths.

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Loss

Genesis 27:34 KJV 1900

And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father.

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Bereavement

2 Samuel 18:33 KJV 1900

And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!

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Childlessness

Genesis 30:1 KJV 1900

And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.

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Parting from loved ones

Acts 20:38 KJV 1900

Sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto the ship.

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Spiritual loss

Luke 13:28 KJV 1900

There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.

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Great fear

Genesis 45:3 KJV 1900

And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.

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Guilt

Matthew 27:3–4 KJV 1900

Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.

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Emotional suffering in the Lord’s work

Jesus Christ’s suffering

Isaiah 53:3 KJV 1900

He is despised and rejected of men; A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: And we hid as it were our faces from him; He was despised, and we esteemed him not.

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The apostles’ suffering

2 Corinthians 11:28–29 KJV 1900

Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?

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Expressions of emotional suffering

Sadness

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Weeping and groaning

Jeremiah 9:1 KJV 1900

Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, That I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!

Joseph wept as he saw his brothers again:

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Covering the head and going barefoot were also signs of sorrow; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; Peter wept bitterly after disowning Jesus Christ;

Anger

Jonah 4:1 KJV 1900

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.

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Bitterness

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God’s response to the emotional suffering of believers

He comforts them

2 Corinthians 1:3–4 KJV 1900

Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

He has delivered them through Jesus Christ

Isaiah 53:4 KJV 1900

Surely he hath borne our griefs, And carried our sorrows: Yet we did esteem him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.

Jesus Christ gives them rest

John 14:1 KJV 1900

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

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There is no suffering in heaven

Revelation 21:4 KJV 1900

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

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The proper response of believers to emotional suffering

Assessing the problem before God

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Controlled emotion before God

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Prayer

Hebrews 5:7 KJV 1900

Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

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Continuing to do what is right

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