# What does the Bible say about suffering? > What the Bible says about suffering — Scripture-cited verses on present pain, future glory, endurance, and God’s restoring work, plus a next step you can take. Source: https://www.lumin.faith/what-the-bible-says-about/suffering By Andrew Kittridge, Founder of Lumin · August 13, 2026 · Updated October 2, 2026 Verses are chosen for the question being asked. Scripture on this site is quoted from the Lumin Translation, the same text as the public reader and the iPhone Bible tab: Lumin’s own translation, drafted with AI from the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, checked verse by verse against them, and approved by Lumin. Glosses in answers are original summaries, not a second Bible. Open the named passage; AI is not the interpreter. [How we cite Scripture](https://www.lumin.faith/about#how-we-cite) Scripture never pretends that faith cancels pain. It names suffering as real, often unjust, and still held inside God’s care. The Bible does not offer a formula that explains every wound; it offers a God who stays, a hope that outlasts the present ache, and a people called to bear one another’s burdens. - [Make room to pray](https://www.lumin.faith/pray.md) - [Ask with Scripture you can open](https://www.lumin.faith/ask.md) - [A Christian prayer app when words are hard](https://www.lumin.faith/christian-prayer-app.md) ## Bible verses about suffering - **[Romans 8:18](https://www.lumin.faith/read/romans/8#18)** — Present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory still to be revealed. - **[2 Corinthians 4:17](https://www.lumin.faith/read/2-corinthians/4#17)** — Momentary affliction is preparing an eternal weight of glory beyond comparison. - **[James 1:2-4](https://www.lumin.faith/read/james/1#2)** — Trials can produce endurance, and endurance a finished, steady faith. - **[1 Peter 5:10](https://www.lumin.faith/read/1-peter/5#10)** — After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace will restore, confirm, and strengthen you. - **[Romans 8:28](https://www.lumin.faith/read/romans/8#28)** — God works all things together for good for those who love him and are called according to his purpose. - **[2 Corinthians 1:3-4](https://www.lumin.faith/read/2-corinthians/1#3)** — The God of all comfort comforts us in every affliction, so we can comfort others. - **[Psalm 34:18](https://www.lumin.faith/read/psalm/34#18)** — The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. - **[Hebrews 4:15-16](https://www.lumin.faith/read/hebrews/4#15)** — Jesus can sympathize with our weaknesses, so we can approach God’s throne to receive mercy and grace in time of need. ## Highlighted verse > For as I see it, the sufferings of this present time are not worthy of comparison with the glory that is going to be revealed to us. > > — Romans 8:18 (Lumin Translation) ## Reflection The Bible does not rush people through grief or tell them to be grateful for the wound itself. It places suffering on a longer timeline: this present time is not the last word. Endurance is not numbness; it is staying with God and with honest people while the story is still unfinished. ## One next step Name one place the pain is still unfinished. Read Romans 8:18 slowly, then tell one trusted person what you are carrying instead of explaining it away. ## FAQ ### What is a key Bible verse about suffering? Romans 8:18 places present pain on a longer timeline: it is not worth comparing with the glory still to be revealed. 1 Peter 5:10 promises that after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace will restore you. ### How should Christians walk through suffering? Stay with God and with honest people while the story is unfinished. Do not explain the wound away. Endurance in Scripture is not numbness; it is refusing to quit the God who stays. ### Does suffering mean God is punishing me? Not as a rule. The Bible knows unjust pain, shared groaning, and a God who restores. Some suffering is the fruit of sin; much of it is not a verdict you are meant to decode alone. Bring it to Scripture and to wise counsel. ## Related questions - [What does the Bible say about grief and mourning?](https://www.lumin.faith/what-the-bible-says-about/grief.md) - [What does the Bible say about hope?](https://www.lumin.faith/what-the-bible-says-about/hope.md) - [What does the Bible say about healing?](https://www.lumin.faith/what-the-bible-says-about/healing.md) ## Related guides - [Make room to pray](https://www.lumin.faith/pray.md) - [Ask with Scripture you can open](https://www.lumin.faith/ask.md) - [A Christian prayer app when words are hard](https://www.lumin.faith/christian-prayer-app.md) --- Ask, Bible Coach, Pray, and Sermon Week are the four jobs in Lumin. The app is for iPhone and iPad. App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lumin-bible-ai-companion/id6754889412 Ask on the web: https://www.lumin.faith/app Browse answers: https://www.lumin.faith/answers.md