At Rooted, we love recommending resources that help parents and churches disciple young people in the Word. Sharonda Cooper’s book, Wisdom For Parenting, is a wonderful new resource that combines 25 daily devotions with five weekly group studies for women. We hope you’ll enjoy this excerpt from our friends at P&R Publishing. Use discount code ROOT26 for 40% off when you purchase directly from the P&R Publishing website until April 10, 2026!
I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. (Ps. 121:1–4)
On the same day that I experienced the tremendous joy of welcoming our first baby into the world, I was also confronted with the sorrows and uncertainties of her new home—the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). Around us, babies lay in incubators, their frail bodies connected to machines and monitors. Some of them were fighting just to survive. My baby was the biggest one there. Her brief stint in the NICU was only a precautionary measure, but it reminded me that we are all born into a broken and dangerous world. Our children will each face suffering, and moms need God’s wisdom to prepare before it comes.
As I reflect on my life’s most severe tests of faith, none are so vivid as those involving my children. It’s one thing to prepare for our own suffering, but it’s painful to even imagine it for our kids. This is why it’s so important for us to learn what Scripture teaches about God’s will and his ways long before we face deep trials. D. A. Carson warns that if we fail to understand God as he has revealed himself to be, our faith may prove too emaciated to survive when tragedy strikes.1 And so we need to settle these questions ahead of time: Will we turn to God in desperation or away from him in anger and doubt? Will some calamity in our child’s life wreck our faith, or will we be able to trust God no matter what?
Today’s psalm acknowledges God as the Creator of a good world, where suffering was nonexistent (see Gen. 1:31). The earth was a beautiful place, teeming with vitality and hope, but humanity’s fall changed everything. When Adam and Eve sinned, the ground was cursed, and pain became a normal part of life (see Gen. 3:16–17). Even today, creation still groans over man’s rebellion (see Rom. 8:22). Diseases and natural disasters abound. Relational difficulties continually trouble our lives, and crime ruins our neighborhoods and cities. None of us can fully insulate our children from the harsh reality of living in a sin-struck world. We are regularly confronted with our inability to shield them from harm and direct them toward optimal flourishing. But God faces no such limitations, so we can look to him and his Word for help.
Before suffering comes, we can deepen our knowledge of God’s character so that our confidence in him won’t be shaken by future trials. We can learn now that God is our helper who responds when we lift our eyes to him. We can learn now that God walks with us through life’s journey and will keep us from stumbling when we encounter rocks and thorns along the path. We can learn now that God needs no sleep and is always alert to our circumstances. He sees all things, knows all things, and can protect our children far better than we can.
Suffering is a reality of earthly living, but because God is infinite, not only can he deal with its effects and the troubles it brings, but he alone can deal with its origin—man’s own sin. Though Adam and Eve’s disobedience brought suffering into the world, God, in his loving-kindness, promised a solution. He promised to send a Savior who would rid the world of suffering’s source (see Gen. 3:15). Jesus entered the same dark world we inhabit and faced unfathomable suffering so that we might have access to his infinitely powerful Father (see 1 Peter 3:18). God stands ready to provide the wisdom, comfort, and help we mothers desperately need.
For the rest of this week, we will look at a biblical response to the suffering our kids face, but for now, spend some time meditating on the promises of today’s verses. Before suffering comes, take comfort in knowing that God is able to keep you in his grip and help you stand when you start to fall.
Wisdom Principle
Our help comes from the Lord.
Reflection Questions
- What aspects of earthly living concern you most as a mom?
- Why might we be more anxious about our child’s future suffering than our own? How can God’s wisdom help you prepare for the trials to come?
- It’s impossible for us to fully insulate our children from the world’s dangers. How does meditating on today’s truths encourage you to trust God with your kids?
1. D. A. Carson, How Long, O Lord? Reflections on Suffering and Evil, 2nd ed. (Baker Academic, 2006), 11.
This selection is excerpted from Wisdom for Parenting A Five-Week Devotional Study by Sharonda Cooper. Designed for personal use or group study, Wisdom for Parenting prepares moms at any age or stage to pursue and steward biblical wisdom. Applying theological principles to the joys and challenges of motherhood, Sharonda Cooper equips women to ground their identity in Christ as they dedicate their parenting to him. Used with permission from P&R Publishing.
Use code ROOT26 for a 40% discount when you buy Wisdom for Parenting on the P&R Publishing website until April 10, 2026!
