Following one of his regular treasure hunts inside the sofa cushions, my 9-year-old recently ran up to me, holding his loot in the form of a crumpled dollar bill. As I responded to his excitement, I saw my 7-year-old’s face out of the corner of my eye. I knew what was coming next. “That’s not fair!” she exclaimed. I bent down, looked into her eyes, and gave the response every mother has given, “Well baby, life isn’t fair.”

And it’s not.

We all have dreams for our lives. We plan and work and scrimp and save, but financial struggles still hit. We have friends and family who we cherish, but relationships still shatter. We love and marry and have children, but families are still torn apart.

Like so many of us, I’ve experienced many broken dreams and times of disappointment. I sometimes find myself shaking the proverbial fist at heaven and channeling my inner seven-year-old: ”But God, it’s not fair.”

The thing is, God’s Word never promised life would be fair. But it does promise that even in seasons of disappointment and trial, God is with us. Whatever curveball life has thrown you recently, find comfort and encouragement in the verses below.

1. When you feel forgotten:
   God is always fair. He will remember how you helped his people in the past and how you are still helping them. You belong to God, and he won’t forget the love you have shown his people.– Hebrews 6:10 (CEV)
2. When you feel your faith is being tested:
   God will bless you, if you don’t give up when your faith is being tested. He will reward you with a glorious life, just as he rewards everyone who loves him.– James 1:12 (CEV)
3. When you’ve lost hope:
   I will bless you with a future filled with hope—a future of success, not of suffering.– Jeremiah 29:11 (CEV)
4. When you need strength:
   But those who trust in the Lord for help will find their strength renewed. They will rise on wings like eagles; they will run and not get weary; they will walk and not grow weak.– Isaiah 41:10
5. When you need to know the pain won’t last forever:
   He will wipe away all tears from their eyes. There will be no more death, no more grief or crying or pain. The old things have disappeared.– Revelation 21:4 (GNT)
6. When you need to worship, in spite of the pain:
   Even though the fig trees have no fruit and no grapes grow on the vines, even though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no grain, even though the sheep all die and the cattle stalls are empty, I will still be joyful and glad, because the Lord God is my savior. - Habakkuk 3:17-18 (GNT)