In the psalms, there are many verses and contexts dealing with God being a father to the fatherless and a help in time of trouble.

How exactly does the Bible say overall that God operates in the lives of those who are hurting emotionally / physically...does this mean the comfort of salvation or does the psalmist and the other writers of Scripture have a temporary expectation that God will indeed relieve their suffering in this life?

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Joel Batts
Christ Presbyterian Church (PCA) - Memphis, TN

I believe that many would find that the heart sings unbidden while they are working their way through a tough bit of theology with a pipe in their teeth and a pencil in their hand. - CS Lewis

The focus would be joy in God/Christ. Philippians deals with this well. 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 does as well. And Psalms 32 and 51 are classics on restoration from suffering due to sin, and is wonderfully comforting in light of Hebrews 12.

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For the Glory of our King,
Joe Johnson
Slave of Christ, husband, father, Preacherboy at Cornerstone Community Church, Escanaba, MI. and TMS graduate. Personal website - SoundLife.org

I do not know, and I do not say, that a person cannot believe in Revelation and in evolution, too, for a man may believe that which is infinitely wise and also that which is only asinine. ~ CHS

Joel I believe Christian experience from the beginning of time bears out that not only in the world to come, but in this life we can expect to see God's comfort. I think He does this by giving us times of relief in circumstances or simply by His spirit in our struggling spirits, and by sustaining us supernaturally when we are overwhelmed. Often we do not see this relief right away: our lives do come to resemble the pattern of Christ's not just in one trial here and there but in the whole pattern of trial -- who spent two days in the grave before God raise Him up. God does often delay, conforming us to the image of Christ, but He never forgets to deliver His children. Not just in heaven but on earth we can say not just in anticipating but in many retrospects that we had fainted unless we believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

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Heidi
Indianapolis, Indiana

Patience must dwell with Love, for Love and Sorrow
Have pitched their tent together here:
Love all alone will build a house tomorrow,
And sorrow not be near. -Christina Rossetti

There are, in this life's trials, little divine "warm fuzzies": these are particular divine providences through which our Father speaks to us, saying "I'm in control; you may not like it or understand it, but I'm here walking with you and seeing you through."

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Mary Vanderkooi
Kale Heywott Church (KHC)
Soddo, Ethiopia