All this month, I've been hearing about so much suffering going on all around. Suffering in different countries. Suffering in our country. Suffering in our neighborhoods. Suffering of men, women, and children through violence, abuse, hunger, neglect, and so many other nameless horrors. With all this suffering, you may ask, "How can a loving God allow so much pain and suffering in the world?" You're not alone asking this question. It's a question many have asked going back to the oldest book in the Bible - Job. Job suffered in the most awful way and all so that God could prove to Satan that Job was a man dedicated to God because of his love, not because of the blessing that God bestowed upon Job. Sounds really harsh when you think about the deaths of his children, the loss of all his possessions, and the loss of his health doesn't it?
So why? Why so much suffering? Does God really love us like those Bible thumpers say He does? Yes, yes, and YES! God's love is never ending and unconditional. He loves you more than you can fathom. God's heart goes out to those who suffer in pain and hurt, but many times, the blackness of sin disrupts our connection with God and severs our relationship so that God can only watch helplessly as we wallow in our selfishness. When Jesus died on the cross, he died to grant us total freedom once and for all. We have freedom to chose whether to seek God's face or to seek our own destiny on our own. Each choice we make will either bring us a step closer to his love, mercy, protection, grace, guidance, and salvation or one step closer to independence, vulnerability, darkness, and depravity. God's people suffer just as anyone else, BUT! Yes, but, we suffer knowing that there will be a growing. There will be a newness when the suffering is over. God will never put more on you than you can handle. We do, however, put more on ourselves than we can handle and as a result we lose our minds at times and in extreme cases we take our own lives. Nevertheless, suffering is needed in order to grow. Athletes suffer vigorous training in order to attain peak muscular levels. Soldiers suffer extreme conditions in order to mentally and physically prepare for the horrors of war. Even in nature we see examples like the butterfly who tirelessly pushes out of the cocoon. If we were to remove this process and help that butterfly by cracking the cocoon open, we would doom the creature because the struggle is necessary to force vital blood into the crumpled wings that will enable it to fly.
So how, then do God's people endure this suffering of tragedy and loss? We must seek God's wisdom in all things, good or bad. He promised never to leave us nor forsake us. Millions have held him to that promise and He has always come through for those who have diligently sought him.
Seek him today. Look to Christ because He says, "Come unto me, all that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30
Man O God
Did you really just say that because of sin, your god watches helplessly on as people suffer? Helplessly? Your god doesn't seem very omnipotent to me.
ReplyDeleteHello Dave. One definition of "helpless" according to Merriam-Webster is: "not able to be controlled or restrained" God will not be controlled by our circumstances. Many times we put ourselves into situations and then test God saying, "Look at this mess! If you are truly God then get me out!" God is no respecter of men. He does not bow to our wishes. He does however acknowledge the humble. Those who humble themselves and pray will have God's ear and heart.
ReplyDeleteWhat you've blatantly (and conveniently) chosen to ignore is the fact that plenty of pain, agony, and suffering go on that were not brought upon by "the blackness of sin."
ReplyDeleteA mine which caves in was not the result of sin - only poor construction in many cases. By causing miners to suffer in the caved-in mine, starve, and possibly contract some sort of cancer your god is either telling us that A) it can't be bothered to intervene, in which case it is not benevolent, or B) it deliberately caused the cave-in to "teach us a lesson," in which case it is definitely malevolent.
In other words, bad things happen all the time which are no fault of anybody's. Natural disasters are an excellent example. Why wouldn't your god rescue somebody who's been covered in heavy rubble after an earthquake or tornado?
Hi again Dave. By the way, thanks for your comments. Sadly, you have been more responsive than my brothers and sisters in Christ. :(
ReplyDeleteI apologize if you felt I ignored the pain, agony... I didn't ignore it intentionally. Actually the Bible says that God brings sun and rain on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45) so that Christians are not exempt from "bad" things. The difference between us is that I have been trained by the Holy Spirit to rejoice in my suffering. I know that He brings all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.
My question to you is this: Why do unbelievers choose to push God out of your schools, your work, your home, and your life, then ask, "Where is God" when "bad" things happen?