Suffering

Why does God allow good people to suffer? Questions like this often ring in our ears--and in our hearts. In Scripture we are confronted by the inscrutability of suffering. Simplistic solutions melt in the heat of human pain and then evaporate in the presence of Almighty God. The Bible obliterates the deep-seated prejudice that regards all suffering as evidence of individual sin and divine displeasure. Though human sinfulness in general is the root of all suffering, that does not imply that each person who suffers receives precisely what his or her actions deserve. Sometimes the righteous suffer; sometimes God appears to "smile on the schemes of the wicked" (Job 10:3 NIV).

The Word of God encourages us to be authentic in our communication with God. Sometimes we act as though God just is not big enough to handle our anger or disappointment with Him. On the contrary, the Lord welcomes complete honesty with Him (for other examples, see any of the imprecatory Psalms!) Like Jesus on the cross, there may be times when we ought to pray: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mk. 15:34).

The cross of Christ also presents God's final solution to the problem of suffering. God takes our suffering upon Himself in Jesus; the Righteous One bears what He does not deserve so that we who are unrighteous might receive the fullness of grace. We worship a God who does not answer all of our questions, but Who meets our deepest needs by offering Himself, His love and His salvation.

If thankfulness arises through prosperity, that's all well and good. But what are you going to do when the prosperity fails?  If thankfulness springs up through good health, wonderful. But what will you do when disease makes you bedridden? Must you then become angry, depressed or bitter? But now, suppose it is through our Lord Jesus that you cultivate the fine art of thanksgiving, then what? Then money in the bank, however useful, does not have you at its mercy. If you lose it, you can still offer thanks.