Why does God allow suffering? The answer that may be hard for us to hear and receive is that God’s intent was never for us to suffer or die. God even provided guidelines meant to protect us from such consequences. So, did something go wrong? Well, in a manner of speaking, absolutely! When man rebelled against God, sin entered into the world and with it affliction, suffering and death.
When this happened God simultaneously provided a rescue plan for us through His son Jesus. Through Christ the separation from God that occurred because of sin is now repaired, restoring and reuniting us with the Father when we accept the work that Jesus accomplished for us when He died on calvary. Although we must still walk and live in a fallen world, we can now do so with the full resources of the Holy Spirit.
Although it was never God’s heart to allow suffering, He sovereignly uses it to show His power in our weakness, make us stronger through our enduring and empower us to help others through our experiences.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (ESV) encourages, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
Rest assured, even though suffering was never God’s desire for us, He wasn’t caught off guard by it. He uses all things, good and bad for His purposes and our ultimate benefit as Romans 8:28 (ESV) recounts, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
[Prayer]: God, help me to better understand and accept your heart and plan for suffering in this world. Enable me to partner with your design as you craft all things for my good, and use me to help others as they go through their struggles. In Jesus mighty name. Amen.
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