Thought for the Day:
I was talking
with someone the other day about the pain and suffering their spouse is
enduring. The natural response is for us
to cry out to God, “Why are you allowing this?
Why don’t you stop this pain?” It
is hard to watch a loved one suffer; and there are no easy answers to our
distress. I do like what I read this
morning…
“God is
accomplishing this not in spite of suffering, agony, and loss but through it—it
is through the suffering of God that the suffering of mankind will eventually
be overcome and undone. While it is
impossible not to wonder whether God could have done all this some other way—without
allowing all the misery and grief—the cross assures us that, whatever the
unfathomable counsels and purposes behind the course of history, they are
motivated by love for us and absolute commitment to our joy and glory.”
“So
suffering is at the very heart of the Christian faith. It is not only the way Christ became like and
redeemed us, but it is one of the main ways we become like him and experience his
redemption. And that means our
suffering, despite its painfulness, is also filled with purpose and usefulness.”
[Timothy Keller, Walking with God through Pain and Suffering].
It is hard
not to wonder and ask God, “Why?” We
struggle with suffering and pain because by definition God could stop it and eradicate
it from our daily lives. But He does
not. It seems to us that He is silent
and uncaring as He watches us suffer. I have the feeling that it isn’t easy for
Him to watch what we go through either.
The picture in my mind is when my wife and I stood helpless by when our
daughter was about 18 months old and was hospitalized. She cried out indignantly as the nurse drew
her blood. As a parent her every cry
sounded like an accusation in my ears. “Stop
this pain! Why aren’t you doing
something! Don’t just stand there! How can you allow this to be happening to me!”
We had to stand by and watch because we knew
her pain had a greater purpose. It was
accomplishing something that she needed and we couldn’t stop it without harming
her. At the time, there was no way for
our daughter to understand what her suffering was accomplishing. It was something she had to endure and it
tore at our hearts to watch it happen.
Knowing that
God loves us, I have to conclude that although it is unknown to me, there is a
reason that God allows pain and suffering in our lives. It is contrary to everything that I know about
Him to think that God just doesn’t care enough or is impotent so that He is
unable to do anything about it. I
probably could never understand the reasons; but I trust God enough to know
there is nothing He can do because somehow, some way, the pain and suffering in
the world has a purpose. It isn’t much
to cling to when we or a loved one goes through a fiery trial; but it is
enough.
So in whatever
you are facing or whatever you are enduring, recognize that God loves you and
desires the best for you (and for each one of us). Trust Him despite your lack of
understanding. The reality is that He is
fully aware of how awful painful suffering is to endure. His Son, Jesus Christ, suffered and died in a
most painful manner. He watched and
stood by and did nothing because there was a higher purpose. It doesn’t make it easier; but it helps to
make it bearable.
Hang on and
believe!
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