Trust and suffering examined
Day 33
by Gini Crawford, MSW
God's love overcame suffering
Trusting God at times is easier said than done, isn't it? A friend of mine had a son die from an overdose, so can struggle with trusting God now. I think it is important to talk about how we can wrestle with trusting God. This is because some trials cause great suffering and God is sovereign over everything, including what happens to us, so this makes us think and feel some of God's decisions are unloving. Do you find it hard to trust God loves you because of some happenings in your life?
The truth is God never wanted us to suffer, but instead to give us His grace or favor (John 1:14-18). Jesus wept because people were suffering (John 11:33-35). We need to remember, God's love for us caused Him to suffer for us. Jesus' suffering took away hell from us and guaranteed that our suffering had eternal benefit. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18; 1 Peter 2:21, 24).
As I write today's devotional, a merciless terrorist group, Hamas, attacked the Israelis. They attacked events and homes to capture or kill. This is one story I heard: A mother and father realized what was happening and quickly made their two babies safe in a back closet. The parents were determined to save their twins, so they stayed in the front of the house. The parents were found dead hours later by an Israeli rescue group. The twins were miraculously alive. Did love propel the parents to sacrifice to save their kids? Yes, of course. We are God’s children. He sacrificed His own Son's life, so we could have life as well as life eternal without suffering. Did love propel God to save us? You know the answer.
Consider this: Don't limp through your life starved for love because you haven't learned to trust in God's love for you. I have found, believing that God loves you and then trusting in that fact, allows God's full measure of love to embrace you and empower you to live for Him. Do you trust in God's love for you? (Psalm 52:8).
Our world is held in sin
Let me share a few ideas that might give you wisdom about "why suffering":
Remember, God did not create us for pain and suffering but for fellowship with Him as well as joy and pleasure. It is obvious that sin brought suffering into the world (Genesis 1:26–2:25, 3:1-19, 4:1-16).
God set up the laws of Physics to govern our world. Unfortunately, when the law of cause and effect was burdened with sin, awful effects started happening, such as hurricanes, blizzards, floods, earthquakes, etc. Can He stop any law He chose to create? Yes. However our survival depends on the laws of Physics functioning. Just think of the law of gravity.
Everyone's free will affects our lives. We don't sin in a vacuum. Every sin, either ours or someone else's, affects us and everyone. Quite a bit of our suffering is caused by others sinning: A neighbor telling lies about you makes people avoid you. A guy gave fentanyl to my friend's son so he overdosed. Yes, God could stop that person from hurting you, but where would He draw the line in stopping people's free will? If He had not given Adam and Eve a free will, you would not have one either. I believe God does stop a lot of disastrous things from happening to us: A father miraculously saved his wife and kids by becoming a human shield at their door during a terrorist attack and lived. My three kids were walking ahead of me when I saw a drunk driver miss them by inches. I could go on. The effects of sin have just kept mushrooming since Genesis chapter three, and cause physical, psychological, societal, environmental and spiritual problems and struggles.
Life Application
God is good and works good in our lives
God knew evil would wrap its tentacles around the world, but because of His love and sovereignty, good still triumphs (James 1:16-17). God takes our suffering and uses it for good in our lives and other's lives. A situation that is so awful for us may have a very good result for many others, such as a Marine dying for our country's freedom. A good example of this in the Bible is the story of Joseph in Genesis - the evil done to Joseph, God used for the good of millions of people.
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. / And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Genesis 50:20; Romans 8:28 ESV®
When trauma or hard things happen to me, my family, friends, in my country or the world, I trust in the promise that God works all things for good and that the good has eternal results. So I pray for God's eternal good to be shown and done in those trials and tribulations. God is working every moment of every day for your good. So bring Him all your struggles, fears, troubles and traumas. Do you pray for God's good to happen in your trial or the trials of others?
God's decisions aren't made by some wild man, but are made through the understanding and wisdom that created us and loves us. His decisions are made from an eternal perspective, not from a human perspective. He knows which trials will bring the best eternal good for us! We need to take Paul's attitude towards suffering who wrote 2 Corinthians, that all suffering needs to be looked at from an eternal perspective. Paul suffered a lot for his Christian faith and ministry.
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 ESV®
God has never asked you to do something He has not done through Jesus Christ. Jesus suffered and trusted His Father through it all. Read Psalm 22:8, also Matthew 27:42-43; Luke 22:39-42; John 15:10. So when we suffer, and we do, let's follow Jesus' example and trust ourselves to God.
For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin ... when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. 1 Peter 2:21-25 ESV®
Jesus never asks you to suffer alone. When I think about the hard days I've had in the past, I can see that Jesus helped me through each and every one. Yet, when a new problem comes up, I sometimes wonder if Jesus will really help me this time. Can you relate? You and I need to stop those doubts and trust Jesus. Draw near to His throne of grace knowing we are not alone. Jesus will get us through anything. Read Hebrews 2:16-18; 4:15-16. Share some insights about trusting Jesus from these passages.
Reflect on 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.