Coal Mining Accident Kills 29
Floods Destroy Lives and Homes in Midwest
Man Kills Girlfriend over Love Triangle
Tornados Leave Path of Death in Alabama
5 Family Members Die in Plane Crash
Physician Arrested for Abusing Young Patients
Suicide bomber Kills 24 in Afghanistan
Star High School Athlete dies on Field
Drunk Driver Kills 2 On Sidewalk
Cancer claims Popular Teacher
These are headlines that we can see in a half-hour news show or a 5 minute perusal of a newspaper! Day after day the drumbeat of death and suffering continues.
But there is more, a lot more. The headlines don’t say:
Widow Struggles With Tears Each Day
Girl Heartbroken As Boyfriend Kicks Her Out
Three Children Confused As Father Leaves
Man Depressed After Losing Job
Schizophrenia Afflicts Man, Family Despondent
Mother Wants to Run Away From Hyperactive Child
Childless Couple Quietly Endure Years of Heartache
Woman Feels Abortion Guilt 20 Years Later
Family Grieves Loss of Loving Grandfather
Boss Makes Job Misery Each Day
Wife Despairs over Husband’s Alzheimer’s
Man Carries Disappointment of Failed Life
Teen Feels Rejected By Friends
Cancer Victim Fights Losing Battle All Day
Woman Tired of Dealing With Angry Spouse
Woman Feels Daily Loneliness of Single Life
Man Incapacitated From Back Pain
Man Bears Scars From Cruel Parents
Child and Family Afflicted by Autism
Family Suffers Crushing Grief Over Loss of Child
And the headlines don’t usually report your suffering, your grief, your heartache, or your struggles. The question that screams out is “Why?” Why is there suffering? Why does it seem so unfair? Why doesn’t it stop? Why, if God is so loving and all powerful, doesn’t He do something about the suffering? Why doesn’t he stop my suffering?
God doesn’t answer all our questions about suffering in the Bible. But I believe, and millions have found, that God gives enough information, and more importantly, enough inspiration to deal with the suffering in the world and in our lives. Here are ten important truths about suffering from the Bible:
1. The Scriptures do not ignore suffering as most of the leading figures in both the Old and New Testament experienced great suffering. One book of the Bible (Job) deals exclusively with the question of suffering.
2. Suffering began when sin (rebellion against God, which takes many forms) entered the world. Sin is the cause of suffering and death. When sin entered into the world, somehow it corrupted the world so that nature doesn’t work like it was fully designed, and people don’t do as God intended. Sin has a warping quality and nothing or nobody is unaffected.
3. We experience suffering as a result of living in a fallen, sin-sick world: accidents, floods, earthquakes, physical and mental disease, death.
4. We experience suffering from ourselves and from other fallen (sinful) human beings: war, hunger, divorce, abuse, murder, lies, greed, pollution.
5. God himself (in Jesus) experienced great suffering: rejection, abandonment, betrayal, false accusations, beatings, torture, was nailed to a cross and left to a slow agonizing death. He truly suffered physically, emotionally and spiritually.
6. As the Son of God, Jesus also took upon himself God’s judgment (God’s anger and punishment) for the sins of the world. Every sinful thought, word or deed was placed upon this Innocent One, and He paid the price for it all. He truly suffered spiritually as the sacrificial Lamb of God (as he is called in the Bible).
7. Because Jesus on the cross has taken the punishment for our sins, we can know for sure that our suffering is not punishment from God for our sins. In some circumstances, we may have to bear earthly consequences resulting from our sins or even the sins of others. But these consequences, no matter how difficult, are without a doubt, not punishments from God. Jesus willingly, out of love for us, endured all the punishment earned by our sins.
8. As we love God and are faithful to Him, He promises to bring good from our suffering. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). In the midst of suffering, this may seem hard to believe, but I have seen it time and time again. After all, if God can bring good out of the terrible suffering of Jesus, He can bring good out of the suffering of my life and yours.
9. God understands our suffering. Jesus knows what suffering is all about and we receive immense comfort from the Innocent One who suffered for us.
10. All suffering will be removed in heaven. One of my favorite Bible verses portrays God in heaven in this way: “...and God shall wipe every tear from their eyes. " (Rev. 7:17)
For those who do not trust God, suffering serves absolutely no purpose and leads to great despair. The answer that God gives about suffering sometimes may not seem enough, but His answer is far better than the silence and hopelessness that unbelief gives.
There is more that God tells us in the Scriptures about suffering. God doesn’t answer all our questions. But Jesus, the One who suffered for us still helps us in our sufferings, and He promises one day to remove all our sufferings.
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