TEXT: JOB 2:1

This is the second message in the series: Tough Questions Concerning the Christian Faith.

Turn on the TV and you’ll see pictures of people killed in an aircraft accident, refugees fleeing a war zone, collapsed buildings due to an earthquake, or a fatality due to someone driving the wrong way down the highway. Sit in the emergency ward of any hospital and you might see a person carried in with a broken leg, a housewife who cut her hand open slicing tomatoes, an asthmatic struggling to breathe, or an old man clutching his chest in agony. Visit the men’s shelter and you’ll find people from all walks of life who are down on their luck. Pop into a police station and you might encounter a distraught parent reporting the disappearance of his child. We live in a world filled with pain and suffering. Which raises a question: Why would a good God allow suffering?

The Anglican theologian, John Stott, said, "The fact of suffering undoubtedly constitutes the single greatest challenge to the Christian faith." Stott makes a good point. While there are reasons why God allows suffering, we don’t have all the answers. We’ll never fully comprehend why suffering exists. We’ll never fully understand why bad things happen to people trying to live a good life. And we’ll never know why God sends joy and prosperity to the wicked (cf. Job 10:2_3).

I don’t have many answers. I don’t know why Rabbi Harold Kushner, the author of Why Bad Things Happen to Good People, had to endure the death of his son to progeria (rapid aging). I don’t know why innocent civilians get their life snuffed out by a terrorist’s bomb. I don’t know why some people have to endure pain beyond their emotional reach (cf. John W. White - Of Wheels and Wings). I don’t know why an innocent young woman gets gunned down in a drive by shooting. I don’t know why God is sometimes difficult to find when we’re desperate (cf. C. S. Lewis - A Grief Observed). I don’t know why we have storms like Hurricane Katrina with the associated death, destruction and despair in New Orleans. I don’t know why some people are quadriplegics. I don’t know why, when someone dies, ". . . the pain of the no more outweighs the gratitude of the once was . . ." Nicholas Wolterstorff. And I don’t know why God sometimes performs miracles on behalf of His people and at other times does nothing to stop a tragedy.

But here are four basic reasons in God’s Word as to why a good God allows suffering [Source: RBC Ministries].

Suffering is the direct result of sin’s entrance into the world (cf. Genesis 3 - The Fall). Suffering exists because sin exists. That’s not to say that all suffering is a result of sin. John 9:1-12 tells the story of a man who was blind from birth and Jesus makes it very clear that the man’s blindness was not a result of sin (cf. John 9:3). And Job suffered even though he was blameless and upright (cf. Job 1:8).

However, there is a good deal of suffering that is a direct result of personal or generational sin. When people sin there are consequences. Disease, disaster, and decay are often due to the effects of sin. Sorrow, grief, and agony are often the by-products of sin. When we rebel against God there is a cost. Sin brings judgment, judgment brings discipline, and discipline comes in the form of suffering.

Listen. God is not unjust or unfair. Some suffering exists to warn us. Some suffering alerts us to the problem of sin. The Christian apologist, C. S. Lewis, said, "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world" The Problem of Pain. Suffering is sometimes God’s way of getting our attention. It’s a signal. It’s His way of saying, "I’m not happy with the sin in your life." It’s like this. Because He loves us, God disciplines us. Because he loves us, God allows suffering to correct us. Hebrews 12:6, 10 says, "For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes those he accepts as his children . . . But God's discipline is always right and good for us because it means we will share in his holiness." (NLT).

Yes, God rebukes and chastens the people He loves (cf. Revelation 3:19). So if you’re experiencing suffering as a result of sin ". . . don't ignore it when the Lord disciplines you, and don't be discouraged when he corrects you" Hebrews 12:5 (NLT). For God disciplines us, i.e. allows suffering, so that ". . . we will not be condemned with the world" 1 Corinthians 11:32 (NLT).

2. To direct us.

In Job 2:10 the question is asked, "Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?" (NLT). Job asks a good question. Suffering is sometimes used by God to redirect the course of a person’s life. It helps us see things more clearly and helps us grow closer to God. Philip Yancey in Where is God When it Hurts? describes the gradual transformation that took place in Joni Eareckson Tada’s life after she was paralysed in a diving accident. He says, "At first, Joni found it impossible to reconcile her condition with her belief in a loving God . . . The turning to God was very gradual. A melting in her attitude from bitterness to trust dragged out over three years of tears and violent questioning." The turning point came when a friend pointed out that Jesus knew how she felt because he had been paralysed by the nails when He was fastened to the cross. Yancey says, "The thought intrigued Joni and, for a moment, took her mind off her own pain. It had never occurred to her that God might have felt the same piercing sensations that now racked her body. The realization was profoundly comforting." Yes, Joni wrestled with God but never turned away from Him. She now refers to her accident as a "glorious intruder" and says it was the best thing that ever happened to her. The apostle Paul made a similar discovery. He was tormented with physical troubles. Then he heard the Lord say to him, "My gracious favour is all you need. My power works best in your weakness" 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT).

Don’t let your circumstances get the better of you. Your response in the face of suffering should be one of faith in the wisdom, power and will of God. He is sovereign and He knows what He’s doing. When Paul heard that God’s grace is sufficient, he reevaluated his situation and ended up exclaiming, "Since I know it is all for Christ's good, I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong" 2 Corinthians 12:10 (NLT).

One more comment on how suffering is used to direct us. Let’s not forget that even though our sufferings may be incredibly heavy or crushing; in the context of eternity, they only last for a short time. That’s not to say that God trivialises your suffering. But He does want you to see it in perspective. This present life isn’t all that there is. 2 Corinthians 4:17 says, "For our present troubles are quite small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever!" (NLT). Living in the context of eternity gives new meaning to suffering. In Romans 8:18 Paul says, "Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later" (NLT). Christians have a magnificent home waiting for them in Heaven. When we die, our sorrows are replaced with everlasting joy. Revelation 21:4 says, "He (God) will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever" (NLT). Isn’t that encouraging? Heaven solves the problem of suffering. Even the cruelest circumstances of life will eventually be wiped away forever.

Norman Geisler and Ron Brooks, in When Skeptics Ask, say, "A world of freedom without evil would actually be inferior to the present world. In this world, men are challenged to do good and noble things and to overcome evil tendencies . . . The highest virtues and the greatest pleasures are impossible to achieve if there is not opposition as a precondition. Courage can only occur when there is a real fear of danger. Self-sacrifice is only noble where there is need and an opposing selfishness to overcome."

During my years as a rugby coach, I pushed the players to do more than they thought they could do. Sometimes they’d collapse and refuse to go on. But I’d keep pushing. I’d say, "No pain, no gain" and continue the training session. Coaches know tough practice sessions produce obvious benefits. While my teams didn’t win all their matches, they certainly won more than their fair share. It’s no different in the game of life. God allows suffering for our benefit. Romans 5:3-4 says, "We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us - they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us . . ." (NLT). Suffering can be beneficial. It forces us to deal with the deeper issues of life. It develops perseverance, character, and hope.

A young mother who lost all her material possessions in Hurricane Katrina recognised that while the process of suffering is painful, the end product can be useful. In an interview with Dateline she said, "What doesn’t kill us will make us stronger." The apostle James also recognised how the hardships of life can make us better people. James 1:2-4 says, "Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything" (NLT).

You know, we all respond in one of two ways to suffering. We become bitter or better. We turn away from God or turn to God. Six tough New Orleans cops were interviewed thirteen days after Hurricane Katrina: They’d all lost their homes but still reported for duty every day. As you can well imagine, their work in the aftermath of Katrina was tremendously challenging. They had to deal with looters, storm an apartment block because a man was firing on them, pluck a lifeless baby out of the water (whom they managed to resuscitate), rescue stranded people, and much more. How did the struggle to survive affect them? All agreed they were praying more than ever before. One of them said, "I fall asleep with my hands together in prayer." Their suffering was used by God to draw them closer to Him.

In the book, Why Us?, Warren Wiersbe says, "God proves His sovereignty, not by intervening constantly and preventing these events, but by ruling and overruling them so that even tragedies end up accomplishing His ultimate purposes." While we don’t always understand suffering, let’s remember who’s on the throne. God uses life for our advantage. He’s working out His plan of redemption. He’s shaping us and our circumstances to bring glory to Himself.

Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them" (NLT).

Suffering reminds us of our need for each other. Canada is a puny nation compared to the States. You’d never think we’d be able to help them. But the States needed Canada in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and we sent planes, ships, and supplies. President George W. Busch recognised the action and publicly thanked Canada and other nations who came alongside the people of Louisiana in their time of need. Some people suffer because they won’t reach out for help - they refuse to allow other people to come alongside them. Pride says, "I can go it alone. I don’t need anyone else." Suffering reminds us that this isn’t true. God loves unity. He loves to see us in community. He’s pleased when we accept help from one another.

Which brings us to an associated truth. Suffering helps us meet the needs of others. 2 Corinthians 1:4 says, "He (God) comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us" (NLT). Don’t ever think that we don’t need each other. We all have something valuable to offer. Galatians 6:2 says, "Share each other's troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ" (NLT).

A final thought in closing . . . Dorothy Sayers in Creed or Chaos, says, "For whatever reason God chose to make man as he is - limited and suffering and subject to sorrows and death - He had the honesty and the courage to take His own medicine . . . He has kept His own rules and played fair. He can exact nothing from man that He has not exacted from Himself. He has Himself gone through the whole of human experience, from the trivial irritations of family life and the cramping restrictions of hard work and lack of money to the worst horrors of pain and humiliation, defeat, despair and death. When He was a man, he played the man. He was born in poverty and died in disgrace and thought it well worth while."

I hope and pray that God has spoken to you today. While I’ve endeavoured to identify, according to the truth of God’s Word, why a good God would allow suffering, I’m painfully aware of the fact that some of you may be in pain right now. A four-point sermon on why you’re suffering, or what to do about it, may have frustrated you intellectually or missed the mark emotionally. One of the great challenges when talking about suffering is the recognition that our best explanations fall short of the mark. Irving Greenberg, a holocaust survivor, said, "No statement on the problem of evil and suffering should be made that could not be made in the presence of burning children." Greenberg’s statement identifies the enormity and gravity of the subject we’ve considered today.

On the other hand, Helen Keller said, "Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it." Keller makes a good point. The best way to close this service is to recognise that suffering can be overcome. God is the faithful healer. "Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope" Ephesians 3:20 (NLT). 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, "But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it" (NLT).

So let’s turn to the Lord. We’re going to provide an opportunity for those who are suffering to get help. You may be needing a hug, someone who’ll cry with you, a listening ear, someone to pray with you, or someone who’ll just sit with you in silence. That’s why you’re here. God’s people are God’s provision in times of suffering. So we’re going to close the service by giving you an opportunity to connect with someone who may be able to help. When I stop speaking, we’ll sing a song. While we’re singing, you’re invited to join me at the altar for a time of prayer, a listening ear, a hug, or whatever . . . Amen.

(L. Murray 2006)