Why is this happening and where is God?
"A merry heart does good like a medicine: but a broken spirit dries the bones." -Proverbs 17:22
I was prompted to write about this topic after reading the Facebook status of a dear friend, mentor and pastor who shared of his continued suffering. As a senior adult, he suffers from several health concerns, one of which is severe loss of eyesight. As a pastor (and he continues to pastor well into his 80s), he has to preach from memory at this stage in his life, which is remarkable!
This pastor friend shared that he's been dealing with an issue that kept him from sleep. The part that led me to ask the title question above and to write briefly was his statement that he had prayed for the Lord to bring relief so that he could sleep but the pain continued on through the night and into the following day. He said he would continue to pray for the Lord's healing.
Another story: My grandfather served as a pastor, missionary, and director of missions for decades. At some point in his senior adult years, a lung disease he had apparently contracted while serving as a missionary overseas reared it's ugly head and greatly hindered the once active life he knew before. Eventually, it would be this disease that brought his life to a close.
Finally, there's my wife. My wife suffers from ataxic cerebral-palsy with neuropathy. All of this means that she can't walk without assistance, she has low strength, she has little to no feeling in her hands and feet, and she has random, intense, debilitating muscle cramping episodes with the occasional migraine headache. We do what we can to manage all of this, such as getting up to go to the gym for exercise at 5am every weekday before work, but it has it's limitations.
In each case, and in tons of others, we ask, 'Why is this happening and where is God?'
Whether you're the one in the middle of suffering or you're around someone who is, it gets tough to watch; tough to experience each day - especially when you have to bear that alone. You pray for those you love who are hurting and suffering, or if it's you you pray for yourself as well as having others pray. Sometimes those prayers are answered, and other times nothing seems to happen. There have probably been more nights than not where I have laid there in bed praying to God that my wife's random muscle cramping attacks would cease for the night so she could stop suffering and get some sleep. I'll even admit I pray that it would stop so that I could get some sleep too because it effects all of us (just trying to be 'real' and honest here...).
Suffering doesn't just effect those it's happening to, it effects those who are around it.
Suffering is ugly.
We wish it wasn't a part of life, but God's Word says clearly that suffering is a part of life because of sin (Genesis 3). This world is jacked up and has all kinds of 'messed up' things in it because it's broken and headed for destruction. But God's Word also promises that one day it will all be re-made and suffering will be eliminated.
Many biblical figures knew what it meant to suffer and they suffered in various ways. One individual whose heart is poured out in the midst of suffering was King David. The Psalms are filled with David's prayers and cries to God in anguish while suffering. There were times where David questioned, 'Why is this happening, Lord?' Other times he let the Lord know he was upset, that he was depressed, and that he was at his wits end. But in those troubling times in his life, David also maintained faith in the Lord and he knew that God heard every prayer and that God cared.
"I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and He gave ear to me." -Psalm 77:1
"He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds." -Psalm 147:3
"...A broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." -Psalm 51:7
No one has the answer to the 'Why?' when it comes to specifics. No one on earth truly knows why the Lord spares my pastor friend some days with grace and not others. No one truly knows why the Lord saw fit to allow my grandfather to be physically stricken like Job was, with a physical ailment beyond his control. No one truly knows why my wife suffers some days and others not. Why is this happening and where is God? God knows why they are happening and God is fully aware of them all - the great and the small. But God also never leaves us in our suffering. Somehow, we are given just enough to get through our trials (Psalm 23). And if it's part of the plan for a certain trial to take our lives, as in my grandfather's case, the end result is far greater than anything this life can offer for those who are of the faith - the Father, Christ, and the Spirit whom we gain in eternal glory!
Suffering will happen - guaranteed. But there is an ultimate provision of hope through all trials and that's knowing the Lord Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior. Jesus never said that becoming a believer would allow us to escape suffering. But what He did say was that no matter what happens here on earth, the future New Kingdom will be the destination of all those who believe.
This future hope is how we make it through each trial........with the Lord's help.
I was prompted to write about this topic after reading the Facebook status of a dear friend, mentor and pastor who shared of his continued suffering. As a senior adult, he suffers from several health concerns, one of which is severe loss of eyesight. As a pastor (and he continues to pastor well into his 80s), he has to preach from memory at this stage in his life, which is remarkable!
This pastor friend shared that he's been dealing with an issue that kept him from sleep. The part that led me to ask the title question above and to write briefly was his statement that he had prayed for the Lord to bring relief so that he could sleep but the pain continued on through the night and into the following day. He said he would continue to pray for the Lord's healing.
Another story: My grandfather served as a pastor, missionary, and director of missions for decades. At some point in his senior adult years, a lung disease he had apparently contracted while serving as a missionary overseas reared it's ugly head and greatly hindered the once active life he knew before. Eventually, it would be this disease that brought his life to a close.
Finally, there's my wife. My wife suffers from ataxic cerebral-palsy with neuropathy. All of this means that she can't walk without assistance, she has low strength, she has little to no feeling in her hands and feet, and she has random, intense, debilitating muscle cramping episodes with the occasional migraine headache. We do what we can to manage all of this, such as getting up to go to the gym for exercise at 5am every weekday before work, but it has it's limitations.
In each case, and in tons of others, we ask, 'Why is this happening and where is God?'
Whether you're the one in the middle of suffering or you're around someone who is, it gets tough to watch; tough to experience each day - especially when you have to bear that alone. You pray for those you love who are hurting and suffering, or if it's you you pray for yourself as well as having others pray. Sometimes those prayers are answered, and other times nothing seems to happen. There have probably been more nights than not where I have laid there in bed praying to God that my wife's random muscle cramping attacks would cease for the night so she could stop suffering and get some sleep. I'll even admit I pray that it would stop so that I could get some sleep too because it effects all of us (just trying to be 'real' and honest here...).
Suffering doesn't just effect those it's happening to, it effects those who are around it.
Suffering is ugly.
We wish it wasn't a part of life, but God's Word says clearly that suffering is a part of life because of sin (Genesis 3). This world is jacked up and has all kinds of 'messed up' things in it because it's broken and headed for destruction. But God's Word also promises that one day it will all be re-made and suffering will be eliminated.
Many biblical figures knew what it meant to suffer and they suffered in various ways. One individual whose heart is poured out in the midst of suffering was King David. The Psalms are filled with David's prayers and cries to God in anguish while suffering. There were times where David questioned, 'Why is this happening, Lord?' Other times he let the Lord know he was upset, that he was depressed, and that he was at his wits end. But in those troubling times in his life, David also maintained faith in the Lord and he knew that God heard every prayer and that God cared.
"I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and He gave ear to me." -Psalm 77:1
"He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds." -Psalm 147:3
"...A broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." -Psalm 51:7
No one has the answer to the 'Why?' when it comes to specifics. No one on earth truly knows why the Lord spares my pastor friend some days with grace and not others. No one truly knows why the Lord saw fit to allow my grandfather to be physically stricken like Job was, with a physical ailment beyond his control. No one truly knows why my wife suffers some days and others not. Why is this happening and where is God? God knows why they are happening and God is fully aware of them all - the great and the small. But God also never leaves us in our suffering. Somehow, we are given just enough to get through our trials (Psalm 23). And if it's part of the plan for a certain trial to take our lives, as in my grandfather's case, the end result is far greater than anything this life can offer for those who are of the faith - the Father, Christ, and the Spirit whom we gain in eternal glory!
Suffering will happen - guaranteed. But there is an ultimate provision of hope through all trials and that's knowing the Lord Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior. Jesus never said that becoming a believer would allow us to escape suffering. But what He did say was that no matter what happens here on earth, the future New Kingdom will be the destination of all those who believe.
This future hope is how we make it through each trial........with the Lord's help.
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