Does God send suffering? This is a big question for us to tackle. The best place to go is to the Word of God.
I know from the Word that the enemy, (the devil, Satan, ole’ Lucifer, the deceiver, father of lies, etc.), this accuser, is only allowed to put things in our pathway as God gives him liberty.
He has power on this earth, but only as much as God will allow him to have. As in the case of Job, God would not allow Satan to take his life. “And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.” Job 2:6.
Peter tells us that Satan goes about as a roaring lion “seeking whom he may devour”. 1 Peter 5:8. He is not content to leave us as we are, but will do everything in his power to get us “over on his side”.
If we believe God loves us, and of course we do, we also know He chastises, or corrects us, to help us learn and grow. Let’s look at this in the book of Hebrews:
“For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives.”
“Scourge” here is defined as “…to punish with severity; to chastise; to afflict for sins or faults, and with the purpose of correction.” (KJV dictionary)
“…For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:6-11.
Just as an earthly father would correct his children, so does our Heavenly Father correct those whom He loves.
Do our physical ailments and conditions mean that God is chastising us? Even punishing us for something that we have done or that our parents have done?
Look at the story of the blind man that Jesus healed:
“Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.” John 9:1-3 NKJV.
Jesus then spits on the ground, makes a paste of the mud, puts it on the blind man’s eyes and tells him to go wash in the pool of Siloam. When he obeys, he is instantly healed of his blindness.
But Jesus makes it clear that the blind man has done nothing wrong, better yet his handicap is used for the glory of God! When he is healed, it is then a great testimony to the power of God.
The blind man did not sin. His parents didn’t sin; they had nothing to do with this man’s blind condition. Here, Jesus makes it plain that He is going to use this man’s handicap as an opportunity to work a miracle.
This man’s blindness was not a punishment from God any more than cancer, heart ailments, high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, etc., is to us today.
Yes, God has control over our sicknesses, He can take them away in a moment if He so desires.
From the book, Walking with God through Pain and Suffering, Tim Keller shares, “Some suffering is given in order to chastise and correct a person for wrongful patterns of life (as in the case of Jonah imperiled by the storm), some suffering is given not to correct past wrongs but to prevent future ones (as in the case of Joseph sold into slavery), and some suffering has no purpose other than to lead a person to love God more ardently for himself alone and so discover the ultimate peace and freedom.”
If you are struggling with an illness or handicap, do not despair or even be discouraged. God has not forgotten you, He has not rejected you, nor WILL HE EVER! He can use your disability or short term illness for His Glory and you will be blessed beyond measure through the process.
Learning to trust Him, to lean upon Him and depend on Him for your very breath will find you at His feet. That is a most wonderful place to be!
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Praying for you today, Liz! God is near and will never forsake you even when we do not understand what we “see”. Much peace friend. ♥
Blessings, Liz…my prayer is for you today that God will send peace in your difficulty. He is an on-time God!!
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Another fantastic post! Thank you!
Angie
PS – Did you get the code for the CLIMB blog hop? I have you down as cohosting today June 9th.
Thank you so much for this. I have been going through an extremely hard time and need to be brought back to God and the peace he offers. Thank you.
I think the U.S. culture has so tried to prevent our youth from being challenged – that they sometimes create their own drama – because their spirit cries out to grow – and it cannot grow unless sharpened. While I certainly don’t want anyone to suffer – I do believe that the challenges I have faced have drawn me closer to God – because I wouldn’t have know how to get there otherwise.
My first Bible study ever was on the topic of God’s discipline and how he only disciplines His children (like a good Father). It may begin with a rebuke from His word, you know that feeling of conviction when you read the Bible like it is speaking just to you! Then if the believer doesn’t heed these gentle warnings, the discipline intensifies till we get to chastening or scourging. I have seen this in my walk with God. He has to do drastic things to get my attention at times.
Nanette this was said with excellence! Soooo many people need to read this. Please keep putting it out there. It was a blessing to read
This is so inspiring! Love this quote: “But some things are allowed, or given to us, to make us stronger, or to help point others to Christ.” Thank you for sharing with us at Wake Up Wednesday Linky Party! God bless 🙂
Suffering, sickness and pain are part of the curse caused by the fall – and yes the Devil is the author of all that hurts, steals, and destroys. Some believe God sends the floods, tornadoes, fires etc as punishment against wickedness. I hate to think so, but then I am not the one who knows it all. Some problems come upon us from our own negligence and sinful living and perhaps ignorance how to take better care of ourselves. I do wish all who were sick would be make whole, for it is in the package of Salvation, and there are many questions as to why we are not healed. Our bodies age and each decade seems to slow us down a bit more, and our frail tents will one of these days fold. I am so glad we have a place prepared for us. Thank you for sharing your awesome post with us here at “Tell Me a Story.” At: http://letmetelluastory.blogspot.com/
Visiting this week from TELL ME A TRUE STORY. All for HIS Glory. Amen. 🙂
Visiting from UNITE. I always enjoy reading your posts. This one did not disappoint. He uses everything for our good and His glory! Donna
Love that God uses all that He allows in our lives to encourage us and to point others to Christ. While we don’t always know the specific reasons for specific suffering, this fact gives me hope in the middle of pain. Thanks for sharing with Testimony Tuesday today, friend!
God seems to be leading me to books and articles that I need to hear these days. I miscarried baby number two almost two weeks ago, and my heart still aches. Thank you for the wonderful reminder that God has a purpose when allowing suffering. He will bring something good out of this.
Ah, that constant question – Where does suffering come from? I love what you’ve said about the subject. Very wise words indeed. I have found that if I spend too much time trying to figure out where it’s coming from and why, I sometimes get trapped in negative and unhealthy thoughts. The enemy would have me go in one of two directions: 1) The suffering came from God – (leading to stuff like, “Why is He punishing me?” – which can lead to resentment or bitterness) OR, 2) The suffering came from the devil – (leading to, “Why doesn’t GOD do something about it?”)
I am trying to let go of unfruitful thinking in this area. Where does it come from? I may not know in this lifetime. But the better questions are, what am I going to do about it? And to whom am I going to turn?
In all of it, it has to be all about God…
GOD BLESS!
I think a lot of the suffering in the world is because we live in a sinful environment. I do not believe that God brings on suffering, but He will allow it, as it works according to His will. It’s hard to explain to people sometimes why a loving, good God would allow such suffering. But when we come to a place where we can fully trust Him, even in the suffering, and say “Thy will be done”, it helps us through it. Blessings!