Why does God allow suffering?
Sin
Sin’s consequences are separation from the goodness of God. This is usually exhibited by suffering. Hebrews 12:17 speaks of the ordeal of Esau after he exchanged his birthright for a morsel of bread. It says, “Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears. These tears from Esau came after the realization that what he had taken for granted was beyond recovery. The misery that he endured for the sin of compromise was great.
The agony of being apart from God is great. Sin will cause great suffering until repented. It was not for naught the Judas had to hang himself after betraying his Master. David cries in Psalms 32:12 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Why does God allow suffering?
Sovereign Purpose
God is the creator (Elohim) and we are the creatures. He is then at will to do anything He wants with us and through us. This means then that there are moments that we will not fully understand the reasons for His allowing sufferings to fall on believers apart from that He does what He knows is righteous. Deuteronomy 29:29 states The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.
When Job went through great suffering, his friends assumed that they knew the mind of the Almighty by declaring that Job had sinned and that God was punishing him for his sins. Job on the other hand went on the defensive and justified himself to be guiltless to the point of declaring God unjust for punishing a righteous man. When confronted by God about his accusations, Job realized himself to be a fool and God’ wisdom too high for him. He observes in Job 42:3, Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.
There are times suffering can not be explained away. It is in the infinite wisdom of God. And as the singer said when we get to heaven, we shall understand it by and by.
Sovereign Purpose
God is the creator (Elohim) and we are the creatures. He is then at will to do anything He wants with us and through us. This means then that there are moments that we will not fully understand the reasons for His allowing sufferings to fall on believers apart from that He does what He knows is righteous. Deuteronomy 29:29 states The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.
When Job went through great suffering, his friends assumed that they knew the mind of the Almighty by declaring that Job had sinned and that God was punishing him for his sins. Job on the other hand went on the defensive and justified himself to be guiltless to the point of declaring God unjust for punishing a righteous man. When confronted by God about his accusations, Job realized himself to be a fool and God’ wisdom too high for him. He observes in Job 42:3, Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.
There are times suffering can not be explained away. It is in the infinite wisdom of God. And as the singer said when we get to heaven, we shall understand it by and by.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Why does God allow suffering?
Obedience Lesson
In the military, the training requires tough exercises and grueling tasks. These demanding trials and punishing duties are not just meant to prepare the body for the battlefield. One general explained that they are supposed to drive the soldier to a point of breaking down mentally. The military will use these taxing and often monotonous rigors to ‘deconstruct the soldier before they reconstruct him. When the soldier is completely broken down and built back up, only then can the military be sure that the soldier will follow orders without question.
Hebrews 5:8-10 Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.
Christ learnt obedience through suffering. To learn obedience the Spirit of God allows us to go through deconstruction in the wilderness of suffering that we may stand ready to follow orders when we get to the battlefield – many souls depend on our obedience.
Obedience Lesson
In the military, the training requires tough exercises and grueling tasks. These demanding trials and punishing duties are not just meant to prepare the body for the battlefield. One general explained that they are supposed to drive the soldier to a point of breaking down mentally. The military will use these taxing and often monotonous rigors to ‘deconstruct the soldier before they reconstruct him. When the soldier is completely broken down and built back up, only then can the military be sure that the soldier will follow orders without question.
Hebrews 5:8-10 Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.
Christ learnt obedience through suffering. To learn obedience the Spirit of God allows us to go through deconstruction in the wilderness of suffering that we may stand ready to follow orders when we get to the battlefield – many souls depend on our obedience.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
UNDERSTANDING SUFFERING
Why does God allow suffering?
Character/maturity
In Romans 5:1-5, the bible records, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
Ultimately God is more interested in making the messenger fit for the message. This is because to God, the messenger is very much part of the message. Through suffering then, He forges the character of His servant. Men who have not been through suffering are very much likely to give up in the face of trials. They have no hope. But to those whom has allowed to pass through the fire, the trials only serve to expose their perseverance and the waters of hope come bursting forth in the midst of the wilderness.
Why does God allow suffering?
Character/maturity
In Romans 5:1-5, the bible records, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
Ultimately God is more interested in making the messenger fit for the message. This is because to God, the messenger is very much part of the message. Through suffering then, He forges the character of His servant. Men who have not been through suffering are very much likely to give up in the face of trials. They have no hope. But to those whom has allowed to pass through the fire, the trials only serve to expose their perseverance and the waters of hope come bursting forth in the midst of the wilderness.
Friday, April 8, 2011
AND NABOTH SAID TO AHAB, “THE LORD FORBID IT ME THAT I SHOULD GIVE THE INHERITANCE OF MY FATHERS TO THEE”
1 KINGS 21:8
King AHAB was the ruler of Israel and He desired Naboth’s vineyard seeing that it was close to the palace. Naboth however refused to give it up even at the cost of his own life.
How do we defend it? We must be eternally vigilant. The Bible warns us to watch and pray. It is by prayer that we discover the inheritance falling to us and it is by prayer we guard it. However, whatsoever we do not gain by our own strength we cannot sustain it by effort. To this end therefore it is not the amount or effort put into prayer it is the heart of said prayer. It is not the multitude of words, it is the simple trust in God and His power to keep that which we entrust to Him to the end. Oh! For the sweetness of surrender. Oh! For the prayer of the man who acknowledges that they can not on their own. Oh! For the grace to lean on Him. Today do not put your faith in your prayer; let your prayer be the expression of your faith in God. Do not worry about the content of prayer. Consider the power of your God. “…for I know whom I have believed, I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed to Him against that day.(2nd Timothy1:12)
1 KINGS 21:8
King AHAB was the ruler of Israel and He desired Naboth’s vineyard seeing that it was close to the palace. Naboth however refused to give it up even at the cost of his own life.
How do we defend it? We must be eternally vigilant. The Bible warns us to watch and pray. It is by prayer that we discover the inheritance falling to us and it is by prayer we guard it. However, whatsoever we do not gain by our own strength we cannot sustain it by effort. To this end therefore it is not the amount or effort put into prayer it is the heart of said prayer. It is not the multitude of words, it is the simple trust in God and His power to keep that which we entrust to Him to the end. Oh! For the sweetness of surrender. Oh! For the prayer of the man who acknowledges that they can not on their own. Oh! For the grace to lean on Him. Today do not put your faith in your prayer; let your prayer be the expression of your faith in God. Do not worry about the content of prayer. Consider the power of your God. “…for I know whom I have believed, I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed to Him against that day.(2nd Timothy1:12)
Friday, April 1, 2011
AND NABOTH SAID TO AHAB, “THE LORD FORBID IT ME THAT I SHOULD GIVE THE INHERITANCE OF MY FATHERS TO THEE”
1 KINGS 21:8
King AHAB was the ruler of Israel and He desired Naboth’s vineyard seeing that it was close to the palace. Naboth however refused to give it up even at the cost of his own life.
How do we recognize our inheritance? Paul says, “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, and the riches and the glory of your inheritance together with the saints. Thus the first thing we must do is pray that God may reveal what we own and who we are. That we may realize like Paul; the power of resurrection. Today ask God to open your eyes and be on the look out for a miracle. Tell Him you want to see that which belongs to you as an inheritance. The other way and probably the most critical is maturing in Christ. As long as the son is a child the inheritance remains in the custody of the servants. Our inheritance is therefore not being hidden from us, to the contrary it is hidden for us. Unless we mature spiritually, we cannot be allowed to the inheritance. Today feed on the word of God and seek the face of God that you mature. The more you read the word, you will realize it is like a scavenger hunt. You will find gems of wealth stored especially for you. It will help you grow and also in it you will find your inheritance.
1 KINGS 21:8
King AHAB was the ruler of Israel and He desired Naboth’s vineyard seeing that it was close to the palace. Naboth however refused to give it up even at the cost of his own life.
How do we recognize our inheritance? Paul says, “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, and the riches and the glory of your inheritance together with the saints. Thus the first thing we must do is pray that God may reveal what we own and who we are. That we may realize like Paul; the power of resurrection. Today ask God to open your eyes and be on the look out for a miracle. Tell Him you want to see that which belongs to you as an inheritance. The other way and probably the most critical is maturing in Christ. As long as the son is a child the inheritance remains in the custody of the servants. Our inheritance is therefore not being hidden from us, to the contrary it is hidden for us. Unless we mature spiritually, we cannot be allowed to the inheritance. Today feed on the word of God and seek the face of God that you mature. The more you read the word, you will realize it is like a scavenger hunt. You will find gems of wealth stored especially for you. It will help you grow and also in it you will find your inheritance.
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