Wednesday, May 1, 2024
Today’s message is: Understanding Suffering in the Light of Faith, Sermon Number 300
Hello Friends, today we face a profound and often painful question that
touches each of our lives: Why does Jesus allow bad things to happen,
especially to the innocent and the faithful? It is a question as old
as faith itself, one that challenges believers and non-believers
alike. How do we reconcile a loving and omnipotent God with the
existence of suffering and evil? How do we understand the death of a
child or an innocent baby?
The
Nature of God and Suffering
First,
let us affirm what we know about God. Scripture tells us that God is
love (1 John chapter
4:
verse
8)
and that His ways and thoughts are higher than our ways and thoughts
(Isaiah chapter
55:
verses
8
and
9).
We also know that Jesus Christ, God made flesh, was no stranger to
suffering. He was "a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief"
(Isaiah chapter
53:
verse 3).
In Jesus, God fully entered into the human experience of pain and
loss.
Purpose
in Pain
While
it is often beyond our human capacity to understand each specific
instance of suffering, we can grasp some purposes that God might have
in allowing suffering to occur:
To Refine Our Faith:
Suffering can be a test of faith, a refining fire. As gold is refined
by fire, so our faith is purified through trials (1 Peter chapter
1:
verses
6
and
7).
In our struggles, we are drawn closer to God, learning to rely not on
our strength but on His.
To Shape Us Into Christ’s
Image: (Romans chapter
8:
verses
28
and
29
tells us that all things work together for good to those who love God
and are called according to His purpose, that we might be conformed
to the image of His Son. Sometimes, it is through suffering that we
grow in compassion, patience, and resilience.
To Reveal
His Glory: The story of Lazarus in John chapter
11 reveals that the delay in healing, leading to Lazarus's death, was
intended "for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be
glorified thereby" (John chapter
11:
verse
4).
Lazarus’s resurrection powerfully testified to Jesus’ divine
authority and led many to believe.
The Mystery of Innocent
Suffering
When it comes to the most wrenching kinds of
pain—like the death of a child—we stand before a mystery that
often defies human explanation. Here, even the Bible shows us the
limits of our understanding. The book of Job is a profound
exploration of suffering. Job’s friends erroneously claim his
suffering must be a punishment for sin, yet God’s response to Job
does not answer the "why" of his sufferings but instead
points to the vastness of His creation and sovereignty, reminding us
that our understanding is limited (Job chapters
38-41).
Jesus
Himself touched on a similar theme when He addressed the suffering of
those killed by the tower of Siloam falling on them. He indicated
that their death was not a direct result of their sins (Luke chapter
13:
verses
1
through
5),
overturning common assumptions about personal disaster as divine
retribution.
Comfort in Christ
Our ultimate
comfort in suffering lies not in fully understanding God’s reasons
but in knowing His character and trusting His heart. As believers, we
are promised not a life free from suffering but the constant presence
of God in our suffering. "Yea, though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me" (Psalm chapter
23:
verse
4).
In closing,
Let
us remember that our faith rests on the sure hope of the
resurrection. The suffering of this present time is not worth
comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us (Romans chapter
8:verse
18).
One day, God will wipe away every tear, and death shall be no more,
neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore
(Revelation chapter
21:
verse
4).
As
we grapple with the complexities of faith and suffering, let us draw
near to God, trusting in His sovereign love and finding refuge in His
eternal promises. Amen.
Let us turn to (Matthew chapter 6: verses 5 through 15) for the Lord’s Prayer
“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the churches and on the street corners that they may be seen by all. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
“Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
“For if you forgive people of their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive people their sins, neither will your Father forgive your sins.
I am going to pray a simple prayer for those of you who want to give your life to the Lord today so you can enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Jesus, I come to you today to admit that I am a sinner. I admit that I cannot live without you and I need a savior. I turn from my sins and ask that you forgive me today, right here, right now, and create in me a clean heart. Give me your new life that is abundant and free. I accept your free gift of salvation. I accept your mercy and grace. Come and live within me, change my life, and lead me all of the rest of my days. I give my life to you. Thank you for loving me. Help me to learn to love you in return. In your name I pray, amen.
