WHY THE SUFFERING?

Scenario: suffering landscape
At the Furaha Gist fellowship on Saturday March 31st at 54 Seagrim Rd Bournemouth members considered the subject - why does God allow suffering?

Little kids are born deformed, people die of terrible diseases, and there are earthquakes and tornadoes that cause havoc. This proves that we are on our own. There is no God! How do you answer that?

Why is the world the way it is; filled with oppression, suffering, death and cruelty? Why does God allow innocent people to suffer?

Watch this space for testimonies of Furaha Gist participants on the suffering landscape.

Understanding the issue of suffering

Common reactions to suffering:

An atheist uses the issue of suffering to justify the philosophy that there is no God.
All true science and history, if rightly understood, support the fact of God. This evidence is so strong that, as the Bible says: "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God"
—Psalm 14:1

An average person (who believes in God): No connection between suffering and God so ignores any link (agnostic).
Considerations:
Man lives in an ordered universe of cause and effect and must accept its consequences; and since sin entered into human life these must involve suffering. The suffering, however, may not be directly related to the sin of the sufferer but may result from the acts of former generations.

At the same time it is the universe of a God of wisdom and love who can guide and control the suffering for those who seek Him in order to bring them to a deeper knowledge of Him.

The Christian (who Believes in God, the Bible and is a convert). For the believing Christian suffering is the glaring evidence that man has rejected God.

Secondly from the book of Job only the man who suffers can gain as a personal experience the inner working of God. Only by loss and suffering could Job know that he did not serve God for the sake of houses, lands, flocks and herds, or even children. He did not even serve for the sake of his own skin, his health and wellbeing. He worshipped God for Himself, and in spite of all the wild words which came from his stress of mind and body he had an ultimate belief in God's righteousness and faithfulness. It was only when stripped of everything that he really knew that God was his only refuge, and in that discovery he was triumphantly vindicated against the slander of the Adversary epitomized by the three friends.

The most difficult question on suffering
Why does God allow innocent people to suffer? If God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and loving, would He really create a world like this? Why Does God not intervene?

There is really no such thing as the "innocent" suffering. There is no one who has the right to freedom from God's wrath on the basis of his own innocence. As far as babies are concerned, and others who may be incompetent mentally to distinguish right and wrong, it is clear from both Scripture and universal experience that they are sinners by nature and thus will inevitably become sinners by choice as soon as they are able to do so.
"all have sinned and come short of the glory of God"
—Romans 3:23

We ourselves do not establish the standards of what is right. Only the Creator of all reality can do that. We need to settle it, in our minds and hearts, whether we understand it or not, that whatever God does is, by definition, right. Having settled this by faith, we are then free to seek for ways in which we can profit spiritually from the sufferings in life as well as the blessings.
"Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"
—Genesis 18:25
"Shall the thing formed say to Him that formed it, why hast Thou made me thus?"
—Romans 9:20

Because of man's rebellion against God's Word the world is now under God's Curse
—Genesis 3:17
This "bondage of corruption, is universal, affecting all men and women and children everywhere. "With the "whole world groaning and travailing together in pain"
—Romans 8:21, 22
God did not create the world this way, and one day will set all things right again. In that day, "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain"
—Revelation 21:4

Useful Quotations on suffering
Does God feel our pain? Does God Suffer?

"By itself suffering does no good. But when we see it as the thing between God and us, it has meaning. Wedged in the crux—the cross—suffering becomes a transaction. The cross is a place of transaction. It is the place where power happens between God and us." —Joni Eareckson Tada in "When God Weeps: Why Our Sufferings Matter to the Almighty"

"Frequently it is when we are crushed and devastated that the cross speaks most powerfully to us. The wounds of Christ then become Christ's credentials. The world mocks, but we are assured of God's love by Christ's wounds." —D. A. Carson in "How Long, O Lord?"

"But we do see Him who has been made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings." —Hebrews 2:9-10, NASB

Suffering and redemption Glory
If God knows I am hurting, why doesn't He help me?

The sufferings of unsaved men are often used by the Holy Spirit to cause them to realize their needs of salvation and to turn to Christ in repentance and faith. The sufferings of Christians should always be the means of developing a stronger dependence on God and a more Christ-like character, if they are properly "exercised thereby". Therefore endure chastening; God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chastened not? But he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees"
—Hebrews 12: 5-12; Proverbs 3:11-12

First of all, we must face the fact that we are going to have a path of suffering if we are in the fellowship with the Lord Jesus. very often we may not be able to see that our suffering is because of our relationship to Him (the sufferings are so manifold and diverse, and very often they look as though they have no relationship at all with our Christian life) at the same time, whether we can discern it or not; the fact remains that the pathway of the child of God, of the fellow of Jesus Christ, is the pathway of suffering. Paul was not delivered from that stake in the flesh, that messenger of Satan that constantly buffeted him; and yet he was delivered! It is fellowship with Jesus in His sufferings that brings us more Christ likeness. So our first thing is to reckon with this and get it settled.
—Hebrews 5

According to Jesus in the Spirit, obedience is learned “BY THE THINGS WE SUFFER!” So, Suffering isn’t necessarily all bad, is it??!! We try to avoid the very thing that makes us more like Jesus and gives us the strength to obey, FINALLY! Be willing to suffer in humility and LEARN OBEDIENCE FROM IT! And, it is not just PRAYING WITH TEARS, but “REVERENT SUBMISSION” that causes God to hear our prayers! Think about what that means in YOUR life. REVERENT SUBMISSION as a way of life.
—Hebrews 5

It is a remarkable combination which we find in the people of God—the combination of suffering and joy. They rejoiced, it says, “That they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name”. —Acts 5:41

Focus on Psalm 91
Should Psalm 91 be construed as a pledge of unqualified physical protection to all believers for all time in all circumstances?

Some Bible students have suggested that Psalm 91 is actually a reference to the future, i.e., the Millennial Kingdom. Vs 13 and 15. Especially when correlated with Isaiah 65:24-25 and Isaiah 11:5-8.
Some commentators claim that this Psalm is actually a testimony of Moses (note the many plague-like references) and, as such, should be considered more of a record about what God did for Israel in the past than a promise about what He will do for us today.
Perhaps the best answer lies somewhere in the middle. We know that God can always protect everyone. We know that He has sometimes protected many. We know that He will often protect some. We also know that God is sovereign and wise, not always choosing to do all of that which He is able to do. In order to rightly claim the promises of Psalm 91 for myself today, I would preface them with a little qualifying phrase “Except that God in His love and wisdom allow it for the ultimate good... He will deliver me from the snare of the trapper, and from the deadly pestilence…etc

Psalm 91 is really a testimony of what God has chosen to do on occasion in the past, an assurance of what He is altogether able to do today and a beautiful literary portrait of His awesome omnipotent capability for the future.