We Never Suffer Alone

Why do bad things happen to good people?

If God truly is good, why is there so much suffering in the world?

These are typical thoughts of those who aren’t in deep relationship with Yahweh, and I don’t blame them.

I used to think the same things too.

So, let’s dive a little deeper for a moment.

First off, nobody’s good. Man was good in the garden. And then man turned on God to chase after his own desires.

And look where that’s gotten us. You just have to skim the news for a hot five seconds to find out.

Secondly, suffering is a consequence of sin–man’s incapability to obey God, and instead, choosing to fall into the trap of, once again, chasing his own desires.

Oh look. We’re back we started.

So, okay, Ericka. Man can’t be trusted and has mucked everything up. But why doesn’t God wave His magic wand and fix it for us?

Because He loves us.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Do you have kids? Do they disobey? Do you then buy them a big ol’ heaping scoop of ice cream after they’ve spat in your face and pulled out your hair?

Um, no.

You let them reap the consequences of their choices while still gently loving and supporting them.

Just like God.

Like I tell my daughter, “If I didn’t love you, I wouldn’t care what you do.”

And like us parents, God does care. And so, He uses our circumstances to lead us away from our own folly to (hopefully) put our trust in His design, not ours.

Also, how loving could God be if He didn’t let us make our own choices, forcing us to love Him and each other against our will (which He lovingly gave us in the first place)?

When you know God’s heart, that His mercies are new every day and the deep love He has for those He calls His children, then you realize very quickly that He isn’t a part of the evil in which we’re currently living.

He is, however, just and allows certain things to play out that were started back at the very beginning when we, as human beings, decided our own desires were much more important than giving ourselves back to He who made us.

And that is, my friends, why we suffer. And yet?

We never suffer alone.