The atheist, by contrast, must provide some explanation for why suffering and death are so tragic. God himself is the answer. That is the only possible explanation for the suffering that has overcome him. Read and be blessed, For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us, Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. God takes our misery and suffering so seriously that he was willing to take it on himself.14, Though the Bible makes no promise to take away our suffering in this life, it does give us hope that suffering will one day be ended forever. The Bible doesn’t diminish our experience of suffering. I. That’s an extraordinary thing to do in the eyes of man. Job never learned the true cause of his suffering, even after he had been restored by God. Viktor Frankl was a Jewish psychologist who spent years in a Nazi concentration camp during the Holocaust. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. Job did not sin against God; 3. Suffering can sweeten and deepen us. In this, you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. What Does the Bible Say about Pain and Suffering? It is a patient endurance. Some suffering—at least in this life—has no immediate answer other than weeping. Despite losing all his children, God blessed him with the exact number of children.     but sweet will be the flow’r. Yes, there are numerous bible verses about pain and suffering in the scriptures.  behind a frowning providence This is because you will not get discouraged in the service of God. Job passed through an overwhelming pain. He served God faithfully. A life that is so beautiful that eyes have not seen nor ear heard. We do have to keep in mind that enduring pain does not change Who God is or how He acts. His suffering led to many people being rescued . He entered space and time and suffering.”10. —Psalm 88:6. His purposes will ripen fast, It does not lower God to a Being whipped around with emotion. Think about the creation of the world.  God is His own interpreter, Why does Liam Neeson’s character so value the pictures of family members in the wallets of the other characters? The narrative overwhelms the logic. By means of his heavenly Kingdom, Jehovah will drastically change the human condition​—for the better. Job responds with joy and repentance. Joe writes that though both men had good intentions, he couldn’t wait for the first man to leave and he couldn’t bear to see the second man go.1. Another early strand of Christian thought, represented by theologians such as Origen of Alexandria (184/185–253/254), can be called  “greater goods theodicy.” In this defense, God is said to permit evil because he is ultimately using evil to bring about greater good. “Let no man say when he is tested, I am tested by God; for it is not possible for God to be tested by evil, and he himself puts no man to such a test.” ( James 1:13 , The Bible in Basic English ) In fact, the idea that God is to blame for suffering is out of harmony with the way that the Bible describes God’s personality. The earth (and everything in it) was created in seven days. We see this in Joseph’s tough circumstances (Genesis 37-50). Our suffering is directly related to the curse that came upon the earth as the result of sin. It can’t be that he doesn’t love us. He said that God had a plan, that God could work it out for good, and that God would give Joe strength. The Christian journalist Malcolm Muggeridge reflected on suffering in his life in this way: Theodicies can be helpful. The phrase “never seen the righteous forsaken” should inspire your soul. Why didn’t I ever know my father? Theologian G. K. Chesterton said: Whether or not you believe in this vision of the triumph of joy and the undoing of suffering, you have to admit it is a beautiful thought. According to the Bible, God already gave us the first installment of this beautiful ending when he resurrected Jesus from the dead. 1. Yet, he knew temptations would arise, and we may have to suffer for the sake of Christ. In the biblical view, we cannot always understand why suffering happens in this life. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. If the believer is asked to provide a theodicy, the unbeliever may be asked to provide an explanation of the desire for theodicy. He can change your situation and replace it with overwhelming joy. In a universe governed by karma, people who do good will experience good, and people who do bad will experience bad. Fyodor Dostoevsky’s classic novel The Brothers Karamazov is a powerful dramatization of the redemptive nature of suffering. and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Therefore, serving God does not make us free from the persecutions of the devil. By Gavin Ortlund In his book The View from a Hearse, Joe Bayly tells the story of two men who came to comfort him after the death of his three sons. But God can do anything because he is so all-powerful. The voices of sufferers throughout the centuries have cried out concerning the difference God makes amidst suffering.      but trust Him for His grace; He was faithful, endured and persevered all temptations. Will you forget me forever? We all go through challenges, and you are not alone. In his book Making Sense Out of Suffering, Peter Kreeft writes:“[God] didn't give us a placebo or a pill or good advice. Bible Verses About Serving God with Joy and all your Hearts, Bible Verses About Paying Tithes: New & Old Testament Explained, 1. But suppose one finds the traditional Christian answers to the question of evil inadequate and feels compelled to deny the existence of God? Why did my loved one get cancer? The devil will never stop hurting the children of God. I had cancer in 1976. But take heart! Suffering can poison and embitter us. Despite this pain and suffering, God through His Son Jesus Christ has reconciled us to Himself, so after death we will spend an eternity with a loving God in a place with no death or suffering. So, the Bible has a lot to say about longsuffering. 1 Peter 1:6-7. While going through pain, we must remember that it is only transient. So, Why does God allow suffering in the first place? The Bible is deeply sensitive to the problem of suffering, including the internal suffering that many modern people face. How long will you hide your face from me? In fact, it recommends them when we are in the presence of sufferers; Bible readers are called to “mourn with those who mourn.”6. What’s the practical payoff when we are actively suffering in the here and now? What does the Bible teach on pain and suffering? Bible Verses about Suffering - Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we… I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the… Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the… But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are… He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and… When going through disappointment and pain, you must remind yourself of this bible verse. 25 Bible verses about Peace of mind: (Powerful Scriptures), Powerful Bible Verses: My Top 10 Favorite Scriptures Quotes. Job was a faithful servant of God yet faced immense temptation, 3. At this point, the problem of suffering becomes an even greater problem. It is an honest book that operates right in the midst of the gritty realities we face in this life. But the events of the story undermine Ivan’s argument. Pain could mean physically hurt, sickness, financial disappointment, difficulties with getting a Job, heartbreaks, and emotional distress. Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the. Like the character Orual in C. S. Lewis’s Till We Have Faces, Job discovers there is a kind of joy that is far better than what we think we want. The movie The Grey dramatically raises this question: If ultimately death is all there is, why is its presentation from a nihilistic standpoint so chilling, so haunting, so poignant? Yet he allowed him to be tempted. Why does he cry out to God for an answer, if no God is there to be petitioned? He causes pain and suffering and tempts man to sin. Think of it this way. We see here a hint of the hope that the Bible offers to sufferers. explores twelve themes related to the issue of human suffering and reflects on what we can learn from the diversity of the biblical witness. The biblical view of suffering is shaped by what the Bible actually is. Discover your next steps toward a relationship with God. Sufferers who come to the Bible will find in it something like Joe Bayly’s second friend. God took away Job’s pains and suffering and blessed him; Final Words of Encouragement. That means that if we see someone suffering, we can conclude that they did something wrong to bring it on themselves. It can’t be that he is indifferent or detached from our condition. The words perfect and upright shows God’s thoughts about Job. Job 1:21-22, Therefore, whether you may be going through unbearable pain and suffering, or looking searching for the fruit of the womb, or you are struggling with sickness, lift your voices and “bless the name of the lord.”, He will take away all pain and sorrow in his time. What Does Jesus Teach Us About Pain and Suffering? And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Suffering and sorrow does not change judgment. In his book Man’s Search for Meaning, he wrote: “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”23. The prophet Habakkuk lived through a period of great suffering among God’s people. It is quite another to experience suffering in our lives or see it dramatized in the lives of others. Those who put … He blessed him even more than he previously did. Last updated on June 26th, 2020 at 06:20 ameval(ez_write_tag([[320,50],'faithfulchristian_net-box-3','ezslot_4',104,'0','0']));eval(ez_write_tag([[320,50],'faithfulchristian_net-box-3','ezslot_5',104,'0','1'])); We’ve all experienced pain at one point in our lives. What are the causes of suffering? Everyone passes through difficulties in life. Only God knows what is in a person's heart (Psalm 139:1-2). 4 Things the Old Testament Teaches about Suffering,Chris Bolinger - Study from the Bible and be encouraged to grow your faith! Nearly one in five (7.5 million!) John Milton’s Paradise Lost, one of the most well-regarded epic poems in the English language, is devoted to this issue. Atheists offer no hope of a solution to suffering. When the devil causes pain in our lives, we must lift our eyes into the heavens and praise his name. What does the bible say about pain and suffering? Like Habakkuk, like Joe Bayly, Job needed God himself more than he needed his questions answered. For the things which are seen, 29 Bible verse about worry and stressful times. A. Sinful people cause some suffering directly (lying, anger, divorce, drugs, crime, etc.). The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. You’re not. He gave us himself. God answered Habakkuk, but it was not the response Habakkuk expected. A few weeks back, I met a young lady suffering from massive vaginal bleeding. Why is suffering really objectively bad and not merely personally inconvenient? He is still perfectly righteous and holy. Seeing God enabled him to find joy, even amidst his suffering. He went insane four times, attempted suicide on several occasions, and was debilitated by depression for long periods of time, including the final ten years of his life. This is another Bible verse that reminds us our suffering will not go unnoticed by God. She was so scared of her next period because of the expected massive blood loss. “He will never” means he will undoubtedly heal your pain. In the midst of one of his darker struggles, he wrote to a friend: In another letter he confessed, “One thing and one only is left to me, the wish that I had never existed.”25. Over the centuries, Christians have responded to this question, which is often called the Problem of Evil, with many different theodicies—defenses of God’s good and powerful character despite the existence of evil. The first came with answers. It is okay to feel sad in your hearts when you are tempted. As real as suffering is, God is more real. We have a choice. In fact, Jesus assured his followers they would indeed have trouble in this life.12 But the suffering of Christ gives hope during tough times because it imparts something that is even stronger than suffering: the love of God, which the Apostle Paul called a “love that surpasses knowledge.”13 As Tim Keller explains: If we again ask the question, “Why does God allow evil and suffering to continue?” and we look at the cross of Jesus, we still do not know what the answer is. But ultimately, it is more like the man who gives his presence than the man who gives his answers. Job explores the difficult question of God's relationship to human suffering, and invites us to trust God's wisdom and character. Therefore, be immovable and trust in God.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'faithfulchristian_net-medrectangle-4','ezslot_6',106,'0','0'])); I have compiled a list of bible verses about pain that will strengthen your soul. If God can work out some evil for good, the argument goes, then isn’t it possible—given enough time and wisdom—that he could work out all evil for good?