Counseling Through Your Bible Handbook (26 page)

Evil is based on moral right and wrong choices; therefore…

— God cannot destroy evil without also destroying the free will of His creatures.

— God determined that free will is for the greater good of humanity or He would not have made people free, especially because He knew sin would occur and result in the death of His Son.

— if God had destroyed or never endowed the creatures He loves with free will—thus making them robots—that action could not be for their greater good.

— God has already initiated a plan to eliminate evil. His solution is not to destroy evil in this life, but to overcome it through Christ (see 2 Peter 1:3).

God
is
good. He gave people free will, which is good (Psalm 92:15). God
is
all-powerful. He can do anything that is logical, but it is illogical for Him to both grant free will and constrain it (Isaiah 46:10-11). Evil and its effects (sin and suffering) are present in the world because people choose to exert their God-given free will and disobey God (see Romans 3:23).

Jesus said about the apostle Paul, “I will show him how much he must suffer for my name” (Acts 9:16). Later, when Paul was unjustly jailed and had no ability to leave, he had the opportunity to witness to the prison guards. As a result, many Roman soldiers came to trust in Christ (Philippians 1:12-14).

— Free will

Job’s so-called friends badgered him with continual accusations that his sickness must have been caused by his sin (Job 19:1-3).

— Natural order (earthquakes, death, etc.)

Job’s heartache began when a messenger came to him with reports of a horribly destructive tornado that had killed his sons and daughters (Job 1:18-19).

— Evil spirit beings

God declared to Satan that Job was the most blameless man on earth. Afterward, Satan physically attacked Job’s possessions, his family, and his physical body (Job 1:13-19; 2:7).

His purposes can vary greatly. Sometimes He allows suffering to…

— expose your sin

— build your character

— produce much good

— change your perspective

— bless your future

“As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy”

(J
AMES
5:11).

God hears all your prayers. In fact, He knows your requests even before you ask. And He answers sometimes with yes, sometimes with no, and sometimes with wait. God the Father even said no to Jesus when He was facing crucifixion and no to the apostle Paul when he was facing a physical malady. The Father’s purpose for Jesus’ death was your salvation. God’s purpose for Paul’s physical ailment was to produce humility in Paul. Realize that God always answers your prayers according to His purposes for you (see Psalm 34:17-19).

Many times we are not directly responsible for our suffering. In a sinful world, both good and evil people will suffer. The Bible says, “He sends rain on the righteous and unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45). If you are a Christian, you have a promise from God that your suffering here on earth will one day come to an end. Do not become bitter from the pain. Instead, put your faith in God…know that He cares…and wait patiently for His help. God is present. Nothing will happen that He won’t equip you to handle.

“I waited patiently for the L
ORD
;
he turned to me and heard my cry”

(P
SALM
40:1).

Although suffering is the result of fallen humanity, God’s highest purpose is to use it to conform us to the image of Christ in all we do and say. So what is God’s ultimate purpose? He uses suffering for our good to make us like the only One who is truly good!

“Those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers”

(R
OMANS
8:29).

Although Job had been an exemplary man—God called him “blameless”—in a short amount of time, his entire life had become filled to overflowing with physical, mental, and emotional suffering. He certainly could not see “behind the scenes” of his life; neither could he fathom the future. Feeling devastated by his losses, fiercely racked with pain, feeling falsely accused by friends, and completely forsaken by God, Job considered death far more desirable than life.

“Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb?”

(J
OB
3:11).

As Job passed through his severe trial, he came to the realization that God was still there, still loved him, and was still providing for all his needs. He saw beyond his circumstances and grasped a new vision and insight into the fairness of God. Instead of questioning the goodness of God by asking, “Why do good people suffer?” he spent the rest of his life humbly trusting God (see Job 46:5-6).

Understanding that God is not powerless concerning suffering, but
purposeful
, you can leave the ditch of disbelief behind. You will never attain a thorough understanding of the reasons for all the evil and suffering in this world. Yet as a Christian, you do have God’s Word (the Bible), which addresses some reasons for His purpose in allowing human pain and suffering. The first clue is revealed in Genesis, where Adam and Eve live in a state of bliss, yet by their own choice defy God’s only command. Does their disobedience not demonstrate that when left to its own devices, the human spirit will not surrender self-will to its Creator as long as “all is well”? This being the case, does suffering not then become a “gift” from God that allows you to experience the depth of His love that a life of ease could never conceive? Pain and suffering may take a hardened heart and point it to the inevitable truth that “all is
not
well,” thus opening the door to the profound reality that nothing that happens in this life will ever compare to the happiness and joy awaiting those who become children of God.

To expose your sin

— Suffering
deters you from going astray
and
leads to obedience
.

— Suffering
produces repentance
that
leads you to salvation
from sin.

— Suffering makes you more inclined to
reject sin
and to resist fulfilling
your selfish desires
, and it leads to
living for the will of God
.

To build your character

— Suffering
develops contentment
when you are in need.

— Suffering
produces steadfastness
, which, in turn makes you
emotionally mature
and
morally complete
.

— Suffering
produces endurance
, which is a catalyst to
refine your character
and
renew your hope
.

To produce much good

— Suffering, as well as success and everything else that touches your life, will be
used by God for your good
.

— Suffering gives you the opportunity to
show care
to others who suffer.

— Suffering, because of the compassion it develops, equips you to
comfort others
.

To change your perspective

— Suffering can
reveal
or manifest Jesus, who is living in you.

— Suffering
prepares
great eternal glory for you.

— Suffering
creates
a hunger in you for heaven, where there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.

To bless your future

— Suffering for living right in God’s sight
secures the blessing
of God.

— Suffering
proves your faith
is genuine.

— Suffering with perseverance results in
being blessed
with the crown of life.

God cares deeply about your suffering as demonstrated by the facts that…

— He encamps around you in the midst of trouble.

“The angel of the L
ORD
encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them”

(P
SALM
34:7).

— He is near you when you are brokenhearted.

“The L
ORD
is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit”

(P
SALM
34:18).

— He keeps a record of your grief and puts your tears in His bottle.

“You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?”