Reasons Why God Allows Suffering?

[WIP]

The Lord Jesus suffered so very much for us  in many ways...He was also persecuted as this scripture tells us ..He is The Master and we the servants ..we are not greater therefore we too must have our share of suffering.
 

John 15:20 

Remember the word that I said to you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

[desi2007]

Desi,Dear sister,

 Do you mean that in your opinion, I have strayed a little off the path??

I'm sorry for what you're going thru Dear Sister and I will be praying for you!!

GBU

hello Miss, and I wanted to say thank you for praying for me that is very kind of you.

About your questions...It begins with our faith. It happens to us all with a natural drift will take place, a pull of the world, a pull of the flesh, because we all have that sinful nature so its just making that commitment to move forward every day in christ no matter what comes at us. I guess the other day reading your post just really stirred my heart and its that constant awareness with what God wants to do here. And we all struggle in life in different seasons, and in your words gave me a sense of trust that you have a relationship with Jesus and the stepping stones that help build your life along the way has left you with some hurt. I connected with you here and thought oh Lord bring healing to her heart, and we all are broken people, either sins against us or sins we committed, broken family, abandonment, or lost someone very close, etc, sometimes I have glossed over and later go hmmm and then I reflect at the end of the day. And my eyes are so opened up and I see the pain and hurt all around us. Not wanting to step on any toes here. Just really haven't had alot of time to respond back with you but I can pray with you anytime you need a prayer.  blessings to you.

desi

[desi2007]

 

 

praying for you GE. and thank you for this post, its a very good one, it helps me to be more attentive to God and that I'm not alone. I have been struggling with decisions that my  23 yr old daughter has been making, ungodly decisions with her marriage, she is very disrespectful to me with all of it, and I take care of my 18 month old grandson most nights and weekends, I just need God's strength for me to be there for my grandson, he needs me, feels like i'm being a mom instead of a grandma here and it can be a bit much at times and with starting Ovetime at work soon its going to get even harder. Trusting in the Lord here.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for your prayers sister. I will be praying for you, your daughter, and your grandbaby. Praying for God's wisdom, grace, mercy, rest, and strength for you.

 

Philippians 4:6-7

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

Matthew 11:28 

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

 

Isaiah 40:31 

But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

 

 

You are indeed not alone. That is a lie of our enemies. Greater is Jesus in you than the prince of this world.

1 John 4:4

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

 

God bless you!

 

In Christ,

GE

 

Thanks for the prayer as well GE. blessings.

[RustyAngeL]

The Bible says Put on the garment for the spirit of heaviness.  We all go through times of suffering.  Illness, the loss of a loved one, lost jobs or even the loss of beloved pet.  It hurts our hearts.  I have learned that mountain top experiences with the Lord are a wonderful thing. They give us strength and unspeakable joy.  Yes mountain top experiences are glorious but we don't live on the mountain.  We have to come back down that is where the real test of faith is, everyday life.  I also learned that farmers do not plant on the mountain top but always plant in the valleys,  why?  because that is where the most fertile soil is and that is where the most growth takes place.  We don't like the tests and trials, everything in us want's to turn and run  in the other direction,but the fact of the matter is we have to go through them, there is no way around them.  God promises  never to leave us or forsake us and He never breaks His promises to us.  The key word here is trust.... Are we going to trust Him or we going to run in the other direction?  i pray everyday He gives me the courage to face what I must.  I don't always feel like it happens but then I wake up and realize He has gotten me through another day.  It's a walk, a step by step walk.  I just thank Him  that He is always with me every step of the way.  Someday those steps will lead us Home to our Heavenly Father and we will realize that every trial we have gone though will be worth it and all the hurt and pain will just be a memory and then no memory at all of the tough times, just an eternity with our Savior.

[MissPlaced_56]

desi.

My Dear Sister,

Thank you so much for you're very kind reply!

and you're very sweet offer to pray with me!

{{{{desi}}} GBU My Dear sister!

 Keeping you in my prayers!

[MissPlaced_56]

{{{{RUSTY}}}

My Dear Sister AMEN!!

GBU Alway's!!

[TheCurseOfTheRodain]

Misplaced56 is the only one who put up the right answer thus far, Scripturally, but it is incomplete.

 

Now hear me out before the stones come flying.

 

NO SUFFERING IS EVER CAUSED BY GOD and SUFFERING IS NEVER A BLESSING; don't be deceived (that's a religious tradition lie (when Paul was told that he would suffer for His namesake you must understand 2 things: 1, Jesus did not say HE would cause the suffering (the Devil would bring it - he doesn't just sit back and let you destroy everything he's built) and 2, for His namesake is a reference to the covenant. Namesake means the covenant (understanding a covenant made by blood illuminates everything, it will make you understand truly what Jesus has done in giving us this new covenant, the fulfillment of the original covenant with Abraham (which is why Abraham was asked to sacrifice his only son, so that God, through the namesake/covenant would be authorized and empowered to do the same for us (the seed of Abraham))). You will undoubtedly say, "Heresy!", but it's still true.

 

100% of all suffering is rooted in Satan, either directly (causing sickness/disease, attacks with physical storms, etc) or indirectly (causing people to persecute you in some way or bringing division or dischord  or confusion or delay or pressure, etc).

 

1 John 3:8 "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil."

 

In the beginning, in God's PERFECT WILL, was Eden, with Adam and Eve married (by the way, to be considered married in the eyes of God, sex has to have occured (this is in reference to the other thread about whether there will be marriage and sex in Heaven)) living under the BLESSING. And God blessed them, SAYING, "Be fruitful (always producing), multiply (always increasing), replenish the Earth (make more of what you use up continually), subdue it (He said this in a perfect world); have dominion (have authority over all things (wind, waves, animals, trees, weather, food, etc)."

There is nothing in what God defines as blessing that constitutes suffering on any level or in any way, shape or form. Every place blessing is described, it lines up with the first mention of blessing, which is here in Genesis 1:28. No mention of suffering = blessing anywhere in the Bible, only that it makes you rich (Prov 10:22) and apart from sorrow (Hebrew for toil, meaning you don't have to work to generate the riches, God does, by His grace (favor) (the blessing gives you empowerment to BE rich, His favor produces the opportunities (both are activated with your tongue (Prov 18:21 & Deut 30:19)).

So since blessing literally means "empowered to prosper" how can suffering make you prosper? It cannot, by definition.

 

The reality is, when God created man and put us in Eden there was only blessing, no suffering anywhere, anytime in any way.

And if suffering were REALLY a blessing (if you were to conveniently ignore everything I've put forth here from the Scriptures), why isn't it in HEAVEN? Surely if suffering (as most define it: sickness, disease, poverty, loss, defeat, discouragement, despair, depression, etc) is SO wonderful that it's being called a blessing, and ALL blessings will be in Heaven, why won't we see any of those things in Heaven?

We must be consistent with this: if God put all sickness and disease on His Son already at the cross, and by His stripes YOU were healed, then how can God put these things on you now? What did putting them on Jesus accomplish then, and WHY would He do that if it didn't do anything?

 

All of these points prove conclusively 100% that suffering is NEVER a blessing but is actually the works of the Devil, every time, without apology, as God has pointed out in 1 John 3:8. It is WHY Jesus came, because things for man were perfect UNTIL Satan came and Adam chose him to be his god.

 

Once Adam did that, sin went into all creation, the curse came on the Earth and mankind, thanks to Adam, through Satan, was under the curse. ALL suffering came about as a result of this. It's root is Satan, using Adam as the means of entry.

 

To sum up: Beginning in Eden; perfection. Adam chooses Satan; mankind cursed and subject to all suffering. God restores mankind (who will believe) back to original state of righteousness and gives him back the blessing as it was in Eden. When we go to Heaven, all suffering is gone (because Satan, the source of it ALL, is chucked into the Lake of Fire forever) and only blessing, just as in Eden, exists. I hope this is 100% clear.

Edited November 15, 2013 by TheCurseOfTheRodain

[TheCurseOfTheRodain]

With all that said, does God, the Good Shepherd and only Teacher, waste an opportunity to teach something when the opportunity is there? Of course not, but it wasn't His plan for you to learn in suffering. Suffering is always the result of something Satan has done, whether in the past through our ancestors' choices or something now. None of it can be put on God. And you'll say, well why do bad things happen to good people? Because of the Devil, and because good people make dumb choices, either because they didn't know something or because of foolishness or they were deceived.

Edited November 15, 2013 by TheCurseOfTheRodain

[GoldenEagle]

SUFFERING IS NEVER A BLESSING;

This is a very long post with a lot to consider.

So I hope to take it in bite sizes.

 

I would very much disagree that suffering is never a blessing. We're told to rejoice in our suffering. We're that suffering produces endurance. Endurance leads to character and character leads to hope. How can we have endurance in persevering in faith in God, character that is molded to conform to the mind of Christ, and hope in God without suffering?

 

Rom. 5:1-5

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. ² Through him we have also obtained access by faithinto this grace in which we stand, and werejoicein hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴ and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵ and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

 

And yet we know suffering ends in good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. Would you agree?

 

Rom. 8:28

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

 

 

 

And still those who will follow Christ and seek to live a godly life will be persecuted.

 

2 Tim. 3:12-13

¹² Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, ¹³ while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

 

 

How about a real life example? On a more personal note a friend (we'll call her Jan) shared in our small group this past week that her mother had cancer. This was a very hard time in their family's life as Jan's mother moved in with them. Yet out of that there was reconciliation between Jan and her mother.  Her mother and one of her uncles hadn't been on speaking terms for about 10 years. Through this ordeal God brought restoration with her uncle. Finally, her mother was also able to share the Gospel with extended family members.

Both Jan and her mother have shared that they absolutely would go through this ordeal with cancer again if they had a choice. The suffering lead to many blessings. So do you see how God can and does use as a blessing my brother?

 

 

Your thoughts?

God bless,

GE

 

Edited November 15, 2013 by GoldenEagle

[GoldenEagle]

SUFFERING IS NEVER A BLESSING; don't be deceived (that's a religious tradition lie (when Paul was told that he would suffer for His namesake you must understand 2 things: 1, Jesus did not say HE would cause the suffering (the Devil would bring it - he doesn't just sit back and let you destroy everything he's built)

 

 

(Continued) Okay so is Paul the only one who said suffering was a part of the Christian walk and something to be expected? Nope.

 

The Old Testament speaks to this as well. For example the Psalmist actually says it was good that he was afflicted as this affliction (something that causes pain or suffering) brought him closer to God by learning God's statutes (a law or decree made by a sovereign, or by God). Or how do you view this passage?

 

Psalm 119:71

It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.

Peter also talked about suffering... Peter warned Christians not to be surprised when trials come (verse 12) as if this were some weird (strange or unnatural) occurence. We're again to rejoice in sharing Christ's sufferings looking forward to His return when His glory is revealed (verse 13). If we are insulted in the name of Christ it is a blessing (verse 14). We are actually told not to be ashamed of suffering but to glorify God in Jesus name (verse 16).

 

The biggest question is when we suffer according to God's will we entrust our souls (put our trust in) our Creater while suffering with/for Christ.

 

1 Peter 4:12-19

¹² Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. ¹³ But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. ¹⁴ If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of gloryand of God rests upon you. ¹⁵ But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. ¹⁶ Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. ¹⁷ For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? ¹⁸ And

 

“If the righteous is scarcely saved,

    what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

 

¹⁹ Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

 

 

 

Bringing this full circle to Jesus Christ... He said that since they persecuted Him they would also persecute us... (verse 20 refers to John 13:16) So we can expect suffering as Christians according to Jesus own words.

 

John 15:20-22

²⁰ Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. ²¹ But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.

 

 

Your thoughts?

God bless,

GE