If you could ask God only one question, what would you ask? Christian Apologist Lee Strobel commissioned a national survey and asked this question. He writes, “The Number One response was: ‘Why is there suffering in the world?’” Probably every believer has asked God why about something that happened in their life or the world. “Why did my daughter die? Why do I have cancer? Why was our home destroyed?” I ponder why God allows the wicked tyrant in Russia to continue inflicting death and destruction in Ukraine and why the godless despot in North Korea continues spending millions of dollars on his obsession with destroying America while the country’s people are starving.
With no definitive human answer, people also ask, “Why didn’t God create a world where suffering and evil didn’t exist?” Scripture answers this question, but people overlook or ignore the answer and immediately blame God. First, we must understand God did not create evil or suffering. Instead, He made the world without suffering. At the end of each creation day, God saw that it was good (Gen 1: 4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25). After creation was complete, God saw all that he had made, and it was very good (Gen 1:31). So, what happened?
God gave humanity the freedom to choose. He did not force men and women to love Him. Instead, He wanted people who would freely choose to love and obey Him. However, Adam and Eve abused our freedom; they rejected and disobeyed the Lord’s one command to them. Their sin, called the fall, brought death and suffering into His perfect creation. The fall plunged all their descendants (us) and even the earth into despair. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers together until now (Rom 8:22 NET). “When we humans told God to shove off, He partially honored our request. Nature began to revolt. The earth was cursed. Genetic breakdown and disease began. Pain and death became part of the human experience” (Cliffe Knechtle).
With sin entering the creation, we now live in a broken world where suffering never ceases. Be mindful that receiving Jesus does not exempt believers from the effects of sin. However, the Bible assures us He is with us through all our times of trouble. “I will never leave you and I will never abandon you” (Heb 13:5 NET). The analogy behind this verse is a soldier mortally wounded and surrounded by the enemy. In the distance, he can see his fellow troopers fleeing as fast as they can. They have abandoned him. Jesus, using the most vivid wording, promises He will never, never, never leave us in such a situation. King David went through countless painful experiences but knew he was never alone. Even when I must walk through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me (Ps 23:4 NET).
Pain and suffering come from two sources—the sinful nature of humans and the broken natural world. Universally, all people are born with a sinful nature. Charles Spurgeon said, “As the salt flavors every drop in the Atlantic, so does sin affect every atom of our nature.” Jesus taught that out of the human heart, come evil ideas, sexual immorality, theft, murder,adultery, greed, evil, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, pride, and folly (Mk 7:21, 22 NET). One example of man’s evil greed is the earth produces enough food for every person alive to have 3,000 calories daily. So, why do 828 million people suffer going to bed hungry every night? Because of men’s evil, selfish nature. Knechtle comments, “It is a cop-out to blame God for human irresponsibility.”
Man’s disobedience also corrupted nature. We call this second source ‘natural evil’. The ground is cursed because of you (Gen 3:17). After this proclamation by the Lord, men had to grow their own food through hard labor because of “thorns and thistles”. This decree on the ground also brought suffering through earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, volcanoes, heat waves, etc. Not just man but the whole creation groans and suffers (Rom 8:22 NET). Nature longs for redemption to come and for things to be set right.
Suffering is never good, but God will take the dire circumstances we endure and cause good to emerge. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him (Rom 8:28). Paul even tells us we can rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint (Rom 5:3:5 HCSB).
Not only will God turn our suffering into good in this life, but the Bible also assures that our worst moment of pain isn’t even worth comparing to the eternity of blessings and joy we will experience. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us (Rom 8:18).
Sustaining Word for the Week: Why? We may never know in this life. But you can stand on the fact God didn’t cause it. All suffering results from living in a broken world and among people with sinful natures. And God makes suffering work for our good and gives believers the Holy Spirit to have victory over our own nature of sin.