WHY SUFFERING...ARE WE ALONE?

It’s a strange phenomenon that so many people live today with the idea that difficulty should never be a modifier in their lives. In reality, it borders on narcissism, as if the world and every person on it exists to make me happy, unthreatened and sheltered.

In every century preceding the one we breathe in, people assumed that they would at some time have deal with difficulty, tragedy, sorrow, unanswered questions and the like as they lived out their lives. Interestingly, that reality didn’t dampen the hope and joy of some folks on every continent.

This seductive idea that the world owes me something has even begun to infect the church; not so much in Asia or Africa, but definitely here in the west. In some twisted theological orientations this non-biblical idea has warped the faith of some so that it looks little like the faith lived out by the Apostles and those in the early centuries of the church.

Some even seem to think they can use God’s own Word against Him in order to make Him do what they want. THAT, friends, is simple paganism. In paganism one tries to get the deity “over the barrel” of its own presumed obligation via a kind of “quid-pro-quo” where if I say the “magic words” just right, then the god or gods must come through with the “goods” as I have determined they ought.

But even in raw paganism, there is no assumption that life was meant to be without struggle, difficulty or problems. There is also no assumption that one could actually have an intimate relationship with the “gods”, let alone that the gods would ever love them unconditionally.

The world and all its ecological systems, its relational systems, its inner-personal systems…in fact all of it broke when Adam and Eve made the choice to believe that they actually needed something more than God had provided. They believed the lie that God, their Creator and the Sustainer of the very essence of what it meant to be human, didn’t actually love them or want them to become their best selves.

Trouble, sorrow, confusion, fear, scarcity, misunderstanding, anger, resentment, bitterness, self-pity, cancerous pride, self-centeredness, racism, abuse, murder, deceit, manipulation, intimidation and domination…all of it and so much more that defines human brokenness became embedded in our DNA. We spiritually died: separated from the Source of essential life; true spiritual life and wholeness. The good things God had made began to be undone by the darkness of our own hearts and minds

BUT…the One who created humanity did not abandon humanity. At the very beginning He promised a miraculous birth, One would be born of “the seed of woman”, though woman does not possess the “seed” but the ova that receives the seed to cause life to begin, to be conceived.

In that promise to humanity in Eden’s Garden, God promised that all that had been broken and unmade would be made new again. Sin and its effects would be undone by the sacrificial love God, the Son, would pour out in death for all humanity, for all time. He would rise again on the third day after His crucifixion (see Psalm 22 that describes crucifixion hundreds of years before it was invented and that singular One who would die for the sin of the whole world).

His death proved God had become man. His Resurrection proved He was, in fact, God the Son, even as He said He was before those events occurred.

But Jesus never said that the lives of those who followed Him would be without difficulty. In fact, He stated, “In this world you will have trouble, difficulty, tribulation. But, take courage! I have overcome the world.” The foundations of this decaying world system were broken by Jesus’ death and resurrection. God’s Kingdom, His rule in and through His followers, would begin to turn an upside-down world right-side-up once again.

What about the struggle? What about the sorrow? What about the difficulty? It’s still there as we live life. It’s embedded in the systems of this world that would still try to enslave us to the fear that we’re alone. But nothing could be farther from the truth. Read on

Psalm 91:1-2; 14-15 “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” “Because he loves Me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges My name. He will call on Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.

There is the promise, not that we’ll never have trouble; shoot, we live in a world that is still broken full of people trying to become fully human relying on human effort alone! God promises that those who will believe Him, their hearts will be open to receive His help, His strength and His presence “in trouble”.

Hebrews 13:5-6 “God has said, “I will never leave you; I will never forsake you.” So, we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

It’s not “if” we go through difficulties, but WHEN…God is with those who will believe Him; will trust Him. Isaiah 43:1-3, “But now, O Jacob, listen to the LORD who created you. O Israel, the One who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are Mine. 2 When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. 3 For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Paul writes to the young congregation in Rome. Romans 8:26-28 “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.”

The promise that God will make everything work together for our good, that we might be conformed to the image and likeness of Jesus Christ, means just that: EVERYTHING! Even the things that Satan tries to twist in an attempt to convince us God has forgotten us and we are on our own.

Paul goes on, Romans 8:35-39, “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

We will face things far beyond our own ability to endure. But these teach us to trust in God who even raises the dead, rather than trust in what we know thus far, or have experienced of His grace thus far. We were never meant to trust in ourselves…finite as we are in need to ongoing life transformation by the Holy Spirit. We have to face it; we are limited in intellect, resource and strength.

2 Corinthians 1:8-11 “We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And He did rescue us from mortal danger, and He will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in Him, and He will continue to rescue us. And you are helping us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because God has graciously answered so many prayers for our safety.”

When Paul makes a list of the things that verify his apostleship, he doesn’t make a list of miracles, signs & wonders, his sermons or his learning. He makes a list of all the things he has suffered because he belonged to Jesus and was doing the Father’s will. (See 2 Corinthians 11:16-31)

God will never forget you, follower of Jesus. You are never abandoned. He lives His very life in you and by the power of His resurrection working in you NOW, He is able to do far beyond what you could ever ask or imagine. You are secure, known, loved, empowered to live the Life the Holy Spirit intends to live not only in you, but through you. Remember, it’s a living person who struggles. Dead men don’t struggle. Trust the Lord Jesus. Believe Him. He is with you in trouble; not to harm you but to bless you’ to give you a future and a hope.