Why All The Suffering? - Job 1:1-2:13

One said, part of God's answer, when God answered the question of suffering, he gave us the book of Job, which is 42 chapters.

In other words, it's not an easy answer.

So we're going to be looking at Job partly this morning, but at other passages.

But we're going to read all of chapter 1 as we begin.

So Job, just before Psalms, Job chapter 1.

Job 1 · chapter mention

In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job.

This man was blameless and upright.

He feared God and shunned evil.

He had seven sons and three daughters, and he owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 donkeys, and had a large number of servants.

He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.

His sons used to hold feasts in their homes on their birthdays, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.

When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make an arrangement for them to be purified.

Early in the morning, he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking,

Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.

This was Job's regular custom.

One day, the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them.

The Lord said to Satan, Where have you come from?

Satan answered the Lord, From roaming throughout the earth, going to and fro on it.

Then the Lord said to Satan, Have you considered my servant Job?

There is no one on earth like him.

He is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.

Does Job fear God for nothing?

Satan replied.

Have you not put a hedge around him and a household and everything he has?

You have blessed the work of his hands, and so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.

But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.

The Lord said to Satan, Very well then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.

Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

One day when Job's sons and daughters were fasting and drinking wine in the eldest brother's house,

a messenger came to Job and said, The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby,

and the Sabaeans attacked and made off with them.

They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you.

While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said,

The fire of God fell from the heavens and burned up the sheep and the servants,

and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you.

While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said,

The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and made off with them.

They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you.

While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said,

Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the elder brother's house,

when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house.

It collapsed on them, and they are dead.

And I am the only one who has escaped to tell you.

At this Job got up, tore his robe, shaved his head.

Then he fell to the ground in worship and said,

Naked I came from my mother's womb.

Naked I shall depart.

The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away.

May the name of the Lord be praised.

In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

Well, we'll be looking at Job in a little while.

Before we start, just to make mention of a couple of things.

In your new sheet, you'll notice there's some books alongside the Bible that we should primarily read.

We can also read the experiences of Christians who suffered.

So as we go through the series, I'll recommend books along the way that may be helpful to you.

These are two that I have read myself in the past and found them very, very helpful.

Both Paul Mallard.

He writes of his wife's suffering and consequence knock-on effects on their family.

That's the first one.

And then others you may know, Joni Tada and her injuries through her life, a place of healing, which is very, very helpful as well.

So those are two.

I've ordered some copies.

I hope I'll have them for next Sunday.

And you can purchase them if you would like them.

The other thing to say is the notes that I gave out today.

There's not really questions like there normally is.

What I've done is just the same headings will be on the screen as on the pieces of paper.

But there's kind of like little summary points.

So what I'd like us to do is more to engage with what I have to say, what we look at from God's word.

There'll be lots of questions.

We won't answer everything.

So maybe there's a question that arises and you need to write that down.

You can talk to me afterwards or underline something.

But it's more to be reflective of what we hear from God's word.

So with all that in mind, let's pray and ask for his help to us today.

The Lord is majestic, sovereign in all his ways.

We bow to your mastery.

We bow in worship before you.

We humble ourselves before you, O Lord.

For you are the God who gives life.

The God who takes life.

The God in whom we can trust.

So would you please help us as we look at your word together to be listening carefully.

Not just to understand with our minds.

But that we would know truth penetrating our hearts.

Changing our minds and our wills.

That we might love you and trust you more and more.

We ask for your help.

Amen.

About three years ago, I noticed a slight tremor in my right arm.

I tried to ignore it, thinking that it was just a trapped nerve and that it would soon go away.

After a number of months, it was still there, so I went to the doctors.

And what followed was a series of tests with the neurologists.

On the final visit, I sat waiting for the results.

I've often thought about suffering, and I've asked the question, why, many times.

Reading and reasoning things out in my mind.

But this time, it was different.

It was personal.

Jonathan Grant.

I walked in and I sat down.

The consultant looked at me sympathetically.

You have early onset Parkinson's disease.

Now Parkinson's is a neurological disease which affects and controls the movement of the body.

And thankfully, with medication, it's being kept in check.

And it remains quite stable.

Now I share this not to gain sympathy.

Or because my suffering is worse than yours.

It's not.

I've sat with many of you.

I've talked with you.

I've prayed with you.

I've cried with you.

I share it because for most of us, the question of suffering is not intellectual and philosophical.

It's personal and experiential.

So for you, perhaps, you've watched a family member struggle with cancer.

Maybe you've lost a close friend through a tragic accident.

But maybe it's even more personal than that.

Maybe you are suffering.

Perhaps a broken relationship.

An ongoing illness.

Struggling with unfulfilled dreams.

You see, we all live in a world where suffering is deeply real.

Disease and disability.

Earthquakes and tsunamis.

Wars and famine.

Violence and rape.

And the hard reality is that if we live long enough, we will suffer.

Now, the question before us is this morning, what do we do about all this suffering?

Well, our natural reaction is to blame God.

A parent buries their own child and inside they're crying out,

Why did you let my child die?

A landslide smothers a whole village, wiping out hundreds.

How can you let this happen?

Why did you create such a horrible world?

Why do you inflict such terrible pain?

Our experience of suffering means we are hurt and we are angry.

Something is not right with this world.

We don't like suffering and we desperately want it to stop.

And God, it seems, is to blame for all the suffering we see and experience.

But yet, there's a problem.

You see, we can only truly blame God if we believe in God.

If you're an atheist, you can't blame God because, well, to you, he doesn't exist.

You cannot get angry at a non-existent God.

A true atheist believes that life in this world is just a random series of events.

To quote one philosopher, we are simply the outcome of an accidental collection of atoms.

So why is suffering a problem?

It's just the natural shape and form of life.

Why is it a problem if a child is born with no limbs?

What does it matter if a tornado wipes out a village?

It's just the way it is.

No rhyme or reason.

It just is.

Get on with it.

So if an atheist is to be true to himself or herself, they have no God to be angry at.

We cannot blame a God who does not exist.

And if God does not exist, well, then we cannot expect him to intervene and end the suffering we face.

However, whatever our belief about God, all of us have this sense that suffering is not meant to be.

Deep down, we want suffering to end.

So what do we do about the problem?

Well, I think we need to at least consider what God has to say.

We mightn't like everything that God says,

and God mightn't answer everything we ask, but we must let God be God.

If we're going to be angry at God, and I don't think there's any wrong in being angry,

then we need to leave room for him to answer.

We cannot simply shout at God and not listen to what he has to say.

So three things we're going to look at in response to why all the suffering.

First, God and the cause of suffering.

Turn with me, please, to Genesis chapter 2.

Genesis 2 · chapter mention

God and the cause of suffering.

The Bible story begins with a world that is full of beauty and harmony.

It's a world where there is no suffering.

It's life as we long for in all its wonder.

But we don't have to read too far along,

and we begin to see what caused the suffering in the world.

And it seems there are three interrelated causes or reasons for suffering.

First, human rebellion.

God created a world in which there was one loving ruler.

God is the creator.

God made the world, so he owns the world.

And because he owns the world, he makes the rules.

Chapter 2, verse 15.

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden.

Eden, of course, means paradise.

Took him to work in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

And the Lord God commanded the man,

You are free to eat from any tree in the garden,

but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,

for when you eat from it, you will certainly die.

Now, I don't think it was some kind of magical fruit.

God was simply setting a boundary.

Don't break my commands.

Because if you do, there will be disorder, disease, decay.

It's all going to end in death.

If you set yourself up as ruler, it will end in terrible suffering.

And as we'll see, that's what happened.

The first man and woman rebelled against God,

and suffering has entered the world.

In fact, the history of mankind, including ourselves,

has been ongoing in their rebellion.

As a human race, we have added to suffering

through selfish actions and evil choices.

So first, there is human rebellion.

Second, there's satanic influence.

Chapter 3, verse 1.

Now, the snake, later identified as Satan,

known as the deceiver, who is a fallen angel.

We're not told how or why not all these things are given to us,

but simply that he is a fallen angel.

Now, the snake was more crafty than any of the wild animals

the Lord God had made.

He said to the woman,

Did God really say you must not eat from the tree,

from any tree in the garden?

Verse 4.

You will not certainly die,

the snake said to the woman.

For God knows that when you eat from it,

your eyes will be opened,

and you will be like God,

knowing good and evil.

In other words,

you will be the ones who will decide

what is good

and what is evil.

You see, Satan is the arch enemy of God.

He loves to break and destroy.

He sets himself up against God

and is motivated by a pure hate

of all that is good and beautiful.

And we must never underestimate

Satan's influence.

The Bible describes him as a force of evil,

the God of this age,

or the ruler of the kingdom of the air.

The Apostle Paul talks about his thorn in the flesh,

his suffering,

as a messenger of Satan.

Luke tells us that when Jesus went around healing people,

he was healing those

who were under the power of the devil.

So, second,

Satan has had an influence

and continues to have an influence

in causing suffering.

Third,

God's judgment.

As humans rebelled

and as Satan influenced,

the Bible is very clear

why there is suffering.

Suffering

is in the world

as a result of God's judgment

on the world.

Look at God's response

to this rebellion

and this

satanic influence.

Chapter 3,

verse 14.

So the Lord God said to the snake,

because you have done this,

cursed are you above all the livestock

and all the wild animals.

Verse 15.

And I will put enmity

between you and the woman

and between her offspring

and yours.

So there's going to be this conflict

continuously between Satan

and people.

Verse 16.

To the woman, he said,

I will make your pains

in childbearing very severe.

With painful labour,

you will give birth to children.

Your desire will be for your husband

and he will rule over you.

Now that last part is that

she will want to

dominate and rule over

and your husband

will want to rule over

in a tyrannical kind of way.

Verse 17.

To Adam, he said,

because you listened to your wife

and ate fruit from the tree

about which I commanded you,

you must not eat from it.

Cursed is the ground

because of you.

Through painful toil,

you will eat food from it

all the days of your life.

It will produce thorns

and thistles

and you will eat the plants

of the field.

End of verse 19.

For dust you are

and to dust you will return.

This curse,

this judgment,

comes from God

and it results

in all kinds of suffering.

suffering.

The sufferings we see

and experience,

whether it's physical,

spiritual,

social,

relational,

psychological,

everything is now out of sync.

The fabric of the universe

has been undone.

It's like somebody

has pulled a thread

and keeps pulling

and everything is unravelling.

And as a result,

we now live in a world

which is under the sentence

of death.

Paul describes this suffering

as frustration.

Have a look at Romans chapter 8.

Romans 8 · chapter mention

Romans chapter 8.

Romans 8 · chapter mention

Here it is described as frustration.

The world doesn't function

as it should.

Everything is frustrated.

Chapter 8, verse 20.

For the creation

was subjected to frustration

not by its own choice,

but by the will of the one

who subjected it.

Who subjected it?

God subjected it

to frustration.

God subjected it

to bondage

and decay.

And that judgment

is being felt

globally

and personally

every day.

Now we mustn't think

that God is sitting there

in the throne of heaven

thinking up

terrible cancers

and concocting

terrible diseases

that he can just

unleash upon the world

at will.

No suffering

suffering

in all its

different kinds

are the consequences

of rebellion.

The results

of satanic influence.

The outworkings

of God's judgment.

But we ask

why would God

judge the world

in this way?

Well look at the rest

of verse 20

of Romans 8.

God judges

in hope

that the creation

itself

will be liberated

from its bondage

to decay

and brought

into the freedom

and glory

of the children

of God.

God judges

in such a way

to show

how terrible

and awful

sin is

and how desperately

we need a saviour

who would come

and intervene

and liberate us

and free us

from a sin

wrecked

world.

So in summary

of the first

God

and the cause

of suffering

we can say

that man

is ultimately

responsible

Satan

desires it

and God

has willed it.

So first

God

and the cause

of suffering.

Second

God

and his

control

over suffering.

While we

live in a world

that is broken

and under

God's judgment

we mustn't

fall into

the false

teaching

that says

and we hear

it from people

your suffering

is a result

of personal

sin

or your

suffering

is because

you don't

have enough

faith.

Many Christians

operate in that

way and it's

dangerous

and it's

terrible.

It's not

what the

Bible teaches.

We should

not view

that every

suffering

we experience

is a direct

judgment

from God.

The level

of our

personal

suffering

is not

equated

with our

level of

personal

sin.

So if

we are

suffering

in a

particular

way

it's

not

because

of

the

amount

of

sin

I've

done.

So if

I have

some

incurable

unidentified

disease

it's not

because

necessarily

there's a

whole heap

of sin

in my

life.

Rather

what we

see and

experience

in our

world

today

is the

outworkings

of what

we looked

at in

part one.

The

outworkings

of God's

curse

on the

world.

We live

in the

world that

is frustrated

under the

sentence of

death.

And yet

we live

in a

world where

God

controls

and rules

over all

suffering.

So let's

turn to

the book

of Job.

Go to

the book

of Job.

The

author

at the

very

beginning

wants us

to know

that Job

is a

good man.

He's not

sinless,

he's not

perfect,

but he

is

righteous.

So

Job,

just

before

Psalms,

somebody

got it

there and

I'll

call out

the

number.

509.

509,

Job

Job 1 · chapter mention

chapter

1.

So we

read there,

we're

introduced

to him

that in

the land

of Uz

there lived

a man

whose name

was Job.

This

man was

blameless

and upright.

He feared

God and

shunned

evil.

He even,

verse 5,

prayed for

his children

in case

they had

sinned.

Job is

set up

before us

as somebody

who's

innocent,

but yet

he has

suffered

terribly

in three

ways.

First,

he suffered

at the

hands

of other

men in

verses 13

and 17.

Evil

actions

from

outsiders.

People

have

come in

and it's

meant he

has lost

his herds

and his

servants

as they

took them

away.

He

suffers at

the hands

of other

men.

Second,

he suffers

natural

disasters,

we might

call them

in verses

16 and

19.

A fire

comes and

a tornado

comes that

destroyed his

animals and

horrifically a

wind comes

in,

knocks down

the house

and kills

ten of

his children,

all of his

children,

their husbands

and wives,

gone in a

moment.

And then

third,

he suffers,

we didn't

read this,

but have a

look at

chapter 2

verse 7.

He suffered

personal

illness

and pain.

Chapter 2

verse 7,

so Satan

went out

from the

presence of

the Lord

and afflicted

Job with

painful sores

and soles

on his feet

to the

crown of

his head,

an excruciating

flesh-eating

disease

from which

there was

no comfort.

Job is

an innocent

man,

yet he

suffers

terribly.

And that

is how

most suffering

appears to

us.

We can do

nothing wrong,

we can live

God-honouring

lives,

and yet we

can experience

an incurable

illness,

we can face

the death

of our

child,

and we

could lose

everything in

a moment.

Why is

this?

we look

out and

we wonder,

is anyone

in control

of all

of this,

or is

this just

a random

set of

events,

and somehow

I've just

been dealt

a bad set

of cards,

and I have

to live

with it?

Well,

Job gives

us answers.

First,

Satan

causes the

suffering,

or does

he?

at first

it seems

Satan

caused

the

suffering.

Go back

to chapter

1,

verse 6.

One day

the angels

came to

present

themselves

before the

Lord,

and Satan

also came

with them.

The Lord

said to

Satan,

where have

you come

from?

Satan

answered

the Lord,

from roaming

throughout the

earth,

going to

and fro

in it.

What a

picture.

of evil

intent.

Roaming

around,

looking to

cause harm

and disorder.

And after

his conversation

with God

about this

person,

Job,

Job doesn't

know about

this conversation.

We read

in verse 11,

Satan

says to

God,

but now

stretch out

your hand

and strike

everything he

has,

and he

will surely

curse you

to your

face.

the Lord

said to

Satan,

very well

then,

everything he

has is in

your power,

but on

the man

himself do

not lay

a finger.

Then Satan

went out

from the

presence of

the Lord,

and the

suffering

begins.

The attacks

from evil

men,

the natural

disasters,

his personal

suffering.

suffering.

And in

regards to

his personal

suffering,

look at

verse 7

again,

chapter 2,

verse 7.

Satan

went out

from the

presence of

the Lord,

and afflicted

Job with

painful sores

and soles

on his feet

to the

crown of

his head.

Satan,

it seems,

has caused

the suffering

that has

come into

Job's

life.

Now,

that raises

big questions

for us.

If that

is true,

does that

mean Satan

has power

to do as

he pleases?

Do we

live in a

world in

which God

is just

simply an

opposite but

equal force,

kind of

darkness and

light, good

and evil,

50-50,

one against

the other,

in an arm

wrestle?

Who's going

to win?

Has God

got his

hands tied

trying to

second guess

Satan's

next move,

always playing

catch-up,

trying to

outwit each

other?

Well,

that's how

many people

view it,

but that's

not the

answer.

The answer

is more

complex and

difficult,

but yet

clear.

God is

supremely

in control

of all

suffering.

God is

in control

of all

suffering.

You see,

behind Satan's

desire to

destroy and

harm is

God's

sovereignty.

Satan is

on a

leash.

God has

him on a

lead.

Or as

Luther once

said,

he is

God's

Satan,

a servant

to God's

purposes.

Look carefully

at what God

says in

this discussion

with Satan.

First,

it's God

who initiates

the conversation

about Job.

So look at

chapter 1,

verse 8.

God initiates

the conversation

about Job.

Job 1:8

1,

verse 8.

The Lord

said to

Satan,

have you

considered

my servant

Job?

So God

is in

charge of

all events

here,

not Satan.

Second,

it's God

who permits

the

suffering.

He

initiates

the

conversation,

he permits

the

suffering.

Chapter

1,

verse 12,

read it

carefully.

The Lord

said to

Satan,

very well

then,

everything

he has

is in

your power,

but on

the man

himself

do not

lay a

finger.

God

sets

boundaries.

Chapter

2,

verse 6.

The Lord

said to

Satan,

very well

then,

he is in

your hands,

but you

must spare

his life.

God

sets

boundaries.

You can

do this,

Satan.

You can

allow this

to happen,

but no

more

and no

further.

You will

not cross

the lines

that I

mark out.

Satan

can't

act

without

God's

permission,

without

God's

decree,

without

God's

say-so.

So,

he initiates

the conversation,

he permits

the suffering,

and third,

it is God

who

ultimately

is the

cause.

And I

use that

word

carefully

and with

great

consideration.

Look how

Job

responds

to the

suffering.

Chapter 1,

verse 20.

At this,

Job

got up,

tore his

robe,

shaved his

head,

then he

fell to the

ground in

worship and

said,

Naked I

came from

my mother's

womb,

and naked

I shall

depart.

the Lord

gave,

and the

Lord

has taken

away.

The

Lord

has taken

away.

He's taken

away the

flocks and

herds,

he's taken

away the

servants,

he's taken

away my

children.

May the

name of the

Lord be

praised.

in all

this,

Job did

not sin

by charging

God with

wrongdoing.

God has

done no

wrong in

what has

happened.

And

concerning his

own health,

chapter 2,

verse 9,

his wife

said to

him,

to Job,

this is in

his personal

illness,

are you

still maintaining

your integrity?

Curse God

and die.

Job replied,

you are

talking like

a foolish

woman.

Shall we

accept good

from God

and not

trouble?

Do we

just accept

that in

the course

of life,

God is

in control

of good

things,

but not

in control

of the

hard things

and the

bad things

that happen

in our

life?

In fact,

look at

how the

author

summarizes

what happened

to Job.

Go to

the end

of the

book,

chapter 42,

verse 11.

Here is,

if you like,

the summary,

the conclusion

of the whole

book.

chapter 42,

verse 11.

All his

brothers and

sisters and

everyone who

had known

him before

came and ate

with him in

his house.

They comforted

and consoled

him over

all the

trouble the

Lord had

brought on

him.

They

comforted

and consoled

him over

all the

trouble the

Lord had

brought on

him.

And each

one gave

him a

piece of

silver and

a gold

ring.

God

is the

ultimate

cause

because God

is the

one who

is ultimately

in control.

You see,

if God

is not

in control,

if God

is not

in charge,

then Satan

is.

And at

best,

God is

just an

equal but

opposite

force,

trying to

do his

best,

locked in

an arm

wrestle,

who's

going to

win?

And as

difficult

and as

hard as

it is to

read these

words and

understand the

minds and

the ways of

God,

God is

in control

of all

suffering.

Nothing

happens in

your life

without his

say-so.

Not one

thing.

Every one

of our

days has

been written

before one

of them

came to

be.

Not one

thing is

outside of

the control

of God.

Not one.

And if

God is in

supreme

control,

and if

God is

sovereign

over the

order and

events of

this life,

then here

is a

God who

not only

helps us,

but a

God who

can use

the frustrations

and the

sufferings

and the

struggles

and trials

we may

go through

for good

purposes.

others.

So God

and the

cause of

suffering,

God and

his

control

over

suffering.

And third,

God and

his cross

for our

suffering.

You see,

from what we've

looked at so

far, it may

appear that

God is

cold and

unmoved.

in fact,

it's as if

God is

sitting in

the comfort

of another

world,

immune to

the hurts

and pains

of life.

But we

need to

remember that

just as God

in his

sovereignty,

and in

what in

some ways

remains a

mystery to

us,

that God

who chooses

suffering for

the world

and our

lives,

has also

chosen suffering

for himself.

First,

God suffers

with us.

The unique,

and it

remains unique

to the

God of

the Bible,

to Christianity,

and the

wonderful truth

is that

God has

come to

us in

the person

of Jesus

Christ.

God

comes to

suffer

with us.

Let's

have a look

at Philippians

Philippians 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2.

Philippians,

Galatians,

Ephesians,

Philippians

Philippians 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2.

Again,

if somebody

has a page

number just

to help us

all.

1-1-8-0.

Thereabouts.

Philippians

Philippians 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2,

anyway.

Philippians

Philippians 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2,

chapter 2.

So God

suffers

with us.

Chapter 2,

verse 6,

tells us

this.

Speaking of

Christ,

verse 6,

who,

who,

who,

being in

very nature

God,

did not

consider

equality

with God

something to

be used

to his

own

advantage.

Rather,

he made

himself

nothing

by taking

the very

nature of

a servant

being made

in human

likeness.

God

became

one of

us.

He never

ever ceased

to be

God.

And yet,

he became

fully human.

And in

Christ,

God lived

and experienced

the pains

and hurts

of life.

He understands

what it is

to live

in a broken

and a dying

world.

And when

personal suffering

came to

Christ,

look closely

at verse 6.

He did

not consider

equality

with God

something to

be used

to his

own

advantage.

So,

Christ did

not exploit

his

Godness

or his

divinity

and somehow

escape the

suffering.

He submitted

himself to

suffering.

Something bad

came along.

It wasn't

that he kind

of flicked

the God

switch and

go,

right,

let's end

the suffering

here.

No,

he remained

fully God

and as

fully man

he submitted

himself

to the

frustrations

and the

broken and

decaying and

dying world.

You see,

here we see

a God

who desperately

loves us

and cares

for us,

that he

would suffer

with us.

He enters

our pain

so that

when we

cry out

to God,

he understands.

A God

who knows.

Not just

because he's

God,

but because

he's experienced

it himself.

God is not

distant and

removed,

unfeeling and

uncaring.

He knows

your hurts.

He subjected

himself to

suffering.

He suffers

with you.

suffering.

But more

than that,

he suffers

for us.

Look at

verse 8.

Being found

in appearance

as a man,

he humbled

himself

by becoming

obedient to

death,

even death

on the cross.

The cross

of God

is the

ultimate

suffering

of God.

God

suffers

for us.

We talked

earlier about

God's judgment

on the world

because of

sinful rebellion

and that

judgment would

continue for

an eternity

unless God

did something

about it.

And the

glorious news

is God

has done

something about

it.

He stepped

in.

The hope

was,

Romans 8

Romans 8:20

verse 20,

21,

was that

creation would

be liberated

from its

bondage

of decay.

And he

does that

by intervening

into the

world in

the person

of his

Son,

taking on

himself my

sin and

your sin,

suffering the

judgment of

God for

us.

And as

Christ hung

on the

cross,

as he

experienced

that suffering,

he cried

out,

my God,

my God,

why have

you forsaken

me?

And at

that moment,

Christ suffers

the abandonment

of God.

He suffers

in its

fullest sense,

the wrath

of God.

He suffers

hell.

He suffers

for me.

He suffers

for you.

And as we

trust him,

we can be

forgiven and

freed from

an eternal

judgment to

come.

Set free

from what

our sins

deserve,

liberated so

that one

day we

might receive

the redemption

of our

bodies.

God suffers

the ultimate

suffering for

us so that

we do not

have to

suffer

eternally.

You see,

suffering

causes us

and says,

look at the

cross.

Come and

see the

God who

suffers with

us, but

look at the

God who

suffers for

you.

A God who

loves you

deeply and

immensely.

Out of

compassion and

mercy, he

comes to

deal with

our suffering.

In all our

questions, we

must never

forget that

when God

chose suffering

for this

world, he

chose suffering

for himself.

and it's

through his

suffering that

will come

our healing.

So where

does this

leave us?

Trust God.

I'm aware

because I

have scribbled

out, rewritten,

re-read,

scribbled out

again, because

I don't have my

questions answered.

Things remain

unresolved in

my mind.

We can still

be angry.

I get that.

Anger is

understandable.

We can still

be hurting.

It's natural.

Our hurts

don't go

away.

It's hard for

us to reconcile

why God

wills and

permits and

at times

causes

suffering.

And then at

the same time

we read that

he submits

to suffering

and he

suffers with

us and

for us

so that

all suffering

would come

to an end.

And we

can't cope

with it.

We can't

hold this

together.

And yet

it's true.

Where we

cannot see

what is

going on

or make

sense of

what is

happening,

what we

can see

is a

God who

is in

control of

all things,

who is

over every

detail of

your life

and over

everything in

this world,

over Satan

himself.

Therefore,

we can

trust him.

In our

questioning,

let God

answer.

Listen

to what

he says.

Let God

be God.

Trust the

God who

suffers with

us and

for us

to end

all

suffering.

Let's

pray.

Let's

pray.

Let's

pray.

Let's

pray.

Let's

pray.

Let's

pray.

Let's

pray.

Let's

pray.

Let's

pray.

Let's

pray.

Lord God,

we

struggle

right now.

We're

struggling.

We

struggle to

understand

everything.

We

struggle to

understand the

suffering that

we are

experiencing

or we

see loved

ones going

through.

We

confess that

we can be

angry.

And we

bring it

all before

you and

ask that

you would

help us

to trust

you as

the God

who is

over all

things,

the God

who came

to suffer

for us

to end

all

suffering

so that

we might

have life

with you.

Help us

to walk

with you

through

these

series

of talks.

Father,

would you

teach us

and would

you help

us where

we cannot

see to

keep

trusting you