Thousands of people are asking this question…
There are those who have lost loved ones in tsunamis; others who live in constant illness and pain. News of war dominates the media. Thousands died in the recent earthquake in Nepal. Perhaps you have suffered the trauma of child abuse, violent crime or extreme poverty. Each of us has faced times when, in frustration and pain, all we can do is shout, ‘Why? Why? How could God let this happen?’
People want answers. We all need hope. The Bible gives us both. It tells us that when God made the world, He ‘saw all that He had made, and it was very good.’ It was a perfect world with no evil or suffering.
What went wrong?
Suffering and death entered the world when the first people rebelled against their Creator. Adam and Eve had a choice to obey or disobey, and they disobeyed. Since then, we have all wanted to live life our own way, rather than submitting to God’s rules. ‘We all, like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, everyone, to his own way.’ The first man born into this world murdered his brother. Most of the suffering we see, is caused by evil people; the terrorist attacks, the cruelties of child abuse, rape, theft. We cannot blame God for the things that people do to other people.
Why does God not do something about it now?
We all want justice. The problem is that if God got rid of all the evil now, where would He draw the line? We would all agree that people like Hitler or Stalin deserve punishment, as do those whose cruelty destroys lives. But what about a man who has walked out on his wife and children with all the pain that follows? What about thieves? What about those who tell lies? What about the nasty comment you made to harm that person’s reputation? What about the angry words you said which you wish you could take back? You see, we have to admit that all of us have caused some pain to others. All of us are therefore under God’s judgement. The ‘Times’ newspaper once asked readers to respond to the question: ‘What is the biggest problem in the world?’ One correspondent replied: ‘Dear sir, I am.’
God is good and holy. He cannot tolerate any evil and even one sin is enough to condemn us. ‘For whoever shall keep the whole law and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.’ A chain only needs to have one faulty link to be a broken chain. For God to stop all suffering now, He would have to destroy the whole human race. God will judge the world, but right now He is giving us time to come back to Himself. ‘The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’
But what about natural disasters and accidents?
When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, the natural world was also affected. Since their fall, this world has been under a curse. That is why there is death and disease and why disasters occur, and that is why the universe is out of joint. The Bible says the creation is ‘groaning.’ We see this in tsunamis, earthquakes, floods and volcanic eruptions. These are signs that something has gone wrong, that there is a problem.
Does God care about the suffering? Is there any hope?
Yes, God does care! Yes, there is hope! God has provided a solution. Two thousand years ago, someone else also cried out ‘why?’ amid darkness and pain. As He was dying on the cross, Jesus Christ cried out: ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’. God cared so much about the suffering and evil in the world that He sent His Son to save us. Jesus means ‘He saves’. He was also called ‘Immanuel’, which means ‘God with us’. God Himself, came to live in this world of suffering.
Jesus was born into a poor family. He saw and experienced pain and sadness, tiredness and frustration. Thousands of sick, hurting people were brought to Him and He healed them. He suffered great injustice and persecution, and was finally nailed to a cross.
Why did Jesus die?
Jesus not only shared our experience of pain and suffering, but He also died to release us from it. He died as a substitute for those who are under the judgement of God. We saw earlier that all of us fall into that category. Unlike us, Jesus never sinned, so He did not deserve to die. He willingly offered His perfect life to God. He suffered all of God’s anger against our disobedience. God punished Jesus in the place of all who trust in Him. He suffered Hell and judgement for us, because He cared. All those who are willing to turn from their wrongdoing and trust Christ to save them, can know that their sins are forgiven. God is no longer angry with them because Jesus took their punishment. Jesus rose from the dead after three days, showing that He had defeated death and the consequences of sin. Those who trust Him will also rise from the dead and have eternal life in a new world where ‘there shall be no more death, no more sorrow, no crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.’
God is not going to leave everything as it is now. This world won’t always be under the curse; it won’t always be spoilt by sin. When Jesus returns, this world is going to share as much in the joy of that day as it did in the horror of the fall of man. There will be a new heaven and a new earth. At last there will be a place in which there is no sin, and therefore no sickness or death.
Those who trust Christ to be their Saviour in this life, may still have to face suffering, but they have a Friend who has experienced it Himself and promises to help them through.
One day Jesus will return as Judge. He will be a perfectly fair judge. No stone will be left unturned, nothing will go unpunished. We will all ‘have to give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.’ Justice will be done.
Are you ready for that day? Or are you still under God’s judgement? Call to Him now and ask Him to save you. Jesus said: ‘Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’
Adapted from ‘How can there be a God when there is so much suffering?’ Word of Hope Ministries. With kind permission.
