Why?

Ok, I'm not angry with God as I shared in previous article. But I do want to address the question that many have asked. And that is why does God allow such things in the first place? Why did Brent and our family have to go through all that we've experienced this year? We're just one story. There are others who ask the same question in their personal trial.

The first thing I want to mention is that even the most godly ask God the question why. Virtually every saint in the Bible has asked this from, Moses to Gideon to David. Even Jesus, the Son of God, cried out on the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" So I don't thing there is anything inherently wrong with asking the Lord as long as the motive is sincere.

The next thing I want to mention is that I should not be surprised about my trial because I have been warned that there will be trouble in this life. The Lord Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). And in 1 Peter chapter 4, "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you."

Although we all have troubles in this life, we suffer differently. Each person has a different cross to bear. Some have less suffering than others; some suffer more. In the Bible, the most righteous man of his time, Job, suffered more than all his contemporaries. Why? We may not know the unique reason in a particular case, but Scripture gives us general principles as to why a Christian may experience suffering:

1. The attack of Satan and demonic forces: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12)

2. The glory of God: "As he (Jesus) went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?' 'Neither this man nor his parents sinned,' said Jesus, 'but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.'" (John 9:1-3)

3. The testing of the believer's faith: "...though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine..." (1 Peter 1:6-7)

4. Discipline for sin: "In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: 'My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.' Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons." (Hebrews 12:4-7)

5. Development of holiness: "Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness." (Hebrews 12:10)

I am convinced that when a Christian undergoes trials, there is an element of each of these. Satan has come to "kill, steal and destroy" (John 10:10). He is the enemy who prowls around like a lion, seeking for one to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Whether we like it or not, earth is not heaven. Life, here and now, is a battle. Satan and his forces have a purpose: to destroy you, to destroy your faith, to turn you against God, to get you to curse God, to cause you to go to hell and suffer their same fate. Jesus called Satan a "murderer" and a "thief". When Jesus healed the sick and the lame, it was said that he was destroying the work of the devil.

Yet for as much authority as he has, Satan is still under Christ's authority. He can do nothing to anyone without being allowed to as we learn from the story of Job:

From Job, chapter 1
6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them.
7 The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it."
8 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."
9 "Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied.
10 "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.
11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face."
12 The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger."

Notice first that God had set his protection over Job, a "hedge around him", such that Satan could not harm him. This was the normal for Job. For God is a refuge and a fortress for those who trust in Him. Satan could do nothing that God did not allow. Notice also that God brought up Job to Satan. It was His idea. After Satan accused Job, God broke with His norm of protecting Job and decided to allow Satan to test Job. The point is that there was a purpose, a reason behind Job's suffering. It wasn't that God was not able to prevent it. It was not that God was mad at Job (rather, he had pleasure in him and boasted to Satan about him). It was not that God was not good (for he blessed Job abundantly in everything). It was part of God's plan.

The sovereign Lord will take what he allows Satan to do and use it for his glory. He will take the ruins and use them to accomplish his purposes. In the case of the man born blind, the purpose of the blindness was that Jesus would be glorified when he performed the miracle of restoring his sight. In another example, remember the story of Joseph. Out of jealously, his brothers sold him into slavery where he ended up, first as a slave and then through futher injustice, a prisoner for some years. But God rescued him out of his bondage and exalted him to the second in charge in Egypt. In the end, God used Jospeh's bad circumstances to save God's people. After being reuinted with his brothers, Joseph said, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."

Of course the greatest example of God's plan including suffering is that of the Lord Jesus himself. He suffered the agony of the cross, being put to death by evil men. Yet that same cross became the source of salvation for mankind. God's plan was that through Christ's sufferings, multitudes would be cleansed from their sin and inherit eternal life. And so the glory of God's grace and kindness is magnified through suffering.

God is therefore glorified in that He is able by his sovereign power to work our trials into good. In fact, the promise of Scripture is that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him. No trial is wasted.

For the Christian, trials also come as a testing of faith. Will we remain faithful to the Lord even when Satan tries to deceive us to turn us away from Christ? Will we continue to believe in and love the Lord Jesus? Our Lord exhorts us: "Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life."

God's purpose in trials is not just to demonstrate the good He has worked in us, but also to root out the bad. As previously quoted, our hardship is God's discipline of our sin. Not necessarily a particular sin, but the need for godliness in our character. So often, when life goes our way, we forget about God. We become self-absorbed, seeking only our own pleasure. We feel as though we are in control of our own lives. Scripture is very clear that suffering develops character. God afflicts us in love, not willingly nor out of devious delight, that we might share in his holy character. For in suffering we become aware of God. We turn to him. We call on his name in prayer. We meditate on his promises. As we see God's faithfulness, we learn to trust him more. As we see his mercy and kindness to us in our need, we learn gratitude. As he pours out his love into our hearts by His Spirit in our dark hour, we bond with him and learn His love. As we become conscious of God's future promise of heaven and glory, we learn to love this world's fleeting pleasures less and look forward in hope the our eternal reward. And so we learn to perserve in our faith. This is what it means to be holy.

One day, all followers of Christ will be forever delivered from pain and suffering. Listen to the promise: "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18). Do you hear that? Not even worth comparing. The most painful trial can not compare to the goodness of the life to come. Let's therefore endure with hope and heed the words of James:

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4)