Why am I suffering?
Though we don’t always say that out loud, it comes to mind often while a river is rushing through our eyes.
Deepest grief, troubled relationships or fear of the unknown in life may not be the suffering that is commonly justified.
We say the suffering is only in the nations that are war-torn, riddled with starvation, drenched in poverty and enveloped in human trafficking.
Our pain doesn’t seem significant when considering the suffering that others experience everyday.
Let’s not make the suffering of others look less than what it is; though, let’s not pretend that your heart isn’t ripped up by the same pain.
If you break down each trial that a person faces, the result is the same.
The pain is the same.
Don’t believe it when your thoughts say that your pain is not as considerable as others!
The LORD loves you and your pain matters more to Him than you will ever know!
“casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
I Peter 5:7 NKJV.
“The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.”
Psalms 34:18 NKJV.
“for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.””
Revelation 7:17 NKJV.
If God cares about me and my pain…
Why am I suffering?
I have been asking myself and God this question recently.
Guess what…
He answered!
The response I received was this:
“Do you remember when you asked Me for a tender heart for people?”
My answer was YES; I do remember wanting to love people like Jesus and asking for a heart that breaks for what God’s heart breaks for.
He said, in the still small voice only my soul could hear,
“Do you know how things are made tender?”
What swiftly came to my remembrance was when my father was tenderizing steak.
From afar I heard a constant pounding and looking in the direction of the clatter, was a most shocking sight.
Let’s just say that the wall my father was facing while preparing this dish, was becoming more speckled with every hit; the counter was blanketed in crimson.
The sound in my memory grabbed my attention and opened my heart to understanding what God was trying to tell me.
That question He asked repeated in my thoughts; the answer was clear…
How are things made tender?
Affliction.
I wondered if God afflicted me in the same manner.
It sure did feel as though my heart was stricken as violently as that steak.
The LORD quickly reminded me that He allows the affliction of this fallen world, He does not rejoice in it.
Look at Job’s story: Job 1:9-12.
The LORD does not approve of any evil, though He permits evil to expose itself through its produce.
“For He does not afflict willingly, Nor grieve the children of men. To crush under one’s feet All the prisoners of the earth, To turn aside the justice due a man Before the face of the Most High, Or subvert a man in his cause— The Lord does not approve.”
Lamentations 3:33-36 NKJV.
As we see in Job, the devil delights in evil and in what evil does to all of God’s creation.
The LORD allows evil to expose itself and therefore destroy itself.
“Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.”
Psalms 34:21 NKJV.
In this, yes; God allows all of His people to be afflicted by evil.
Why does God allow the devil to afflict all people?
Side note:
Religious people say all the time,
“You should never question God!”
I’ve only found in God’s word and in my own walk with Jesus, that
those who question God honestly, receive understanding!
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
James 1:5 NKJV.
So, please ask God questions!
Why does God allow the devil to afflict all people?
God showed me that affliction makes our hearts tender to the hurt of those around us.
I cry out in pain, wondering why I’m suffering, and the LORD my God answered so kindly!
He reminded me that I asked Him for a tender heart for His people!
I can’t have a true compassion for the deepest pain of others if I don’t know the weight of deepest pain, myself.
Surely, I wanted to debate that, but there was no debate!
I saw in my own life that I felt the pain of a mourner because I myself experienced grief.
Everyday I found myself speaking encouragement to people only because I knew the aching that paralyzed me when people spoke hurtful things to me.
This ministry itself is evidence that what agonizingly tormented my mind and heart, I never want anyone to go through alone.
If my own life wasn’t evident enough, the LORD provided one last example to comfort my heart.
“He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.”
Isaiah 53:3-7 NKJV.
Consider this:
The Savior could have died as an infant.
Remember, Herod wanted to kill the Messiah way before the religious leaders did.
Jesus is the same always…
He was and always will be the Son of God.
Certainly, He could have been the perfect, spotless lamb as a child; and died for the atonement of our sins before He ever had to experience deep sorrow.
God allowed Jesus to be afflicted as we are.
Despised.
Rejected.
A man of sorrows.
Closely associated with grief.
Beaten in every way as my father beat that piece of meat.
Faced the same wrestle between temptation and righteousness, yet chose to suffer though obedience instead of choose the much easier path.
“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
Hebrews 4:15 NKJV.
The fact of the matter is, God could have saved us without Jesus being afflicted, but chose to let Him be severely afflicted so that He can fully have compassion towards us.
He endured the suffering not only to save us, but to fully show His deepest understanding of the pain we will face in life, as we choose obedience unto God.
“looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.”
Hebrews 12:2-3 NKJV.
The affliction makes our hearts tender to those who are afflicted!
Oppression gives us understanding of those who are oppressed.
Turning from our own idea of what we want for our lives, choosing to wait on the LORD; despite the agony of fear and irrespective of our understanding… That helps us feel for those who are fighting the good fight of faith everyday!
Looking back…
It was a far more dangerous prayer than I ever thought; that my heart would break for others as God’s heart breaks for people.
Nevertheless, for the first time in my life I rejoiced in my pain!
Not after the storm had passed, did I feel immense joy; but in the midst of deep sorrow.
Think about it!
All people experience pain!
“that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
Matthew 5:45 NKJV.
The seasons change for all people!
So as a believer, when your heart has been made tender, your heart truly breaks for anyone who is hurting, regardless of their belief.
Furthermore, because a believer also bears hope, they are also able to share that with those who are hurting and have no hope.
So our pain and suffering isn’t empty and useless!
This is how joy in deep pain is possible!
Thank you LORD for this suffering, because my heart is now sensitive enough to help others who are suffering.
Photo by jasmin chew
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
