There is nothing that happens that God does not allow to happen. This is a real and profound statement and sometimes a tough pill to swallow.
It’s easy to have faith, trust, and believe God when things are going well. It’s easy to trust God at the beginning of tough times, but that faith and trust can dwindle as time passes and it appears God is not taking action to solve our problem or dilemma.
Why is it that sometimes God answers our prayer to heal a life-threatening illness or bring us out of debt but other times He seems to abandon us? We could lie and tell you it is because you don’t have enough faith, or God is testing you, or that you have sinned and this is God’s punishment, but again this would be lying.
Some religious leaders may even tell you, “You are being tested” or this is the storm before the blessing. We need to be honest and real because God is both honest and real. The official answer why God is allowing you to suffer is “We don’t know!”; that is being honest. Only God knows.
We seek out churches and religious people so we can be told God wants us healthy and wealthy or to have someone pray for us hoping the solution comes with their prayers, but this does not always happen.
The danger with false hope is it can turn us from God in a defiance or developing an opinion God does not exist.
Jesus begged his father, God, “if you be willing, let this cup pass from me” (Luke 22:42) as he prayed before his arrest leading to his suffering and death. Even Jesus seemed betrayed, but he wasn’t. How do we know he wasn’t betrayed by his father, God? The latter portion of his prayer is “nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done”. Jesus’s prayer was answered, not his will but his father’s will was done – He suffered and died! That is a tough pill to swallow.
Jesus gave us the “Lord’s Prayer” which is the model prayer. One of the sentences of the Lord’s prayer is “Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven”. When you think about it, this is a tough pill to swallow when God’s will is not what we want or hope for.
I hate to say it but this is discouraging. I personally don’t always like what God does or allows, but I am not God, but He is! Having faith is not always easy or even desirable if we are honest. Let’s be honest, it can be painful, but God knows it but still allows it.
Does this mean God is not who He claims to be? No, we just don’t have a mind of God. God doesn’t want us to suffer but, unfortunately, we sinned and have a sinful nature and the consequences is the curse and physical death.
God has a remedy, eternal life and a new body that is not corrupt and sinful, but that is to come later in His time. He did show us He has the power to resurrect by Jesus, His son, and our example. Jesus is the promise for having hope and eternal life is the reward.
In the meantime, God has given us his spirit to comfort us AND He has given us each other. We are His physical hands for others to hold and arms to embrace and comfort. We are to offer words of understanding and comfort. We don’t need to always have an answer, because we really don’t have an answer. Just our presence and the thought of knowing someone cares is all a hurting and grieving person needs.
Keep it Simple! Let God’s love flow through you to others.
Amen.