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Suffering & God’s Sovereignty (Psalm 135:6)
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Believin’ Stephen || The Suffering Servant
Does this sound familiar? “God, why is this happening? Why me?!” It doesn’t matter who you are, this is a question we all raise at some point in our lives. When we survey the world around us, we want to know why we or others in this world are suffering. If God is so loving, why does he allow bad things to happen? Well, the Bible has an answer to this question, and it’s the subject that Believin’ Stephen answers in his song “Suffering & God’s Sovereignty.”
One of the difficult puzzles in this world is how we reconcile God’s goodness and sovereignty (that he is in full control), while still allowing evil but not being its author. This is a complex subject, so I’m only giving a view from 30,000 ft.
Let’s start at the beginning. At creation, God made & declared everything “good” and “very good.” Yet, in Genesis 3 corruption enters God’s perfect creation through Adam & Eve’s willful disobedience of God’s commands. In this act these two did what they most wanted to do, which was eat the fruit. They sinned against God & sent the world into a tailspin. This is how suffering entered our world; it exists because of sin.
Yet, none of this caught God off guard. He is the author of all history. Even though he is not the author of sin, nothing happens in this world without first being allowed by God. Psalm 135:6 tells us that God does whatever he pleases. In Isaiah 46:10 we find God declaring the end from the beginning, even those things that haven’t been done yet. And finally, in Lamentations 3:37-38 we learn that when God speaks things happen, including the good and bad (with bad being from a purely human perspective). Job is a perfect example of this truth. The adversary had to first get God’s permission before laying a hand on Job. Nothing happens without God’s approval.
The question still remains, why suffering? The simplest answer is: why not suffering? We have all sinned against God, and the only thing we all rightfully deserve is an eternity of divine punishment in hell. The suffering we face in this world, no matter how small, is a result of sin, which may not always be our own. In many ways, suffering is a good and just consequence. Any good we have in this world is because of God’s grace toward us.
But God does not allow suffering simply because he gets a kick out of it. He allows it because he has a purpose. That purpose is showing us our need for a Savior. Jesus suffered, without ever sinning on his own, to rescue us from our sin. This also includes a promise of a future where suffering will no longer exist. Christians can take comfort because the Bible says that our suffering will be used for our good (Romans 8:28). Even though this world looks bleak and suffering is all around, we can mourn, but still rest easy knowing that God has a purpose in allowing it.
Dig Deeper
- Read Romans 5:1-5. How does Paul say we should approach suffering? What should suffering produce in the life of a Christian?
- Read 2 Timothy 3:12 and 1 Peter 3:8-17. Unfortunately suffering is a part of life, but according to these verses, what should be our reason for suffering?
- Read James 5:13. When we do face times of suffering, what should one of our first responses be as Christians?
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Background music: Dert “Paper Jam” from album CMYK EP – courtesy of Dert Beats
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