One of the most besetting questions being asked is “Why does God allow evil and human suffering in this world? How would a loving and compassionate God allow such things?” Some are indeed serious about finding a satisfactory answer to this theological challenge. Others, however, seem to use this question as an excuse to dismiss God, especially the Christian God of the Bible.
The Bible is not clear about the reason why God allows and even includes human suffering in his counsel. All I can say is that it is God’s sovereign design according to his perfect wisdom, which is the penetrating theme of the book of Job. One probable reason we can infer from the Scripture is that the fall, evil, sin, and human suffering are allowed for us to praise God in the fullest possible way—God is not only our Creator but also our Redeemer.
Unfortunately, however, many are not convinced, which, to me at least, is understandable. The notion of God’s sovereignty or perfect wisdom sounds sweet until tragedy hits you. When we suffer and ask for God’s help, we tend to feel as if God were giving us a disease and then giving the medicine for it. That is, we may think that God is playing both sides by being the source of both harm and help. Our bitter thought in such a difficult time is that it is unfair that we should suffer for God’s glory to be revealed as our Redeemer and Savior.
What restores our faith in the eternal goodness of God, however, is the suffering of Christ. It was Christ (who was God) who suffered the most in and through the fall of humankind (see, e.g., Westminster Confession of Faith 8.4). The fall was used in the counsel of God in such a way that God’s glory was enriched when it was overcome, which God did in Christ. Christ faced the indescribably atrocious evil and suffering in our place. Christ was delivered up to the cross and to death (Acts 2:23). Jesus is the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Christ the Son of God knew no sin, and “yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief” (Isaiah 53:10). Jesus took upon himself our sins. What Christ went through was much more than we could ever possibly imagine. Again, it is the cross of Christ that restores and strengthens our faith in God and his fearfully wise counsel. So, let us look at the cross of Christ and remember his suffering when we find ourselves walking through too dark a valley of shadow of death.
Whate’er my God ordains is right
His holy will abideth
I will be still whate’er He does
And follow where He guideth
He is my God though dark my road
He holds me that I shall not fall
And so to Him, I leave it all
And so to Him, I leave it all
Whate’er my God ordains is right (yes, it is)
He never will deceive me
He leads me by the proper path
I know He will not leave me
I take, content, what He has sent
His hand can turn my griefs away
And patiently, I wait His day
And patiently, I wait His day
Whate’er my God ordains is right
Though now this cup in drinking
May bitter seem to my faint heart
I take it all, unshrinking
My God is true, each morn anew
Sweet comfort yet shall fill my heart
And pain and sorrow shall depart
And pain and sorrow shall depart
Whate’er my God ordains is right
Here shall my stand be taken
Though sorrow, need, or death be mine
Yet I am not forsaken
My Father’s care is ’round me there
He holds me that I shall not fall
And so to Him, I leave it all
And so to Him, I leave it all
Songwriters: Keith Getty / Matthew Sherman Merker
Words: Samuel Rodigast (1676)
Translated by Catherine Winkworth (1829-1878)
Music: Keith Getty and Matt Merker © 2018 Getty Music Publishing/BMI, Matthew Merker Music/BMI (adm at MusicServices.org).
From Together for the Gospel Live IV.
(Image: Ksenia Makagonova [Unsplash])
