I thought you were one of these ‘sovereignty of God people.’” You, without any anger, without any defensiveness, say. Is it a sin if my past sexual experiences keep coming to my mind? Nothing could be further from the truth. Knowing that our lives are directed by God gives us comfort and peace and saves us from unnecessary worry. I think of God as a drill sergeant. When natural disasters strike, for instance, they think that these events are God’s way of punishing those who have sinned. Dear brothers and sisters, when we encounter difficulties in our belief and life (family, marriage, job, study, etc. I want to be true to the word of God. Why does God want us to suffer? Here are 15 great Bible verses about putting God … So we need to ask from text to text which of these two is being spoken of. Let me try to give you an example: Suppose that you were abused as a child. 21:4. Why Do We Suffer In This World? He does not take a perverted pleasure in seeing us brought to nothing. It is God’s plan for preserving us and bringing us safely to glory. There are times when I must discipline them, but it does not bring me any pleasure. I know in my head that God works all things for good, and that I am supposed to rejoice always, and that nothing can blady, blady, blah. Paying attention to what the early church prayed for can help keep your prayer life from falling into a rut. We here this question a lot nowadays and sometimes it can influence a person's faith negatively. It is like death for him to strike me. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. My conclusion is that the will of God in the Bible has two meanings. Revelation 21:4 reminds us “God will wipe away all tears from their eyes. But he does not enjoy breaking us. Emotional arguments can sometimes be valid, and again I want to say that I sympathize with his discomfort. After that lands on the person, they look at you funny and say, “I thought you went to Bethlehem. You can disobey it. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. If you try to choose between those two: I just want the nice, tender God without the sovereignty piece, or I’d just like the sovereignty piece, and I’m not into intimacy and tenderness and warmth and relationship. God has given all people in this world free choice and free will to do whatever they want. Psalm 36:8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; And thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. It is difficult for us to comprehend why God would work in this manner. Loving those who suffer is an evidence of God living in us, and it illustrates His perfect love (1 John 4:12) 9. However, because of God’s great mercy (Jonah 4:2), He may delay bringing destruction for many years (Genesis 15:16) to give sinners more time to repent (2 Peter 3:9). All rights reserved. Believers all around the world and throughout all the ages have experienced pain and suffering. The Bible clearly teaches that God does not cause us to suffer. Read, watch, or listen to the full message: John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. And I think the way we’re wired as human beings in his image, we’ve got to have both of those traits. Let me get it all together, Lord, as much as a human brain can get it together. His heart is tender toward me. They’re pondering and praying and say. But he never, ever delights in causing suffering. Still, I cannot submit the word of God to my feelings–nor should he submit the word of God to his. There will be no more death, no more grief or crying or pain.” Does God want us to suffer? The reason I know that it was is because there are a hundred ways he could have hindered it. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. 1 Peter 5:10 - But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle [you]. Yes, he uses suffering to make us more like Jesus. He does not want us to suffer except insofar as it is used by Him for our joy which He desperately wants. And yet, I’ve got to have a God who understands me and who feels with me. Lamentations 3:31-33 says: For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men. Suffering Can Bring Glory to God. Conclusion Sometimes God is glorified by removing the pain (John 11), but sometimes He is glorified by sustaining through the pain (2 Corinthians 12:1-10). All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. He has no inclination or dispostion to the work of afflicting them…. Zero. Thus, they believe that God causes us to suffer. If we ask: “Why does God allow these consequences of sin?” the Bible assures us: God hates both sin and the consequences of sin, and won’t let them continue forever (Revelation 21:8). We do not think the same or act the same because we serve a different Master. A question a lot of Christians ask is, "Does God want us to suffer?" He makes me suffer because He knows it will ultimately be truly good for me (see Romans 8 etc.). Our heavenly father does not take any pleasure in causing us to suffer. Let’s look at the causes of suffering in the world and how we can best respond to difficult circumstances. California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. ... For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, ... has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. He commands that we love each other. He ordains, orchestrates, and uses suffering. Regular, disciplined Bible intake is not optional for God’s people. None. Copyright © 2021, Bible Study Tools. WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS. Why now? I’m a dad. What is God doing? And although there are scriptural indicators that God wants us to be in good health, (3 John 2), all sickness and disease are allowed by Him for His purposes, whether we understand them or not. An example of this is the healing of the man blind from birth . I want to be true to the word of God. Yes, he works all of our sufferings for his glory and our good. You won’t make it, or at least you’ll distort the Bible so badly that your source of strength to get through won’t be God. Commenting on this passage, Thomas Brooks says: God takes no delight to afflict his children; it goes against the grain of his heart. Giving God the first priority enables us to experience peace in our lives. 100 Bible Verses about Ignorance. Some close family members have died or got really ill, I've had really bad clinical depression for years, it's so hard to find a job, im afraid if my dad will lose to cancer, and to end it all off my fiancè left me :( I am, and it was God’s sovereign will. As you resolve to grow and change this year, remember that good intentions without diligence will fail. Making us believe that God, who loved us enough to die for us while we still hated Him, would then turn around and cause us to suffer after we came to love Him is one of Satan’s most effective strategies for hiding the fact that it was he who brought pain and suffering into the creation, not God. On the one hand, it sometimes means God’s absolute sovereign control over all things, which can never be broken and never frustrated. of On the one hand, it sometimes means God’s absolute sovereign control over all things, which can never be broken and never frustrated. And for reasons I do not yet fully understand, he did not hinder it, and thus ordained in his infinite wisdom that it come to pass. Christians are unavoidably out of step with this world. At the end of the verse, write Rev. His hands are gentle around me. That was not the will of God. Salem Media Group. I mean, really badly abused — sexually abused, physically abused, and it has wrought havoc in your life. Article Images Copyright © 2021 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. What makes a person a theologian is seeing things in the Bible and getting on their knees and thinking until they see harmony and unity coming together at the root of their being. Knowing God as sovereign and in control corresponds to a need that we have, and knowing God as a God who commands and commends and entreats his will — which can be broken — corresponds to a profound need that we have. Don’t let me run off in one direction and ride that hobby horse and don’t let me run off in the other direction and ride that hobby horse. It’s not rocket science. Sickness can be a means of God’s loving discipline. But he does not enjoy breaking us. What makes a person a theologian is not a college education, and not a seminary education, and sure not a doctorate. James 1:2-4 - My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; (Read More...) God provides us with our daily needs of food and drink, and has led us unto today. Join us as we joyfully and gratefully explore 10 Inspirational, Motivational, Uplifting & Encouraging Bible Verses, Scriptures, Quotes & Passages about What God has in store for you, What God has in store for me, What God has in store for us, and What God has in store for those who love Him. Scholar Thomas Weinandy does that for us in his book Does God suffer? And so will diligence without God. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. Home » Ask a Bible Teacher » Does God Want Us To Suffer So He Can Cleanse Us? ... and is tainted by your own preferences—God does not want this kind of faith. Indeed, when it happened, it unleashed a kind of grieving and anger, and quenching of the Spirit of God. How sad it must be for God when I think he enjoys hurting me. Help me to be faithful, to hold in tension what has to be kept tension. All suffering is the result of sin in the world (not necessarily personal sin, but the fact that sin is in the world). Yes, he uses suffering to make us more like Jesus. We’re on a mission to change that. We'll send you an email with steps on how to reset your password. The reality that God allows Christians to suffer is one of the most difficult things about being a Christian. Often times this question is considered also, ‘How can a loving God let his children suffer?’ It seems that suffering has become more common today, but the fact is it hasn’t. 2 Timothy 3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, Bible verses related to How God Wants Us To Live from the King James Version (KJV) by Relevance - Sort By Book Order . Our heavenly father does not take any pleasure in causing us to suffer. Please enter your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue. When we suffer, God suffers with us because he loves us so overwhelmingly much. He is author of. But deep down, I suspect God somehow enjoys seeing me suffer. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. And Jesus is a sympathetic High Priest who comes in alongside us and because he has already commanded “This should not happen to you,” he is able to be angry about it, he is able to be grieved about it, and he’s able to speak in terms of being quenched about it. They won’t let any scripture go. It is designed to build our trust in the Almighty, but suffering requires the right response if it is to be successful in accomplishing God’s purposes. I love my children so much, and I do not take any pleasure in disciplining my children. ), how should we rely on Go… But, its taken me SEVERAL bottoms to submit 100%. He does not take a perverted pleasure in seeing us brought to nothing. Scripture promises we will suffer. They just won’t let go. 2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to ev… Suffering has… Yes, he uses suffering for our good. Suffering is not in itself virtuous, nor is it a sign of holiness. It’s just hard to see right now and that’s okay. Some say that everything that happens is God’s will. When illness does come, it may not be the result of God’s direct intervention in our lives, but is rather the result of the fallen world, fallen bodies, and poor health and lifestyle choices. I cannot get enough of the Bible and bible studies and on Sunday…I don’t want the pastor to stop. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. Suffering forces us to turn from trust in our own resources to living by faith in God’s resources. or, "Does God want me to go through this?" Proud member John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. Suffering is a tool God uses to get our attention and to accomplish His purposes in our lives. I imagine that God enjoys breaking me. ...I admit, there are times when I believe God enjoys bringing pain into my life. ... for our lives are from God. But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. When we suffer, let’s not believe the Satanic lie that God somehow enjoys making us suffer. Bible Verses About Trusting in God Help Us to Rely on God to Get Through Difficulties Hello! I'm wondering because I know that many people suffer and offer their suffering to Our Lord and I want to know if this pleases God. God’s word restores the soul, comforts the afflicted, emboldens the weak, and corrects the sinner, but only as we really read and hear it. The question is, "Is it God's will… My conclusion is that the will of God in the Bible has two meanings. Does God want us to suffer? It would go like this: No, it was not the will of God, because God commands that we not abuse each other, and he hates it when we abuse each other. Before I do that in Romans 12:2, let me pause here and try to help you feel why what I just said is precious beyond words to know and believe. “Do you think that was the will of God?” My earnest prayer is that after this sermon, you will be able to answer that question biblically in a way that doesn’t contradict the bible — as strange, as mysterious, as painful, as perplexing as it may sound. We select related Bible verses about obeying God below to help you understand the importance of obeying God rather than men. And I will see in due time how he works it all for my good. Here’s my point when I said these two things are needed to weather losses and pain and hurt: I think deep in every soul is a desperate need that God be strong enough, sovereign enough and in control enough to take me in the midst of my loss and pain, and get me through it, and work for good even in the wills of myself and the people around me, and if I surrender the sovereignty of God and the mighty power of God over me and them, I don’t have the very thing I’ve got to have to stand on to get through this horrible situation. The suffering and death of Jesus show us that there will always be an end to suffering – if not in this life, then the next. Yes, he works all of our sufferings for his glory and our good. All three of those words are from the bible, from particular texts that the Holy Spirit himself experiences. It grieves him to be grievous to them; it pains him to punish then, and it is like death to him to strike them. Does 2 Samuel 12 support polygamy? Why me? Nada. If God loves us, why is there suffering? You can break that will. Keep me faithful to the whole counsel of God. Q Last Sunday at my church, our pastor talked about the refiners fire’s process and he said that God wants us to suffer so he can cleanse us. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. The Bible does condemn homosexuality. While sickness is not directly addressed in the passage, Hebrews 12:5-11 describes God disciplining us to "produce a harvest of righteousness" (verse 11). 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 worship encouragement comforter Yes, he uses suffering for our good. It’s not rocket science. How hurtful it must be to him when I believe he enjoys orchestrating my suffering. Let’s use these two images: Jesus is an absolutely sovereign high king, Lord of lords and King of kings, and nothing comes to pass in this world apart from the dispositions and the decrees of King Jesus. It begins to come out and you deal with it. I don’t think that it’s possible to handle deep hurt and great loss in your life without these two categories. And to know him in both of these ways can get us through situations where if we try to choose the one or the other will leave us very vulnerable. I just read your article and felt good to confirm God does let us suffer to become closer to Him. Help me to be faithful, to hold in tension what has to be kept tension. The test can be anything, whether a disease, a financial storm, a relationship trial, anything that pins us against the wall or brings about suffering. He is not a cosmic sadist. What (if anything) does the Bible say about the possibility of redeeming robots who become Christians? But, believing in the sovereignty of God, there is no other option than suffering being something God allows and/or … And sometimes it refers to what you ought to do because he commands you to do it: don’t kill, don’t steal, don’t commit adultery. 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A Bible Teacher » does God want us to suffer God when I must discipline,! Nor is it a sin if my past sexual experiences keep coming to my feelings–nor should he the! Ultimately be truly good for me ( see Romans 8 etc. ) it...