Does God send suffering? This is a big question for us to tackle. The best place to go is to the Word of God.
I know from the Word that the enemy, (the devil, Satan, ole’ Lucifer, the deceiver, father of lies, etc.), this accuser, is only allowed to put things in our pathway as God gives him liberty.
He has power on this earth, but only as much as God will allow him to have. As in the case of Job, God would not allow Satan to take his life. “And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.” Job 2:6.
Peter tells us that Satan goes about as a roaring lion “seeking whom he may devour”. 1 Peter 5:8. He is not content to leave us as we are, but will do everything in his power to get us “over on his side”.
If we believe God loves us, and of course we do, we also know He chastises, or corrects us, to help us learn and grow. Let’s look at this in the book of Hebrews:
“For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives.”
“Scourge” here is defined as “…to punish with severity; to chastise; to afflict for sins or faults, and with the purpose of correction.” (KJV dictionary)
“…For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:6-11.
Just as an earthly father would correct his children, so does our Heavenly Father correct those whom He loves.
Do our physical ailments and conditions mean that God is chastising us? Even punishing us for something that we have done or that our parents have done?
Look at the story of the blind man that Jesus healed:
“Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.” John 9:1-3 NKJV.
Jesus then spits on the ground, makes a paste of the mud, puts it on the blind man’s eyes and tells him to go wash in the pool of Siloam. When he obeys, he is instantly healed of his blindness.
But Jesus makes it clear that the blind man has done nothing wrong, better yet his handicap is used for the glory of God! When he is healed, it is then a great testimony to the power of God.
The blind man did not sin. His parents didn’t sin; they had nothing to do with this man’s blind condition. Here, Jesus makes it plain that He is going to use this man’s handicap as an opportunity to work a miracle.
This man’s blindness was not a punishment from God any more than cancer, heart ailments, high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, etc., is to us today.
Yes, God has control over our sicknesses, He can take them away in a moment if He so desires.
From the book, Walking with God through Pain and Suffering, Tim Keller shares, “Some suffering is given in order to chastise and correct a person for wrongful patterns of life (as in the case of Jonah imperiled by the storm), some suffering is given not to correct past wrongs but to prevent future ones (as in the case of Joseph sold into slavery), and some suffering has no purpose other than to lead a person to love God more ardently for himself alone and so discover the ultimate peace and freedom.”
If you are struggling with an illness or handicap, do not despair or even be discouraged. God has not forgotten you, He has not rejected you, nor WILL HE EVER! He can use your disability or short term illness for His Glory and you will be blessed beyond measure through the process.
Learning to trust Him, to lean upon Him and depend on Him for your very breath will find you at His feet. That is a most wonderful place to be!
