My thoughts on trying to understand suffering
PostPosted: Mon Aug 02, 2010 11:26 am
When we are in a point of suffering, it is common and very natural for us as human beings to turn to human solutions first versus turning to God first. You may argue that while prayer is well and good, it is also wise to use human solutions for the problem. That is true to a point. For instance, if a person has cancer, it is wise to go to the doctors for treatment. God has given us the grace of having doctors who have the knowledge to help cure and treat diseases. The point in this is not that human solutions do not work, rather its that when we turn to human solutions first, we tend to forget about God and the power that prayer holds. For many of us who may be permanently or temporarily disabled, from wheelchair bound to having a chronic illness that effects are lives in very real ways, prayer can seem like it does nothing. In many ways it may feel that it does nothing. While understandable that our feelings are that way, feelings are not facts. Fact is, prayer amounts to much and the Bible attest to that. It is important that we go to God first as our primary Healer and then can we seek human solution using godly wisdom.
Some examples of suffering are abundant in the Bible from the Old Testament to the New Testament.
There are points where God answers the prayer in a form of a miracle:
One example is Isaac. His wife, Rebekah, was barren. In that culture, it was seen as being disgraced, ridiculed and even made the woman possibly left to no ability to have very little, if at all, livelihood. To be barren was to have much suffering. It can be assumed that Rebekah prayed in earnest, that she sought any cures that were available at that time and did what was humanly possible. Isaac went to God in prayer and a miracle was given:
Genesis 25:21
21 Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.
Point 1: God is aware of cultural and societal standards and suffering.
Another example is during the time of Isaiah. Hezekiah, the leader of Israel at that time, had been praying to the Lord to heal him. He was the son of David. The Lord, again, answered his prayers in the form of another miracle.
2 Kings 20:4-6
Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him: 5 "Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, 'This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the LORD. 6 I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.'
Point 2: God loves a heartfelt prayer, one that is sincere and is not merely lip service.
The most often used book of the Bible when it comes to suffering, at least in the Old Testament, is the book of Job. The man lost his wealth, his beloved children, his friends, his health and even his wife at some point. This man suffered much. He suffered the words of guilt that some tried to lay upon him. Not just anybody, his dearest friends felt that God was punishing Job for his sins. When everything is taken from you, you become desperate. Job could have tried to get out of his situation using human means. He could have asked his friends for help, look for a doctor, try to find another way to get income and even find another wife. He didn't. Instead, he did the only thing he felt he could do and that was pray.
Job 16:16-18
16 My face is red with weeping, deep shadows ring my eyes; 17 yet my hands have been free of violence and my prayer is pure. 18 "O earth, do not cover my blood; may my cry never be laid to rest!
God allowed him to his prayers, there was nothing wrong with crying out to the Lord in his suffering. Some say that we should just have faith, that if we keep thinking positive and only pray to God with positive words than He will heal us. God is not a genie and doing certain actions will not dictate how God acts. His ways are not our ways, nor are His thoughts, our thoughts. I believe that God welcomes heartfelt prayers, even those that cry out to Him through our suffering. The outcome of Job's situation was a positive one. Everything that was lost, was restored ten fold. Job, to say the least, enjoyed the harvest of his faith on this Earth.
Point 3: God does not turn away from those who cry out to Him in pain and despair.
“That is not always the case!â€
Some examples of suffering are abundant in the Bible from the Old Testament to the New Testament.
There are points where God answers the prayer in a form of a miracle:
One example is Isaac. His wife, Rebekah, was barren. In that culture, it was seen as being disgraced, ridiculed and even made the woman possibly left to no ability to have very little, if at all, livelihood. To be barren was to have much suffering. It can be assumed that Rebekah prayed in earnest, that she sought any cures that were available at that time and did what was humanly possible. Isaac went to God in prayer and a miracle was given:
Genesis 25:21
21 Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.
Point 1: God is aware of cultural and societal standards and suffering.
Another example is during the time of Isaiah. Hezekiah, the leader of Israel at that time, had been praying to the Lord to heal him. He was the son of David. The Lord, again, answered his prayers in the form of another miracle.
2 Kings 20:4-6
Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him: 5 "Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, 'This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the LORD. 6 I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.'
Point 2: God loves a heartfelt prayer, one that is sincere and is not merely lip service.
The most often used book of the Bible when it comes to suffering, at least in the Old Testament, is the book of Job. The man lost his wealth, his beloved children, his friends, his health and even his wife at some point. This man suffered much. He suffered the words of guilt that some tried to lay upon him. Not just anybody, his dearest friends felt that God was punishing Job for his sins. When everything is taken from you, you become desperate. Job could have tried to get out of his situation using human means. He could have asked his friends for help, look for a doctor, try to find another way to get income and even find another wife. He didn't. Instead, he did the only thing he felt he could do and that was pray.
Job 16:16-18
16 My face is red with weeping, deep shadows ring my eyes; 17 yet my hands have been free of violence and my prayer is pure. 18 "O earth, do not cover my blood; may my cry never be laid to rest!
God allowed him to his prayers, there was nothing wrong with crying out to the Lord in his suffering. Some say that we should just have faith, that if we keep thinking positive and only pray to God with positive words than He will heal us. God is not a genie and doing certain actions will not dictate how God acts. His ways are not our ways, nor are His thoughts, our thoughts. I believe that God welcomes heartfelt prayers, even those that cry out to Him through our suffering. The outcome of Job's situation was a positive one. Everything that was lost, was restored ten fold. Job, to say the least, enjoyed the harvest of his faith on this Earth.
Point 3: God does not turn away from those who cry out to Him in pain and despair.
“That is not always the case!â€
Thank you so much for moving it then. I really appreciate it