The biggest question we have when we go through hardship is why? Why God? Why did this happen? Why don't you care? Why did you let this happen? Why now?
We've all gone through it and we've all asked the question. Why? Something inside us yearns to know the meaning for our suffering. But why? To make sense of it? To make it easier? But will knowing the answer to the 'why's' of our lives really make it any easier? Will it really make sense to us?
1 Corinthians 1:27 says, 'But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise..'
Perhaps that is why our suffering and the timing of our suffering (as if any suffering is timely) seems so strange to us. It makes no sense for a God who loves us so much to offer His own Son a sacrifice for us only to allow us to suffer in this life. Why not just take away the suffering of this age? Why not end it all now?
'And the Lord said to Moses, ' When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.'
Exodus 4:21
God sent Moses to Pharaoh to request the release of the Hebrew slaves. God not only commanded Moses and assured him that He had come down to deliver His people, but He also assured Moses that He would make it difficult for him to do so.
'... but I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.'
This makes no sense..... At the moment....
There was a man who was born blind. Destined to a life of misery. Sure, when he was a child, he had his parents to take care of him. But, what about when he came of age? He could not work. How could he live? What is the life of a beggar? Why did God make him that way?
This makes no sense..... At the moment....
There was a man named Lazarus who became ill. He was a good friend of Jesus. Lazarus' sisters sent for Jesus.
'Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.' John 11:5-6
During those two days, Lazarus died.
This makes no sense.... At the moment....
All suffering makes no sense at the moment. The pain and sometimes even torment clouds our minds and keeps us from thinking of anything but the pain of the moment. How can what we are going through now have any purpose at all? How can it make any sense?
And then, we find out...
'But I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand. So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in its midst...'
Exodus 3:19-20
'Thus says the Lord: By this you shall know that I am the Lord...' Exodus 7:17
God began striking Egypt with plagues with a message that said, 'By this you shall know that I am the Lord.'
What seemed to be difficulty in the eyes of the Moses and the Hebrews was a plan in God's eyes. The king of Egypt needed to be shown. The people of the Egypt needed to be shown. The Hebrews needed to be shown.
'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
It was no fault of the man nor his parents that he was born blind. It was so that the people of Jesus' time would know. And so His disciples would know. And so the religious leaders of the time would know.
"Then Jesus said to them plainly, 'Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe.' John 11:14-15
Jesus allowed Lazarus to die so that His disciples would know. So that the world would know.
Perhaps the most confusing suffering of all is the suffering of Christ. Why would He who had all power and authority, He who healed and cast out demons, He who raised the dead, be allowed to suffer and die? Why?
So that you would know. Know what.
'By this you shall know that I am the Lord.'
Our suffering seems pointless until we know why. So what is the answer.
So that you will know that He is God.
