Trish posted a great question last week and I didn't see it until a few days ago (sorry Trish) - what a great topic for discussion.
The question (click comments to re-read/reply) is about God's unfailing love, yet allows some to suffer/pass with illness, etc... and how to we reply/reflect that to our children and/or our walk - how do we explain that to non-believers, for example.
Do click 'comments' below to read/respond....
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5 comments:
NOTE: a 'repost' from Scott of Trish's observations/questions:
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Hey Scott, got my first chance to view the site and read the selected scriptures.
Interesting thing though- I read an article about John Edwards wife and her cancer struggle and in it she basically said that she doesn't believe that God heals or protects, because her son died in a car crash. If God were going to save someone, it should've been him. So,since she has cancer all she can really hope for is enlightenment not healing. Sounds a little Zen Buddist rather than Christian faith based! Anyway the point I wanted to make is The Psalms scripture seems to deal with that issue. How do we as Christians deal with it when we don't feel God's protecting us or our families and can't see His healing?
How do we bring comfort to others? Intellectually, I know our hope lies in Heaven and we must trust His knowledge of past, present and future. But how do we confidently share this belief with others who don't believe? And when the emotions block our faith based "intellect" and Satan attacks through sickness etc., what then? How do I explain to my kids that although I BELIEVE God can heal people, why HE hasn't healed our close friend Sherrie's cancer?
I'm gonna post on this topic but I need to ruminate on it a little bit first.
First of all, read Romans 9 - specifically vv10-13. 9:14 talks about His sovereign freedom to make choices to obtain his purpose. 9:16, it is God's choice, which is in no way controlled by man.
I struggled with this a long time - I've always taught my kids that God is God, the great I AM - his plans/purposes for us are so outside the reach of our understanding, we simply have to trust.. have faith. Twin towers, for example: why? Dunno – but what I do know for sure, there was a greater purpose. Several thousand were killed; thousands of thousands of families/people were affected then, and will be for a long, long time. Was it fair - dunno. Was it right, is some way I'll never understand, but I think yes.
My two-cents...
Hey Scott,
Just wanted to respond to the note from Trish. Suffering is a hard thing for us Christians to understand at times. How can a just and loving God allow our loved ones (or us) to go through such terrible physical pain and misery? Yet, clearly the Scriptures tell us to trust Him at all times and through all circumstances, no matter what. How do we reconcile this? How do we comprehend the suffering of those who seem so innocent? We don’t. We can’t. Our ways are not God’s ways. His plans are not our plans. We expect a full and prosperous life, yet the unexpected happens. We hear the doctor say “you have cancer” or this disease is “incurable”. Now granted, sometimes God does heal in a miraculous way, but many times He does not. There is some suffering that happens in this life that we will not understand until the next life. But, we are commanded to trust God, by faith, through our suffering, even if we don’t understand it, even when it seems so unfair, even when life looks so bleak. God has promised that he will never leave us nor forsake us, even though, at times, we may think he has. This life is very temporary. But, for the Christian, the best is yet to come. Heaven is eternal, with no more pain, no more tears, and no more suffering. Comfort to extreme suffering comes in knowing that it is only temporary, it will end in a short time…and truly, the best is yet to come!
Dave P
Ok guys...I'm doing this B.C. (before coffee) so bear with me.
I believe that before Adam and Eve sinned there was no disease, illness, or sickness in the Garden of Eden. After that everything changed. God pronounced His judgement and Man was expelled from Eden. When Christ returns to establish His Kingdom, Man will be in a right relationship with Him and conditions on earth will be as they were in the Garden before the fall of man. The lion will lie with the lamb etc., etc.
Another aspect of this is Satan. God allowed Satan to attack Job physically and financially. Satan was trying to get Job to curse God in his sufferings. Isn't it possible Satan would still be able to use the same tactics today? In the case of John Edwards wife Satan has won a victory. Her faith was weakened when her son died. When Christ returns, everything will be put right again as it was in the Garden and even better (Satan was in the Garden using the snake to tempt Eve)because Satan will be cast into the lake of fire not able to tempt mankind ever again. This is a tremendous hope for us to hold deep within our hearts. Trusting the Creator of the Universe to make things right again as well as in His method of ensuring His children will be there to share that with Him. I am speaking of Christ's sacrifice as well as His return.
Finally, at what points in our lives do we seek God the most? When something happens out of our control. What is the first thing Christians do when we have serious health issues? We call the church and get on the prayer list. Our friends and family start praying for us. Even people we don't know start praying for us. All these people start seeking, communicating with, pleading with God. Didn't God create man for relationship with Him? When Jesus was here what did sick people do when He was in their area? They searched Him out. Does God make people sick just so He can enjoy relationship with His people? I don't think we have evidence of that in the Bible. God can use these circumstances however to draw people to Him, to grow people spiritually, and to show His awesome power when He does choose to miraculously heal. We usually pray the hardest and lean on God the most when times are tough rather that when times are easy. (A side note: I heard an older deacon say one time that we spend more time praying to keep people out of Heaven rather than praying for lost people to get in)
Ultimately, God is in control. When Christ returns everything will be as He intended when He first created the universe. I believe that the saved will enjoy what He has planned for eternity. This life is just basic training for that life.
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