THE RELUCTANT GOD

LAMENTATIONS 3:3

A. "FOR HE DOTH NOT AFFLICT WILLINGLY"
  1. The suffering of man has raised many perplexing questions in the minds of thinking people:
    1. "She is a good woman, yet see how she has to suffer" - why?
    2. "That man has been a faithful member of the church for many years, yet see how he has to suffer pain in his old age - why?
    3. "That poor little boy, has not had a chance, why does he have to suffer such pain so young? - why?
  2. If God loves us, if He is sympathetic to us, then why does He allow all the suffering even by good people
    1. Such searching questions reveal that we are tempted to associate God with man's suffering
    2. We are tempted to blame Him for all the sufferings B. WHAT IS THE TRUE ANSWER TO HUMAN SUFFERING?
  3. The Bible assures us:
    1. That if and when God afflicts or allows afflictions to come to us there is a purpose in such suffering
    2. He does not afflict willingly no more than a mother will punish her child willingly
    3. The Bible assures us that God becomes a participant in our afflictions; He shares in these afflictions - Is. 63:9
  4. In the background of all our suffering and afflictions are many hidden causes unknown to our finite minds:
    1. There are hidden sins which destroy us unless God, in mercy performs surgery in our life
    2. Too, the enemy of our souls is after us if possible to destroy us with suffering
    3. Also, some of our sufferings are the result of the violation of the laws that control the health of our bodies
    4. In all our afflictions and our suffering God seeks to turn them to be to our own good C. LET US TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE RELATIONSHIP OF GOD AND HUMAN AFFLICTIONS
  5. What is afflictions?
    1. Adversity, trouble, or distress - Job 5:6; Jonah 2:2
    2. Outward oppression - Ex. 3:7; 14:31; Mark 4:17
    3. Correction from God, too, brings suffering at times
  6. Let us note what the Bible says about human suffering or affliction:
    1. It attributes some affliction and suffering to the enemy of our soul - Satan - John 8:44. Examples: Human suffering was caused by demons - during the days of our Lord in the flesh - Mark 5:1-5; Job was not smitten with painful soars by God, but by Satan - Job 2:7
    2. Some sicknesses are the result of the violation of the laws of health - John 5:1-9, 14
    3. And some diseases are brought on by the Lord to correct people of their evil ways Ex. 15:26; Deut. 7:15
  7. Two eternal experiences in the earthly life of the Son of man show conclusively:
    1. That God does not afflict willingly
    2. That the Son of man went about healing the people from divers diseases - Matt. 4:24; Mark 1:34; Luke 4:40
    3. He assures us that, "In all their afflictions, He was afflicted" - Is. 63:9
    4. "With his stripes we are healed" - Is. 53:5
  8. If we realized that our blessed Savior has no pleasure in seeing his children suffer, we would never doubt His mercies even in our afflictions:
    1. There, doubtless, will be many experiences in this mortal life, for which we shall never have the final answer
    2. But this we know that God loves us and that He will remove the plague of sin and sickness from the redeemed and the earth
    3. At that day, the redeemed will not say, "I am sick" - Is. 33:24
    4. It will be wonderful for all the redeemed - Is. 35:10; Rev. 21:1-6


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