The Solution to Sorrow & Suffering
"He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up
their wounds" -- Psalm 147:3.
PERSONAL or national tragedies: the incidence of
famine, war, violence and evil, cause some to question the existence
of God. If God is all-powerful, they reason, why does He permit these
things to happen? They expect God to relieve the world of suffering,
to deliver men from evil, even though mankind blasphemes and will not
submit to His laws. They fail to recognize that mankind brings much of
this suffering upon themselves, and in turning from God, they deny
themselves the help that He can render them in times of difficulty and
of tragedy. They demand the right to liberty, or license, of action,
whilst expecting God to rescue them from the results of their own
folly.
Above all else, they completely fail to understand the
purpose of God; to realize, or recognize, that God has a purpose with
this earth and that ultimately He will send His son, the Lord Jesus
Christ, to establish such conditions thereon as to reflect to His
glory in every way (Num. 14:21), Then, when the world has
"learned righteousness" (Isaiah 26:9), the petition of the
Lord's prayer will find its fulfilment: "Thy kingdom come, that
Thy will may be done in earth as it is in heaven".
Faith Is Needed
Some time back, I received a letter that spelled
tragedy. My correspondent wrote, claiming that she once had been an
avid student of the Bible and keen worker in Church and Sunday School,
but had lost faith. Suffering and death had cruelly struck at her
home, so she had come to doubt the existence of God.
"If He is a God of love, why does He permit such
things to happen?" she lamented.
She could find no answer to her problem, and retreated
into agnosticism. She refused to concede that her understanding of God
might be at fault, and sought relief by denying His existence.
Yet her pain remained.
She found no help in prevailing theology. In fact, she
was discouraged thereby. She made reference to some who, claiming to
be "Christian", boldly and blasphemously claimed that God is
dead.
Further investigation revealed that she had not been
the keen student of the Bible that she imagined herself to have been;
whilst her work in Church and Sunday School had been motivated by a
desire for social activity rather than that of serving God in truth.
She provided a pathetic example of a lack of that
faith which comes from understanding (Rom. 10:17), and without which
it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6).
Unfortunately, she was not unique in her attitude.
Many take a similar stand. They claim that they find the incidence of
evil an insurmountable barrier to their acceptance of God and the
Bible. Brought face to face with the stark tragedy of some lives, the
indiscriminate violence and bloodshed of war, the agony and horror of
pain and suffering, and the burden of misery under which much of the
world groans, they echo the complaint of my correspondent above.
But it does not alleviate the pain, nor relieve the
suffering. All it does is to cut such complainers off from the Source
of strength that can enable them to bear tragedy or trouble, and to
rise above it.
But often, their rejection of God is made to justify a
refusal to submit to the limitations of morality demanded of Him.
God is not unmindful of the problem of suffering. The
Bible describes creation as "groaning and travailing in
pain", but at the same time it reminds those who so suffer, that
God "has subjected the same in hope" (Romans 8:19-22). That
hope is in the coming of Christ, and the alleviation of earthly evils
that his presence, and the establishment of the Kingdom of God on
earth, will bring.
Destroy hope in such, and you destroy all real help.
1 knew a person who had been limited to a wheelchair
all her life. She was completely dependent upon others to perform
everything for her. One would conclude that she would have plenty to
complain about; but, instead, she was always cheerful.
Why? Because she had faith. Destroy that and she had
nothing. Nor was her faith mere credulity. She could point to Bible
prophecy, currently being fulfilled, which makes a reality of her
hope. Her's was an active faith, that enabled her to see beyond her
present sufferings to a glorious future.
Another person I knew, an ardent worker for God,
suffered a severe spinal injury, that not only made her bedridden, but
brought periods of extreme pain, from which she could obtain no
relief.
Did God live for her?
"He is all I have to live for!" was her
comment. "Take Him away from my life, and all that remains is
pain and sickness. But with Him there, I can bear it. Moreover, with
the Bible open before me, I realize that life will not always be like
this: the return of Christ, and the setting up of God's Kingdom on
earth will change it!"
She refused to allow her suffering to overwhelm her in
an orgy of self-pity; she did not rant against God, nor question
whether He lives!
Why? Because she possessed a key that opened the
meaning of the Bible to her, and this provided her with faith and
hope, as she looked to the coming of Christ, and the vast changes then
to be inaugurated on earth.
To her, God was very much alive!
Suffering Is Often Self-imposed
It is not God's will that men should suffer; often
this is self-imposed. However, God in His wisdom knows what is best
for man, and sometimes it is necessary to allow things to take their
course in order to teach important lessons. We recognize this in
normal relationships; why not with God?
For example, consider the child who defies its parents
when warned not to place its hand on the hot stove. Pain and suffering
results, and whilst the parent will do its best to alleviate this, it
will also appreciate that experience is the best teacher: "That
will teach you to be obedient! Next time take heed of what I
say!"
But what if the child, in petulant temper, blamed the
parent for the stove being hot, and stamping out of the house, refused
to acknowledge the love of the one who had warned it!
The old-fashioned remedy (and more effective than
modern psychology) would be to increase the pain: this time on the
seat of the pants!
The attitude of the child would be quite unreasonable,
yet it is the attitude adopted by many who want to avoid their
responsibilities towards God.
It is true that the parent of the child might have
prevented the accident! It could have tied the child up, thus
restricting its activity; but then it would never learn the virtues of
obedience, and would be bitterly unhappy at its lack of freedom. The
parent could have kept the stove turned off; but then the pleasure of
a well-cooked meal would been denied the whole family.
In other words, the exercise of freewill (the precious
heritage of the human race), brings personal responsibility and the
possibility of danger; but the development of God's purpose in the
earth absolutely demands it. In our illustration above, the child
learned three facts:
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There are unknown dangers to be avoided;
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There is a wisdom greater than our own;
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There is kindness in instruction and discipline.
Mankind is very much like the child, defying God, yet
complaining when it suffers. If men persist in breaking God's laws,
they are bound to reap the fruit of such actions, And because man is
interdependent upon his fellowman, the effect of evil extends beyond
those directly involved.
There are moral laws which man breaks at his peril.
For example, if we engage in libidinous excess, we invite sorrow,
perhaps disease, as a result. Others will suffer who were not directly
involved in the sin.
Is God to be blamed?
Sometimes, in times of crisis, such as at the Flood,
or he overthrow of Sodom, immorality reached such a point of depravity
as to demand the direct intervention of God. Yet even in the
outpouring of such judgment, perfect justice has been maintained (Gen.
18:25-33). Critics of the Bible have written to me, questioning the
justice the instructions given to Joshua when God commanded that he
was destroy all the Canaanites, including the children.
Was such necessary?
Well, God, Who knows best, decreed it was. He knew the
character of the children, and realized that the sins of the parents
had become so ingrained in the children that they would grow up to
repeat what they had been taught.
And the Canaanites were evil; their civilization was
corrupt and vile to the extreme. The whole land was given over to such
a degree of immorality and wickedness as has shocked those
archaeologists who have unearthed the evidence. Prostitution and
sodomy were with the prevailing religious worship, and infant
sacrifice was common.
The whole land was a veritable Sodom and Gomorrah on a
large scale, and ruthless judgment and suppression were required to
replace it with decency and truth.
How much better it is that the vile and wicked be
removed than that they should remain to pollute those who are as yet
innocent of such crimes and perversions. As it was, the remnant of the
Canaanites that were allowed to remain, ultimately polluted the
Israelites. If the occupation of the land had been conducted on more
peaceful lines, Israel soon would have lost its distinctive character,
and the precious heritage that has come to us through them would have
been lost. In his bitter war of extermination with the Canaanites,
Joshua actually fought for posterity: his sword waged a work of mercy
for all mankind.
The history of humanity is a record of defiance
against God's law. It is summed up in the words of Paul:
"When they knew God, they glorified Him not as
God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and
their foolish heart darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they
became fools . . . and worshipped and served the creature more than
the Creator . . . And even as they did not like to retain God in their
knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things
which are not fitting; but filled with all unrighteousness,
fornication, wickedness, etc. . ." (Romans 1:21-32).
This resulted in suffering. As restraints were thrown
off, and men became more corrupt in belief and morals, they developed
frightful habits of depravity, bringing shame and pain upon both
themselves and others.
It is foolish to blame God for the resultant evil: it
is inevitable. What does the law do when men defy it, and steal or
murder? It takes punitive action against them, even though this might
bring shame and suffering to their families. Is the law condemned as
being unjust because of such action? Is it blamed as being the cause
of suffering? By no means; it is recognized that the punishment is
justified.
In like manner, much of present-day suffering is due
to man's defiance of God's laws. Where chastity is not practiced,
suffering results; where love does not rule, violence, bloodshed and
war ultimately take over.
Who is to blame? Man or God? The answer is obvious.
Is God Omnipotent?
Some claim that God should exercise His omnipotence to
prevent suffering. The Bible teaches that shortly God will do so by
sending back His Son to the earth (Acts 1:11) to establish therein His
righteous rule (Isaiah 2:2-4). It is the hope of this that sustains
true Bible students in spite of apparent anomalies that exist, and of
difficulties which in our limited knowledge, we find hard to explain.
Meanwhile, God has given man freewill in order to test
his loyalty and faith. This means, however, that man can defy God. It
is the misuse of freewill that is the cause of much trouble in the
world. For God's laws and requirements are designed for the good of
the race, both now and in the future (see 1 Timothy 4:8).
Some reason, that seeing it is God's purpose to one
day intervene through the Lord Jesus Christ, why does He not do so
now?
For the same reason, doubtless, as He delayed judgment
in the days of Noah. The Bible teaches that in the days of the Flood
"the longsuffering of God waited" (1 Pet. 3:20). The word
"waited" is translated from "apekdechomai" which
signifies not merely to wait, but to eagerly wait, reaching out in
readiness to receive someone or something. Rotherham translates it:
"God was holding forth a welcome."
So at that epoch of great wickedness in the earth, God
delayed His judgments, whilst He, in mercy, waited, as it were, with
outstretched hands to receive any who might stand aside from the
prevailing folly, and seek the shelter that He willingly provided.
Unfortunately, in that period of judgment, only eight
sheltered in the God-given ark, though all had the opportunity to do
so.
Though God is omnipotent, there are things that His
wisdom will not permit Him to do; among which is that of compelling
people to seek Him.
Man Turns Freewill Into Selfwill
Most suffering results from the abuse of freewill.
Consider our modern environment. It is characterized by man's claim to
please himself. He turns liberty into license. He is delinquent, and
in his repudiation of divine authority, he is responsible for the
widespread juvenile delinquency which is a feature of modern life. In
the growing immorality, the morality of true home life is despised.
The home is treated merely as a convenient corner in which to eat and
sleep, The result is: a growing divorce rate, increasing juvenile
delinquency, desperate domestic unhappiness, and widespread
frustration.
Who is to blame? Certainly not God!
Consider the curse of modern city life, with its
overcrowding, crime, and pollution. It was never the will of God that
men should live in that way. On the contrary, God decreed that man
should "eat bread by the sweat of his brow" (Gen. 3:19).
That was the best thing for him in view of the state of sin and death
into which he had fallen. How much more conducive to good health is
the outdoor life of the field, than the stuffy atmosphere of huge
cities, with their slums, temptations, and terrible record of crime!
Who created the huge cities, and the heartbreak
problems incidental to them? Man in his greed, which has completely
commercialized life. We eat the wrong kind of food, live the wrong
kind of lives, seek the wrong kind of recreation, and suffer from the
same kind of indigestion, neurosis and boredom.
Yet I have heard men call in question the goodness of
God because of conditions that man himself has created.
Instead, this should cause people to realize the
fallibility of man, and seek the way of God.
Consider the stupidity of the Australian way of life!
On the one hand we have vast cement jungles like Sydney scattered
around the coastline with millions living in poor conditions, and on
the other hand, a near-to-empty hinterland which is a constant
temptation to land-hungry Asiatics with their population explosion
problems.
Yet, if Australia were suddenly invaded, God would be
blamed by many for the suffering that would result.
And what is to be the end of the present arms race
between nations? Or the confrontation of Big Powers in the Middle
East? The answer is obvious, and the results are seen in places like
Vietnam. It has been the testing ground for these weapons, and with a
callousness and brutality that chills the spine, they have been tried
out on men, women and children.
For nearly thirty years that nation has suffered the
bloodshed and violence of war, so that babes have grown to maturity
seeing little else than bombing, shooting and destruction; and, in
turn, have learned to bomb, shoot and destroy.
Who is responsible for all this?
And don't answer that God should intervene; for He has
told us in His word that He will do so when the time is ripe. More,
the fulfilment of Bible prophecy in our times indicates that He is
about to do so. In fact, the Bible indicates that if He did not,
mankind would destroy itself; but He will intervene to "destroy
those who would destroy the earth" (Revelation 11:18).
In other words, the Bible has a hope; the
materialistic human philosophy of today that explains life in terms
that leave out God, has no hope to offer man.
How To Use Freewill
Why did God give man freewill, seeing he has so
misused it? Because the benefits of it greatly outweigh the evils of
its abuse, even though man has turned the liberty of freewill into the
license of selfwill.
In the beginning (see Genesis 2), God created man and
provided him with everything needful to make it pleasant and
profitable. In addition to the necessary material provisions, he
provided for his intellectual needs and spiritual development, setting
before him the grand hope of life eternal. In order to qualify for
this, He gave man a simple law to keep (Genesis 2:16-17).
Man was warned that disobedience would result in
mortality ending in death. Adam and Eve, however, hearkened to the
voice of temptation, and disobeyed God. Thus sin and death made their
appearance, and man's history of suffering and trial commenced.
It all came about through man abusing the privilege of
freewill granted unto him. Was God wrong to punish man? By no means,
for otherwise sin would triumph.
Was He wrong in giving man the privilege of freewill?
By no means, for otherwise man would be no more than an automata, an
animated and rather clever robot!
If man were not granted freewill, how could he
demonstrate his loyalty and love to God? In the absence of freewill,
and of the introduction of sin, such beautiful words as grace,
forgiveness, obedience, faith and so forth would lose their meaning.
Man would be but a machine, obeying his Maker without individual
volition.
What is best: the motions of a machine that
unthinkingly obeys the dictates of its creator, or the voluntary deeds
of loyalty performed in love towards One Whose actions beget that
love?
Obviously the latter; but in order to provide for it,
God had to make it possible for man to refuse Him.
Thus freewill confers tremendous responsibility. It
means that we contribute to the success or failure of our lives; we
can render loving obedience to God as our heavenly Father, or we can
obstinately "fear neither God nor man."
The appeal of the Scriptures is to exercise your
freewill to obey God, and ensure your personal salvation.
"Save yourselves from this untoward
generation," was the appeal of Peter, as he urged the people to
repentance and baptism (Acts 2:37-40).
"Work out your salvation with fear and trembling," exhorted
Paul (Philippians 2:12).
God is the "Giver of every good and perfect
gift" (James 1:17), and the greatest gift He has ever given is
Jesus Christ, whom He provided for the salvation of all who will come
unto Him to be saved (John 3:16). But how have men treated this
manifestation of Divine love? Listen to these two statements of
Scripture:
"God will have all men to be saved, and come unto
the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4).
"But ye will not come unto me," said Jesus, "that ye
might have life" (John 5:40).
Men are wise to use their heritage of individual
volition to seek God in truth that they might become acceptable
worshippers in His sight (John 4:23). Generally speaking, however,
"men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are
evil" (John 3:19). They refuse to open their eyes to the Truth,
and prefer to wallow in the ignorance of their mind, thus adding to
their suffering. The Bible declares, and experience reveals, that
increased suffering follows widespread depravity. Paul wrote:
"Let no man deceive you with vain words, for
because of these things (i.e. pornography, unclean lusts, greed, etc.,
as enumerated in previous verses) cometh the wrath of God upon the
children of disobedience" (Ephesians 5:3-6).
The evils that Paul lists in that verse are common
today, and are committed in flagrant repudiation of God's way. As
another Scripture expresses it:
"They blasphemed the God of heaven because of
their pains, and their sores, but they repent not of their deeds"
(Revelation 16:11; 9:20-21).
The nation of Israel provides a typical example of
this attitude. It was punished by God because it rejected His way. As
a result, some among the nation questioned the goodness of God, and
received the following answer of the prophet:
"The Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot
save: neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities
have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His
face from you, that He will not hear" (Isa. 59:1-2).
That is the general state of humanity today. Man
refuses to avail himself of the help that God will give, and which is
adequate to meet every need. Subjected to external pressures of
suffering and trial, he lacks any compensating power of resistance
within, and so capitulates to the adverse circumstances in which he
finds himself.
Purpose Of Suffering
Though suffering and death came upon the human race
because of sin in the first instance, it does not necessarily follow
that every experience of suffering is the result of some specific sin.
Jesus Christ suffered as no other man, but he never
sinned. He suffered at the hands of godless men who hated him because
His righteousness was a living rebuke of their wickedness.
Nevertheless, his death was according to "the determinate counsel
and foreknowledge of God" (Acts 2:23). It provided the way
whereby man could obtain forgiveness of sins, and live in anticipation
of the bestowal of life eternal at the coming of Christ. Out of the
sufferings of the Lord, therefore, there has come great benefits for
those who would seek God in truth.
Very often the experience of suffering leads to great
benefits that are not appreciated at the time. How often has suffering
humbled a person, caused him to seek God's help, brought him to
recognize the need of salvation, ultimately to accept Christ, and
commence a walk that leads to life eternal: to greater blessings than
he ever experienced previously.
Therefore, God does not exempt His servants from
trials. On the contrary, they are expected to prove themselves under
such. Paul taught, it is "through much tribulation" that
they will "enter the Kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22).
Job is an example of this. He was tested by suffering,
and by faithful, patient endurance emerged the better for it. It is
recorded that the Lord "blessed the latter end of Job more than
his beginning" (job 42:12), and this is what God undertakes to do
for all those who put their trust in Him (cp. James 5:11).
Further, Job's sufferings equipped him to help others
who had such need, so that through his experience, he was able to lead
his friends to God (Job 42:7-10). That, too, can be the lot of those
who put their trust in God.
Consider the example of Stephen, the first Christian
martyr (Acts 7). He was cruelly murdered because of his beliefs. Is
that an evidence of God's neglect or indifference? Stephen did not
think so, for as death was about to claim him, he committed his future
destiny into the hands of the Lord (Acts 7:59). In fact, the faith and
endurance of Stephen inspired others to similar acts of heroism,
drawing many to embrace the truth. Among the latter was Paul,
previously called Saul (Acts 7:58). He condoned, if he did not
initiate, the execution of Stephen, but ultimately was converted
himself. The influence of Stephen on Paul's life as a Christian was
profound, and this, in turn, resulted in many thousands turning to
Christ. When Stephen is raised from the dead at the coming of the Lord
(1 Cor. 15:23), he doubtless will be amazed to find that his main
antagonist was ultimately converted, and that thousands of people have
been influenced to a better way of life leading to immortality through
his sufferings.
Stephen did not suffer in vain. Instead, he will
benefit because he faced his trials in faith. Paul taught: "If we
suffer with him we shall also reign with him" (2 Timothy 2:12).
Stephen's time of glory is yet to come through a resurrection unto
life eternal.
The great Apostle Paul also experienced sufferings
such as he had imposed on others before his conversion. But he was
able to see beyond them to that which God has reserved for those who
trust Him. Paul wrote:
"Knowing that He which raised up the Lord Jesus
shall raise up us also by Jesus and shall present us with you . . .
For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet
the inward man is renewed day by day. For our fight affliction which
is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal
weight of glory . . ." (2 Cor. 4:14-17).
"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present
time are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be
revealed in us" (Rom. 8:18).
"I am ready to be offered, and the time of my
departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my
course, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a
crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge shall give
me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love
his appearing" (2 Timothy 4:6-8).
That "crown of righteousness" constitutes
the "gift of eternal life" (Rom. 6:23), at the coming of
Christ (Rom. 2:7,16). With the hope of the resurrection ever before
him (see Acts 23:6; 24:15; 26:6-8), Paul was able to see the purpose
of trial, and beyond it to the triumph of life eternal.
Therefore, he wrote concerning the Lord Jesus, that
"he learned obedience by the things that he suffered" (Heb.
5:8). The bitter hatred, fierce opposition, and cruel death that
Christ endured, equipped him to act as a merciful and sympathetic High
priest between God and man, on the behalf of those who suffer. Because
he was subjected to temptation he can be "touched with the
feeling of our infirmities," and so can "reasonably bear
with those who fall."
"Let us, therefore," exhorted the Apostle,
"come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy,
and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb. 4:15-16).
We can also share the experience of Christ, and
"fellowship his sufferings" (Phil. 3:10). For that purpose,
for their ultimate good, God permits His servants to suffer, though He
deeply feels for them as any father would for his children. Concerning
the trials of the children of Israel, it is recorded:
"In all their affliction He was afflicted, and
the angel of His presence saved them; in His love and in His pity He
redeemed them, and He bare them, and carried them all the days of old.
But they rebelled . . ."
Even in punishing them, God recorded His feelings on
their behalf:
"After seventy years be accomplished (in
captivity at Babylon, I will visit you, and cause you to return to
this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the
Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to make your latter end an
object of hope" (Jeremiah 29:10-11 - Hebrew text).
God permits His people to be tried that they may
develop a sympathetic feeling for those similarly placed, and that
they may be equipped for a wonderful work that He has in store for
them when Christ returns to reign on the earth. Christ's followers
will then be appointed as "kings and priests and to reign on the
earth" (Revelation 5:9-10; 20:4). As such, it will be required of
them that they show "compassion on the ignorant and erring"
(Heb. 5:4). In this Christ has shown the way. As "he learned
obedience through the things that he suffered" (Heb. 5:8), so do
they; and as he became equipped to aid others by this means, so will
they.
In this we can obtain help from the Father and the
Son. Christ issued an invitation:
"Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy
laden, and I win give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of
me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your
souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matt.
11:28-30).
When we look closely into the mirror of God's Word, we
see shining therefrom the glorious light of His love, and so we learn
to reflect back that same love. It tells us, that in spite of all
suffering and trial:
" God so loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but
have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
Though acceptance of Christ will not exempt us from
trials, it will equip us with the strength to meet them and to triumph
over them. We will learn that the truth in Christ, "has promise
of the life that now is, and of that which is to come" (1 Timothy
4:8). It anticipates the time when present conditions will be removed,
and Christ will reign on earth to the glory of God and the wellbeing
of humanity; when there will be "glory to God in the highest, and
on earth peace and goodwill towards men." To that time, Christ's
true followers are exhorted to look, and thus emulate the attitude of
their Lord:
"Look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our
faith, who for THE JOY SET BEFORE HIM endured the cross, and despised
the shame" (Heb. 12:2).
Are Prayers Answered?
My correspondent complained that prayer is useless.
She said that the things for which she asked were never granted.
But was not that an answer in itself?
Do parents fulfil every request made by a child? Do
they not rather, in their superior wisdom, discriminate as to what
they will grant those in their care?
Certainly we must acknowledge that God has greater
wisdom than us. Paul makes the point that a true parent will
discipline its child in love, and that any chastening we receive from
our heavenly Father is "for our profit, that we might be
partakers of His holiness" (Heb. 12:5-11). He therefore suggests
that God's servants should keep on praying (v. 12; Luke 18:1),
recognizing that God in His wisdom will grant or refuse their
requests. If we respect the greater wisdom of God we will bow to His
decision.
We sometimes pray for things that it is not wise for
us to receive. We can pray for the life of a loved one, though God, in
his omniscience knows that death is best, releasing a sufferer from
further pain. Before the last war, many prayers ascended to heaven
that it might be averted. But what was the alternative? At the time,
millions of Jews were dying in the Concentration Camps of Germany,
whilst a diabolic despotism and a pagan ideology were being imposed
upon millions of people. This had been brought about by men turning
from God, idolizing a man and his philosophy, and glorying in flesh.
The time was not ripe for God to intervene as He will one day through
His Son, and therefore, the world, in its folly, had to wade through
blood and destruction to learn a lesson.
The pity of it is that it did not learn the lesson!
If God's way had been universally heeded, if His word
had been applied, war would have been averted.
If God answered all prayers as they ascend from all
over the earth, complete confusion would result, for the requests
conflict. In time of war, prayers ascend from both nations for
victory: whose will God grant?
Actually, the basis for true acceptable prayer is that
it be offered through the Lord Jesus (John 14:13), which means that
one must first embrace him in truth through baptism. Apart from that,
prayers are lost in the surrounding void for they have no advocate in
heaven to present them (cp. 1 John 2:1).
Moreover, God will never give through prayer that
which we can obtain by our own efforts; though He may bless those
efforts, if we approach Him in faith. We must follow Ezra's example
who "prepared his heart to seek, do and teach" God's word
(Ezra 7:10).
Jesus invited his followers to prayer "in his
name," which limits requests he will grant to those he is
prepared to endorse (see 1 John 3:22; 5:14).
God's Future Intention
The prophet Habakkuk describes the agony of humanity
in its striving against God, and then concludes:
"Is it not of the Lord that the people labor in
the very fire, and weary themselves for very vanity (for
naught)?" (Ch. 2:13).
Earth's population groans under the burdens of modern
civilization. The people labor "in the fire," and weary
themselves "for naught," in that they become scorched by the
fire of war, and all their labor in time of peace is of no real
permanent value; for it is so temporary.
Consider all the labor of the moment, to build up the
resources of mankind, and make even larger the mighty cities that he
has erected to the glory of the flesh.
What is to be the end of all this? Nations are
stockpiling nuclear weapons of destruction which could wipe out
civilization in a moment of time. It is obviously of temporary value.
War could end it all. Man's glory is very limited!
In the quotation from the Bible cited above, the
prophet declares that the labor of man is largely wasted, it is for
naught. Why did he so teach? Because as he continued in the next
verse, it is God's purpose that will prevail:
"For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge
of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea" (Hab.
2:14).
This is God's ultimate purpose, and it will bring to
an end the sorrow and suffering, and the limited benefits of the
largely futile labor of today.
But before that, the purging fires of Armageddon will
humble flesh, and force men to turn to God. It will do this because
men refuse to learn the lessons of life, and turn to God whilst there
is time. Refusing His mercy they will suffer His judgments. They will
bring upon themselves the results of their own folly. They cry to God
in time of suffering, but refuse to acknowledge His authority when the
crisis is past.
"Lord," declared the prophet Isaiah (Ch.
26:16), "in trouble have they visited Thee, they poured out a
prayer when Thy chastening was upon them!"
Humanity calls for days of prayer in times of crisis,
and wonder why they do not produce the results for which they hope.
The prophet supplied the reason:
"Let favor be shewed to the wicked, yet will he
not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness will he deal
unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord" (Lsa.
26:10).
God could only show favor to the wicked by condoning
sin. He will never do that. So man suffers, and will continue to do
so, until the Lord Jesus returns to "judge the world in
righteousness" (Acts 17:31). Thus, as Isaiah declared: "When
Thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants will learn
righteousness" (Isaiah 26:9).
Suffering To Cease
Meanwhile, God invites "whosoever will"
(Rev. 22:17) to enter into covenant relationship with Him through
Christ, in the hope of attaining unto life eternal at his coming. In
the Lord there is found the answer to problems that may beset us as
individuals, whilst providing us with hope for the future. The Bible
declares:
"He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up
their wounds; He telleth the number of the stars" (Psa. 147:3-4).
God's ability to heal the brokenhearted is exhibited
by His power in the heavens. It is impossible for man to "tell
the number of the stars," but what man cannot do, God can
accomplish. Man cannot "heal the brokenhearted" or solve
with perfect justice, equity and satisfaction the problems that beset
humanity; but this is not beyond the ability of God.
The invitation is extended to all to learn of the
Gospel message, accept Christ through baptism, and build into their
lives divine attributes by obedience to God's laws (Mark 16:16). In
consequence unending life and glory shall be given them at Christ's
coming.
For what is Christ coming? He is coming to reward his
followers, and to so change the present order of things on earth, that
all creation will reflect to the glory of its Creator. Consider the
following references:
"Truly I live," God told Moses, "and
all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord" (Num.
14:21).
"The Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth
before all the nations" (Isaiah 61:11).
"The God of heaven will set up a kingdom, that shall never be
destroyed" (Dan. 2:44).
"The Lord shall be king over all the earth" (Zechariah
14:9).
"Thy kingdom come, Thy will he done in earth as it is in
heaven" (Matt. 6:10).
"The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord
and His Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever" (Rev.
11:15).
All these references speak of vast changes in this
present sorrowing, sinning world as the result of Divine intervention.
The earth will reflect the glory of the Lord when men and women are
moved by His teachings. The Bible speaks of a time when men will
voluntarily turn to God due to His disciplinary action in the earth,
and as a result of submitting to His righteous laws, universal peace
and prosperity will be established (Isaiah 2:2-4). Christ's reign on
earth will cause all human "rule, authority and power" to be
put down. Paul declares:
"For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies
under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death" (1 Cor.
15:25).
Then shall the words of Revelation 21:4 be fulfilled:
"And God shall wipe away all tears from their
eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither shall there be any
more pain: for the former things are passed away."
In anticipation of this, God invites all to make their
peace with Him through Jesus Christ, and discover for themselves the
great strength and benefit that can be derived by taking hold of the
strong, infallible hand of God, outstretched to save.
The appeal of one who experienced this is: "Taste
and see that the Lord is good; blessed are all those who trust in
Him" (Psalm 34:8). I leave this thought with my correspondent and
all like her, directing all such to the Word that is adequate to help
in any circumstance of life (Proverbs 6:22-23).