Biblical Answer

Why is God allowing this suffering?

#### The Purpose of Suffering

Suffering that appears pointless within our limited framework may be seen to have been justly permitted by God within His wider framework. This means that God's purposes for allowing suffering may not be immediately apparent to us, but they are still there. The Bible teaches that God is sovereign over all creation, including the universe and everything in it, and He sustains and governs it. This means that God is in control of everything, including suffering.

#### The Role of Suffering in Our Relationship with Christ

Recognizing the role of suffering in our relationship with Christ helps us understand why God allows suffering. The Bible teaches that Jesus, the Son of God, underwent incomprehensible suffering for us. And why? Because He loves us so much. How can we reject Him who gave up everything for us? When God asks us to undergo suffering that seems unmerited, pointless, or unnecessary, we must remember that it is not about us, but about our relationship with Him. Suffering makes us question God's character, but it also makes us seek Him.

#### Trusting God with the Mysteries of Suffering

We expect to discern God's reasons for permitting suffering, but it is often unsatisfying. However, Jesus is no remote deity, watching suffering from a safe distance. He is the God who inhabits our suffering. The prophet Isaiah calls the Messiah, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. This means that God is not distant from our suffering, but He is intimately involved in it. We must trust God with the mysteries of suffering, even when we do not understand them. As the Bible says, "God, I don't know what you are doing, but you do, and that is enough." We must turn to God and trust Him, even in the midst of suffering.