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Your Question:
Why is God testing me with chronic pain?
Answer:
As I sit here, reflecting on my own experiences with chronic pain, I'm reminded of the words of the dervish: "Whatever I did was the act of God. I did not strike him without the will of God, and what power do I possess?" These words challenge me to consider whether I truly understand the nature of God's sovereignty. My pain, though frustrating and debilitating, may be an opportunity for me to grow in my faith and trust in God's goodness. I've come to realize that pain often serves as a wake-up call or reminder of our human brokenness and alienation from God. It's a chance for us to seek outside assistance and turn to God in repentance and faith. As the theologian Vernon Grounds said, "An individual, quite completely free from tension, anxiety, and conflict may so that we will have intellectual mastery of certain events; it gives us knowledge so that we would know and trust God." My pain is a reminder that I need God, and that's a precious gift. In the midst of suffering, it's natural to question God's character and motives. But I'm learning to trust that God's ways are not my ways, and that His purposes are often beyond my understanding. As the Bible says, "For this cause have I raised you up, for to show in you my power and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth" (Exodus 9:16). My pain may be a special act of God's own, intended to draw me closer to Him and to reveal His power and goodness in my life.
Sources:
elemental theology
emery bancroft
introduction biblical ethics
robertson mcquilkin
depression
edward welch
psalms
tremper longman
warranted christian belief
alvin plantinga
dogmatic theology
shedd
jesus on trial
david limbaugh
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