Transcript

God's Involvement in Suffering

The Bible often talks about this relationship between a Potter and their clay. The clay starts as this lump, spinning on a wheel. Over time, with movement, pressure, tools, and shaping, we see this beautiful pottery emerge. Suffering is used by a loving God to shape and mould - to bring about a vessel that is fit for use. God is full of wisdom and love and works to shape suffering in such a way that it further develops our relationship with him. God will work through our life events, the good and the not-so-good, to shape us, to correct us, to guide us, and sometimes, to test us.

One of the greatest demonstrations of God's care is found in John 3:16. This is a verse in the Bible that many could probably call to mind, but understanding it in this context can help it become more powerful.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life."

It is comforting to know that God shared in the suffering of this world, and that's fully demonstrated in what he did in the giving of his only begotten son so that we might have the opportunity to achieve and secure eternal life. God is not distant from the suffering that we might experience, but rather, God has a plan for it. God has a purpose through it that he wants us to be a part of. The Bible makes things clear: God so loved the world, and it's on account of his love for his plan and his purpose in fulfilling and filling this Earth with his glory. It's why he gave his only begotten son, that we might have the opportunity that we have to choose between right and wrong, to choose him and to choose life. God's desire is for everyone to have that opportunity; the very same opportunity to inherit eternal life, to experience what Adam and Eve experienced in the Garden of Eden, and to live in a world free from pain and sorrow and suffering.

And so God helps us. He helped us in the giving of his son, and he continues to help us in giving of his word, the Bible, that we can learn, that we can read, and we can come to appreciate. We read in God's word that his son Jesus found purpose in the things that he was suffering. We're told that Jesus learned. He learned obedience and patience in the times and the events in his life that he suffered. It is not an easy thing to do, but perhaps we are being shown two lessons that we can take away. First, there was a purpose to what the Son of God suffered. It wasn't done for no reason. God gave thought as to what was to be accomplished. Second, the suffering of Jesus was done in obedience to God. That's what we're told in Hebrews 5:8: that he, Jesus learned obedience through what he suffered. This is the love of God shown. This is The Obedience of Jesus demonstrated. And this was written and recorded for us to learn from, to understand this victory over sin and all that it accomplished. Think about the gift that God has given to each one of us. If we follow his commands, we will not perish, but we will have eternal life.