The yellow flowers in my photograph above rather remind one of "sunshine", or at least are a joyful expression of beauty from God. Actually, all of creation is a testimony to God's love and His majesty and His love for humankind. Yet, sometimes we humans suffer much adversity, some of our own making, and some from people, and - yes - some adversity from the heavenly Father Himself. This post will dwell mostly on the good aspects of the "Why" we sometimes suffer trials and the like.
Remember - some of you older folks - that movie made in 1955 starring Susan Hayward titled: "I'll Cry Tomorrow?" The movie was about the life of a popular Broadway star and singer named Lillian Roth, who later fell on hard times. You can look more info up about her and the movie on the Web. Even years later, I found myself thinking about that saying "I'll Cry Tomorrow" when I had trouble or hardship. My point, however, is to here stress the attitudes we have - the choice to either be sorrowful or to be happy. And, more importantly, God's purpose behind any suffering we might experience.
Now sometimes we just cannot avoid being sorrowful! Such times as the death of a loved one, or the betrayal of a friend, or extreme physical pain or some type of illness; and just plain being heartbroken! We all recognize that to be a fact.
The good Lord knew we would have troubles in this evil world, and told us:
"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me." - John 14:1
"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." - John 14:27
The apostle Peter tells us at 1 Peter 5:7, "Casting all your care upon HIM, for He careth for you."
"For HIS anger endureth but a moment; in His favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." - Psalm 30:5
One commentator on the above verse has said : "The return of God's favor to an afflicted soul is like life from the dead - nothing so reviving. All our bliss is bound up in God's favor; and if we have that, we have an infinite treasure, whatever else we may want."
The above quote is especially true when we have sinned and/or have a tender conscience. And maybe one has "backslidden", or for some other reason feels as if God has withdrawn His presence from him. Another commentator has observed that, when God seems distant, "this loneliness of soul, this desolation of spirit, shall be removed, and the light shall again shine." [then joy in the morning will return].
Remember that God is love. 1 John 4:7, 8 makes that clear in these verses shown below:
"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."
Psalm 30:5 above tells us that God's anger endureth for a moment. One commentator says that not only is God's divine anger consistent with His divine love, but that anger is absolutely essential to righteous love. "Because God is righteous, He is also angry with the wicked, with corruption... falsehood, envy, hatred, strife..." and God will punish accordingly as a parent does his rebellious child.
A commentator at the "Biblical Illustrator" explains..." I do not say weeping is the messenger of God's anger, and that joy, on the other hand, is the messenger of His love. They are both messengers of His will; they both subserve His redemptive purposes; both of them alike may be messengers of His anger, as both of them alike may be messengers of His love. ..... when the house is hushed and low with grief, when the heart is low, followed - as blessed be God! -they are followed - by days of gladness, by giving "the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness" ....... Through weeping and through joy, through this strangely mingled experience of human life, God is slowly working out that great purpose and toward that great end, the eternal good of all His creatures."
What a wonderful and beautiful explanation above of why we sometimes (or often) suffer! Many who are Christians already know much about this fact, but some may be reading who are not believers who would benefit from the above comments.
Considering the fact that we are living in the last moments of the end times as prophesied by the Bible, here is a wake up sermon by Pastor Charles Lawson. Not about prophecy itself, but about the certainty of death and the choice people must make!
As brought out in Pastor Lawson's sermon above and many times on this blog, in order to have eternal life, we need to put our faith and belief in Jesus Christ as the Savior, and the only way to find true happiness and eternal life! Following are some Scriptures for those of you who are not saved and have not believed in the shed blood of Jesus at the Cross to save you -- He paid your sin debt in full by dying in your place at Calvary -- He was the sacrificial Lamb who redeemed you, if you but put your faith in Him. It is not a head knowledge, not intellectual knowledge. You will know with all of your being that He is the only way, the truth, and the life! (John 14:6) -- if you are truly born again ( a spiritual birth from above.)
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. - John 3:36
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me, shall never die. Believest thou this?" - John 11:25,26
For 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
