The Doctrine of Suffering
Jeremiah’s agonizing expressions recorded in Lamentations remind us that sorrows aboundin this world. People all around us face physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual pain. Life’s
natural course involves losing people and things we love. Our human fortitude wanes. Our
comfort zones are constantly tested. At times, we feel paralyzed with anguish. Jeremiah personally
experienced the consequences of Judah’s unrepentant rebellion against God. The heavyhearted
prophet expressed the raw physical and emotional pain he felt when God’s judgment fell on his
beloved city, Jerusalem.
Sin’s curse rendered this world a trouble-filled place. While
not all suffering directly results from
personal sin, the general brokenness of humanity, creation, and
society brings hardship in many
forms. Certainly, hope abounds for those who seek refuge in God. In gracious and sacrificial love,
God sent His Son to break sin’s curse and offer salvation to all who trust in Christ. Believers
journey through life simultaneously experiencing pain and embracing hope. God does not
exempt His children from this world’s grief but provides the strength to persevere through life’s
most unexplainable and hurtful moments.
forms. Certainly, hope abounds for those who seek refuge in God. In gracious and sacrificial love,
God sent His Son to break sin’s curse and offer salvation to all who trust in Christ. Believers
journey through life simultaneously experiencing pain and embracing hope. God does not
exempt His children from this world’s grief but provides the strength to persevere through life’s
most unexplainable and hurtful moments.
We forfeit an opportunity to grow when we fail to acknowledge and express the reality of personal
suffering. Every hard situation offers an opportunity to intentionally yield our sorrow to God’s
redemptive power. When we suppress our agony under a superficial smile, we fail to reap the deeper
benefits God intends for us. Acknowledging the depth of our internal and external struggles
helps us recognize our overwhelming need for God’s intervention and sustaining grace.
God longs for needy people to seek Him for shelter. God hears and understands our deepest
groanings – even pain our words cannot fully express. Suffering life’s difficulties tenderizes our
hearts and exposes our need for God. Like Jeremiah, we should learn to cry out to God – our
Creator and Sustainer. Jesus Himself experienced the most intense human suffering possible to
free us from the paralyzing grip of sin’s damage. We should never hesitate to pour out our most
honest grievances to God. Trusting God does not require ignoring anguish. What pain or loss
should you honestly lament? How will you trust God with your current anguish?
Resource: Bible Study Fellowship, People of Promise: Kingdom Divided, Lesson 27
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