An Amazing Fact: Two years his son and suffering financial devastation, Chicago businessman Horatio Spafford received word that the ship on which his wife and four daughters were passengers had sunk. While his wife had survived, all of his daughters had perished. On his way to join his wife, Horatio’s ship sailed near the place where his children had drowned. As he gazed heartbroken upon their watery grave, he was yet inspired to pen one of the world’s most beloved and uplifting Christian hymns: “It Is Well with My Soul.”
While Horatio’s faith sustained him through such trial and turmoil, throughout history, nearly every person has wondered why, if there is a loving God, do bad things happen. Why is there evil in the world at all? No doubt, you have also experienced tragedy and suffering in your life—and it’s a fair and natural question to ask: “Why me?”
The good news is that the Bible has real answers—ones that will sustain you and give you hope.
Here are six Bible-based facts about evil and suffering.
Why does God allow evil to exist?
The Bible plainly states that “God is love” (1 John 4:8) and that He wants you to prosper and have a joy-filled future (Jeremiah 29:11). So why do we experience evil and suffering?
God wants a genuine, loving relationship with you, but for genuine love to exist, so must real freedom. He gives this freedom to everyone, including angels like Lucifer, the father of lies (John 8:44), who became Satan when he incited a rebellion in heaven and brought sin to the earth.
Why didn’t God just kill Satan immediately? Had the devil been destroyed in the first moments of his rebellion, God’s angels and other intelligent creatures, including you, may have begun to serve God out of fear instead of love.
Thus, God allowed Satan to demonstrate to the universe just how much harm would come by following his path. God is also longsuffering, “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9), and so He’s giving every human being, like you, as much time as possible to turn back to Him!
Why do bad things happen to good people?
Job, one of the most righteous men in the Bible, was attacked directly by Satan, who had to ask God’s permission to harass him (Job 1:8–12). Even someone who is “blameless and upright” (v. 1) can suddenly experience great tragedy. Different degrees of suffering happen to everyone.
Job’s story illustrates how even though God created the world a beautiful paradise, Satan seeks to destroy it through sin. We can expect suffering to happen—either by our own choices, through others, or even at the hands of the devil. Many blame God for the bad things that happen, but in one of His many parables, Jesus said, “An enemy [Satan] has done this” (Matthew 13:28). Always remember that God is good.
Rich or poor, no one is immune.
Did you know that God “makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust”? (Matthew 5:45). God seeks your good, while Satan seeks to harm everyone. Neither education, wealth, nor status can prevent suffering from entering our lives.
David was a man handpicked by God to rule Israel. He enjoyed great wealth and the best his culture had to offer—yet he suffered great sorrow when pursued by enemies and when his personal sin led to the deaths of several of his children. Suffering happens to everyone. It’s how we react to it that matters. Beset by tragedy, Job responded faithfully, “Blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21).
Suffering can bring us closer to God.
The Bible says, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word. … It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes” (Psalm 119:67, 71). God can give us peace even when the world around us is falling apart. He can relieve our sorrow and replace it with lasting joy (Isaiah 61:1–3).
Learning to trust God even in the most challenging times is an important part of developing Christian character. If, as the Bible says, “all things work together for good to those who love God” (Romans 8:28), then God can use our suffering to save us and others. Commit to working with Him even through your suffering.
God is with His children always.
God created you and has numbered the very hairs on your head (Luke 12:7); He is intimately concerned with your welfare. He rejoices in your victories; He sorrows when you hurt.
Moreover, God is no stranger to loss. He endured the suffering and sacrifice of His own Son, Jesus, who died to save you from this sinful world. That’s why the Bible affirms God’s closeness during times of sorrow: “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit” (Psalm 34:18). If you are in pain, know that God is near and that He cares for you.
Will sin and suffering ever end?
It is Satan’s goal to cause you to feel hopeless when you suffer. But difficult as your circumstances may be, there remains faith, hope, and love (1 Corinthians 13:13). God promises that sin, evil, and suffering will end: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5).
In Revelation 21:4, we find a precious promise. Someday soon, “God will wipe away every tear from [our] eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” When we trust in Jesus, He not only helps us through our present trials, but He also promises us an eternity without pain. What a beautiful plan of redemption through Jesus!
Just as Horatio penned in the darkness of his suffering, you can also say, “When sorrows like sea billows roll ... it is well with my soul.”
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