God and Suffering

Intro

Would you go back to a restaurant if you had a bad experience there? Let’s say you love that place, would you go back? What if it was your first time, would you go back? Story at Rocky’s. Go there a lot. Staff meeting. Cold and 45 minutes late. Would I go back?

Need: Culture bases worldviews on experience. Our experiences can influence our view of the world. Our experiences can influence our view of God. No question has been asked more than “Why would God allow suffering?” While there are answers, they aren’t easy to swallow. Have your experiences influenced your view of God?

Lamentations 3 is in the midst of suffering.

Main Idea: Suffering does not change God

Jeremiah suffered greatly. Battled false prophets. Conspiracies against him. Publicly beaten and locked away. King tried to arrest him. Taken to Egypt against will. He had learned much about God in his suffering. All of Lamentations is in the midst of suffering. Nation is suffering.

He lists what he knows and what we can observe. This suffering is mainly deserved suffering. But there are implications for unjust suffering.

Truth #1: While suffering, God is good (22-33)

Exp. God’s goodness isn’t changed. Verse 22-23. In suffering, his love doesn’t end. His mercies are new every morning. Imagine saying that in suffering. Speaking to God. God uses suffering to produce endurance in us. That’s his rhythm. The night represents suffering, and the morning is his mercy.

Ill. Christian afraid in the middle of the night. He just needs comfort until morning comes. Morning is coming no matter what.

Arg. Suffering is not just a few hours. Suffering can be years, months. Verse 24. He isn’t hoping for more mercies. He’s hoping in God because he knows morning is coming. While suffering, God is good because he’s made it so morning is always coming.

Christ - Jeremiah’s sufferings mirrored that of Christ. Imagine the night after Jesus died. On the morning of the third day, God’s mercies were revealed. The greatest mercy was that of Jesus. Now, his mercies are everlasting. Our suffering is not in vain because of Christ.

App. What do we do? Wait on the Lord…How?

Wait quietly for the Lord. Verse 25-26. Not a passive stoic waiting. Active resting in the goodness of God. Expectation of it ending.

Wait in repentance. Verse 28-29. Put his mouth to dust is a quote from Job. Dust and ashes are a picture of repentance.

Wait without vengeance. Verse 30. If suffering is caused by another, turn the other cheek. Jesus quotes verse 30. Wait on God to judge.

Truth #2: While suffering, God is just (34-45, 59-66)

Exp. Suffering may be unjust, but God isn’t. Verse 34-36. God does not approve denying justice or crushing all prisoners or subverting a man in lawsuit (to be bent or crooked). God is just no matter our situation. Verse 37-39. The state of Judah is being punished for their rebellion against God. Logical. How can we complain for the punishment for sin?

Ill. If you speed, you get a ticket. If you don’t study, you fail. If you lay out of work, you get fired. We know God punishes sin.

Arg. God punished Israel in the period of the Judges. But that’s not all Jeremiah gets to. Verse 59-63. Acknowledges God seeing what has been done to him. Verse 64-66. Again, Jeremiah’s knows who God is. He trusts in what God will do. God already claimed he would take out Babylon. Jeremiah knows his morning is coming. God is a just God, even when it doesn’t feel like it.

Christ - God’s punishment for sin was ultimately poured onto a sinless man. God’s justice was poured out onto Jesus. How is it justice? It’s not in our definition. God’s judgement had to be poured out, and the guilty were justified. Regardless of your suffering, you have not been condemned.

App. What do we do? Return to God.

Test and examine our ways. Verse 40. Look inward. Unjust suffering exists, but we don’t turn from God. See the sin in our lives.

Lift our hearts and hands. Verse 41-42. If suffering is deserved, we should confess rather than complain.

Truth #3: While suffering, God is personal (46-58)

Exp. God isn’t far off. Look at Jeremiah’s prayer. Verse 46-54. My eyes flow with rivers of tears. Have you ever been there? My eyes flow without ceasing. He’s looking at destruction and weeps at what he sees. He is hunted and flung into a pit. That actually happened. I am lost.

Suffering dispels the illusion that we have the strength and competence to rule our own lives and save ourselves. People “become nothing through suffering” so that they can be filled with God and his grace.

Timothy Keller

Exp. Jeremiah displays his willingness to give up control. Verse 55-56. I called your name. From the pit. You heard my plea. God answers. Verse 57. God is not far away, he responds, “Do not fear.” God is responsive even if we don’t like it. He’s personal. Then he acts. Verse 58. Taken up my cause. Redeemed my life. Quoting Psalm 119:154

Psalm 119:154

Plead my cause and redeem me; give me life according to your promise!

Exp. God has spoken and and redeemed his life. Redemption is purposeful. Recovering what is his. You belong to him. He listens and acts.

Christ - His redemption is fulfilled in Jesus. We were purchased with the blood of Jesus, Jesus tore the veil and we have direct access to God. You can find redemption in him.

App. What do we do? We pray in suffering.

Pray authentically

Don’t hold back. Describe your situation. Tell him everything. Pray through Scripture.

Pray personally

Prayer is a way to exult God, but God desires to speak with you.

Conclusion

Suffering is never easy. We are not called to go through it alone. Let us walk with those who are suffering and point them back to the Father who never changes in it.

Let’s bow our heads.