Why Does God Permit Pain?

Why Does God Permit Pain?

My Bible

My Help

My Hope

Introduction

Have you ever asked the question why?

Have you ever questioned God, asking God Why did this happen or why did that happen?

For a few weeks, I want to help us tackle some why questions.

Now, I have always thought that God’s answers to life’s questions are better than mine.

The Bible is full of Scriptures asking the question “why”.

It is estimated that there are 261 of them!

Tonight I want to look at one of the questions that I have heard ask often. It centers on human pain and suffering – “Why Does God Permit Pain?”

Jeremiah 15:18a (ESV)

18 Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will you be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail?

Let’s begin our journey in “why” with Job; his story forms the basis of the primary human questions of existence – why am I here, and, if God really loves me, why do I hurt?

Even people who do not know the story of Job have heard of him and his patience. The story so often centers around the first chapter, and how this really good man got a raw deal, while God just looked-on and let the Devil destroy the man and his family.

But it really is worth reading the next 36 chapters to watch Job’s friends first attempt to comfort Job...but eventually wind-up missing the mark on the compassion scale. They do more harm than comfort, suggesting that Job was a bad guy, and that’s why bad stuff came his way; but, in reality, Job was a good man in the midst of a really rotten circumstance!

For the first thirty-seven chapters, Job asks the angry question – God, why me? As the 38th chapter begins God finally ends his silence. Job, tell me…when I was mapping out the universe and laying the foundations upon which you now stand…just where were you? God never answered Job’s question the way Job wanted…He simply pointed out that Job didn’t have a clue, and he’d better think twice before parading his goodness in front of his Creator.

After God spoke Job cringed…it works that way! Job had to humble himself and eat a little dust. He apologized to God, and things went better for him afterward.

Now, the reality of trouble and suffering in the human family is not in question here – we all know people who suffer; we have all had our share of suffering. Job even stated the reality that we are born into having trouble as certainly as the sparks fly upward from a fire.

[1] The real question we all have is, If God is good, and God is kind…WHY do we suffer? We want to know why God thought it necessary to put us through suffering in this life.

But, to tell you the truth there are only three things I can say about your question – why do we suffer?

#1. It is a fair question;

#2. it is Job’s question.

#3. I don’t know.

There is a lot of stuff offered by preachers, philosophers and skeptics to try to make us believe that somebody on planet earth has understood God.

But it is conjecture only!

Some say God punishes sin and that’s why we suffer.

Some say we must suffer to collect better karma than we had in our last incarnation.

Some say we suffer because we have no faith, or God is just that mean. You can choose that if you will, but God never said that.

God didn’t answer Job; not even in the face of the oldest test case on record. God simply informed the man that a mortal could not understand. And therein lays our frustration and the only answer we have – neither can we understand God’s ways. Some suffering is in God’s hands only, and we will not know why until we see him.

So, Preacher, How am I supposed to live with that?

So, Preacher, where does that leave us in all our pain and suffering? How can we remain somewhat sane in the face of the brutality of man with men, and natural disasters and children who die or are abused? Who can accept such a thing? The same answers – it’s a fair question, and I don’t know.

We were not there when God created this universe.

We do not understand the most infinite fraction of the depth and breadth of who God is, and what He has done.

And if we cannot understand even the basics of the creation in which we live, how can we possibly begin to understand the motives and purposes of the Creator who is greater than His creation?

But he has told us Who He is in Jesus Christ. Jesus came to us and said, Do you want to know the father? He told Phillip when he question who the Father was. Jesus said, Phillip, Look at me…follow me…love me…commit your life to me. For in me dwells all of what is in the Father; you see me, you know Him. [2]

Does That Make It All Right?

Wow! Do you mean that if I put my faith in Jesus Christ I expect all the suffering I’ve ever done, whether self-inflicted and deserved, or undeserved, to vanish. That’s not the point. Jesus is not a self-help vending machine….put in a prayer – out pops a packaged healing for what-ails-you!

Rather, this is a matter of the created being “getting-in-step” with the Creator, so that He can direct your path away from sin and bring you close to Him.

Your suffering is just that – your suffering. It has a purpose, and God may or may not reveal that purpose to you in this life. All we can really say about it is that you have a choice to do one of two things:

• You can attempt to figure suffering out; in which case you will wind up in the madness of Job, and at odds with God…or…

• You can do what Job finally did – submit. You can trust God’s grace and know that He is God.

In choosing to trust God you will not eliminate suffering from your life altogether; it is too much a part of the human condition. However, the Bible says that the end of Job’s days were better than the beginning. Whether that be in this life, or the next, it is not bad to trust the voice out of the whirlwind! I choose His grace; I choose to love Him and cling to Him…tho’ He slay me!

But either way, know this, that no matter how strong or weak your faith may be, it is His grace that will give you peace. Paul found that out. Paul had pain that was like a sharp thorn. He prayed for a long time that God would take it away. Paul was a great man of faith; God chose to let him keep the pain. Instead God whispered to Paul’s heart these words:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” [3]

God may heal your pain, relationship, finances, sickness or disease; or He may give you the strength to carry you through your pain.

Pain and trouble are ours, Job tells us, as assuredly as the sparks fly upward. But the pain now is part of the happiness God has waiting for us. He said that is the deal!

Now the question is, “Why does God Permit Pain?”

1. Free Will and Human Choices

Reason: God gave humans free will, and suffering often results from human decisions or sin entering the world. Verse: "This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live." (Deuteronomy 30:19) Verse: "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned." (Romans 5:12)

2. Growth and Maturity

Reason: Suffering shapes character, strengthens faith, and teaches perseverance. Verse: "Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." (Romans 5:3–4) Verse: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." (James 1:2–3)

3. A Greater Purpose

Reason: God may allow suffering to fulfill a greater purpose or bring about good in ways we do not immediately understand. Verse: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28) Verse: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." (Genesis 50:20)

4. A Reminder of a Fallen World

Reason: Suffering points to the brokenness of creation and the need for restoration through Christ. Verse: "For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God." (Romans 8:20–21) Verse: "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

5. Developing Empathy and Compassion

Reason: Experiencing pain helps us understand and care for the suffering of others. Verse: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." (2 Corinthians 1:3–4)

6. Testing and Refining Faith

Reason: Suffering can test and refine a believer’s faith, making it stronger and purer. Verse: "In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." (1 Peter 1:6–7)

7. Eternal Perspective

Reason: Earthly suffering is temporary compared to the eternal joy and glory promised by God. Verse: "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." (2 Corinthians 4:17) Verse: "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:4)

Embracing pain and suffering when God permits it involves spiritual, emotional, and practical steps to trust in His plan and grow through the experience.

Here are steps to guide you:

1. Acknowledge Your Feelings

Recognize and accept your emotions without guilt. It’s natural to feel sadness, anger, or confusion. Biblical Reflection: "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." (Psalm 34:18)

2. Seek God in Prayer

Share your struggles with God through honest and heartfelt prayer. Ask for strength, wisdom, and peace. Biblical Reflection: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Philippians 4:6)

3. Meditate on God’s Word

Turn to Scripture for comfort, guidance, and perspective. Verses about God’s love, purpose, and sovereignty can strengthen your faith. Biblical Reflection: "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Psalm 119:105)

4. Trust in God’s Sovereignty

Remember that God’s plans are greater than your understanding. Trust that He is working all things for good. Biblical Reflection: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

5. Lean on Community

Surround yourself with supportive friends, family, or a faith community who can pray with you and offer encouragement. Biblical Reflection: "Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2)

6. Embrace the Lessons

Reflect on what God may be teaching you through the pain. Suffering often brings growth, compassion, and a deeper relationship with God. Biblical Reflection: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." (James 1:2–3)

7. Choose Gratitude

Even in suffering, look for reasons to be thankful. Gratitude shifts focus from pain to God’s blessings and faithfulness. Biblical Reflection: "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

8. Serve Others

Use your experience of pain to empathize with and help others who are suffering. It gives your pain purpose and fosters healing. Biblical Reflection: "Praise be to the God...who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." (2 Corinthians 1:3–4)

9. Focus on Eternity

Keep an eternal perspective, recognizing that earthly suffering is temporary and will be replaced by everlasting joy in God’s presence. Biblical Reflection: "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." (2 Corinthians 4:17)

10. Seek Professional Help if Needed

If the pain feels overwhelming, seek help from a pastor, counselor, or therapist to process your emotions and find additional support.

By following these steps, you can approach pain and suffering with faith, resilience, and a deeper trust in God’s love and purpose.

Summary

Suffering, while painful, is not without purpose in the biblical narrative. It serves to refine, teach, and lead individuals closer to God, pointing to His ultimate plan for redemption and eternal life. These verses invite believers to trust in God's wisdom and goodness, even amidst trials.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes.

Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things [all the pain] have passed away.” Revelation 21:4 (NRSVA)

Closing

I hope tonight I have given some explanation as to why God permits pain and I hope I have been able to provide you guidelines on how to find purpose in your pain.

Let’s pray!