Category: Seeking God in Suffering

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Seeking God in Suffering – Why Me?

Why Me, Lord? DAY 4 |  Psalm 103:8-18

[God] does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. —Psalm 103:10

Is cancer a punishment for sin? Does God authorize our suffering because we haven’t faithfully followed his law? This ages-old question plagues people who wonder if God follows a cause-and-effect policy: You sin, you suffer.

In the Old Testament we read of a man named Job who loses nearly everything but his life in a test of faith in God. Job’s friends accuse him, saying he must have brought this on himself by sinning against God. Job even asks God, “If I have sinned, what have I done to you . . . ? Why have you made me your target?” (Job 7:20). And God responds by showing him that God’s ways are higher than human ways.

The psalmist declares that God “does not treat us as our sins deserve.” Instead, God uses a sin-removal policy based on his everlasting love: God pays the price of our sin. If God let us pay for our wrongdoing, every living person would be stuck forever in a slimy mud pit of their own making.

Some people have come to me as their pastor, tearfully taking the blame for their own health diagnosis or life challenge. I have confidently assured them that God does not operate that way. Even so, when my cancer returned, I, too, wrestled with whether God was displeased with me about something. And God reminded me of his abounding love and grace that is greater than all our sin.
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Lord, thank you for your mercy, compassion, grace, and forgiveness. Your love is as high as the heavens. When we suffer, may we not doubt but stand firm on your promises. Amen.
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Seeking God in Suffering – When Waiting Feels Unbearable

When Waiting Feels Unbearable
DAY 2 | Psalm 130

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. —Psalm 130:5

One of my favorite pastors used to warn, “Never pray for patience; you will not like how God teaches you.” Most people are not very good at waiting, whether it’s for food to be served, a traffic light to change, or test results to arrive. In our fast-paced world, waiting is usually an irritating inconvenience.

As a child, I eagerly anticipated Christmas. As a teen, I counted down to graduation and leaving the nest. As an adult, the longest weeks I ever experienced were those leading up to the announcement that I was accepted into a three-year clinical trial for treatment of my second bout with cancer. My life depended on it.

When the psalmist writes that his “whole being waits,” perhaps you—like me—can relate to that feeling. His heart and soul long for a sign from God, a flicker of light while hanging out in the depths of darkness. He wanders back and forth between calling out to God and reminding himself of the goodness and faithfulness of God.

Fear creeps into our waiting when there’s a possibility of bad news—and that can make the situation feel unbearable. Like the psalmist, we must keep our eyes fixed on God, the source of hope for this life and forever. There is no outcome that God will not help us handle.
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Dear Lord, we cautiously pray for patience as we deal with irritating little things and major, life-altering, fearful things. Thank you for your infinite mercy. Infuse us with unshakable hope in your Word. Amen.
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Seeking God in Suffering – News That Devastates

News that Devastates

DAY 1 | Psalm 77:1-4

I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me.— Psalm 77:1

The phone call. The knock on the door. The doctor’s words. The death pronouncement. Many of us can remember times in our lives when we received news that we immediately knew would change the course of our future. Waves of dread ran through our bodies, and we could barely stand. “Oh, God!”

For followers of Christ, calling out to our God—the source of our life and strength and hope—is a natural response to shock, fear, disbelief, and grief. Sometimes “Oh, God!” is all we can say as our mind races and our world blurs. It’s our 911 call to the God of the universe.

One of the wonderful things about the Psalms is that, by example, we are granted permission to cry out to God in desperation. It’s human to fear death when we’re diagnosed with cancer. And it’s human to want to die when we lose a precious child or spouse. God’s people are not required to be stoic in difficult times. Instead, we are invited to collapse into the arms of God, who will hold us tightly, catch our tears, and carry us through whatever lies ahead.

The writer of this psalm does not rush to resolution but lingers in the distress and sleeplessness of overwhelming grief. He merely asks God to help and to hear. And that’s more than enough.

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Oh, God, sometimes life hits us with such hard blows that we can barely breathe. Thank you that when we feel overwhelmed with fear or grief, you hear our cries and come near to us. Amen.