One of the truths believers hold most dear is God’s sovereignty (absolute authority over all). One of the greatest mysteries of the Christian faith is God’s sovereignty. How is it that God can be both good and sovereign when there is so much pain and suffering in life? This question has led many to unbelief, including me many years ago.
“If God loves me, then why……” I struggled with this question, and the Lord led me to a study of the book of Philippians in the New Testament. Not only did the author, Paul, suffer due to the “thorn,” believed by some to be trouble with his eyes, possibly stemming from His Damascus Road experience, he faced tremendous persecution and hardship as he carried out the call on his life to spread the gospel of Jesus. Imprisonment, shipwreck, flogging, hunger were among the many aspects of Paul’s suffering.
Did Paul question the reality of God? No. He had encountered Christ and had been dramatically changed. That miracle – being transformed by the Holy Spirit – plays out daily in the lives of believers everywhere. And when it happens, there is an unshakable knowing that settles into those hearts. Paul experienced this. Having once been a zealous persecutor of Christians, overseeing their killing and imprisonment, he encountered Christ and was changed forever. In fact, it was Paul’s unshakable joy and faith in Jesus while in prison that led others, including his jailers, to saving faith. Whatever he had, they wanted it!
I am immeasurably blessed to live in sweet fellowship with folks who have been changed. The Holy Spirit moves individuals to a new focus, a shared purpose to live for that which is unseen. The supernatural draw to Scripture is evidence of new birth, and this (shared understanding) is what binds together the hearts and minds of believers all over the world. This is an undeniable miracle.
The issue of God’s sovereignty in light of human suffering clarifies as one grows in the knowledge of Him. As we lean in, learning to trust God no matter our trials, we experience His love and perfect purpose in and through all circumstances. We come to realize it is through our suffering that we grow, and that growth places us in a spiritual sweet spot that is far above our ability to describe. God either allows suffering for His purposes, or He overcomes suffering for His purposes. He really does work all things together for good (Romans 8:28).
Sovereignty and suffering are not mutually exclusive.
Have you slipped from the mountaintop into a valley? Remember: fruit only grows in the valleys. Trust Him.
Joy in Jesus,
Jacquee