This may be one of the most asked questions of all times. Inquiring minds want to know, “Why do God’s people suffer?” 

Think about the family that has their child abducted and murdered? Did God take their precious child? What about the victims of serial rapists, or the innocent bystander killed in a drive by shooting? Did God have something to do with their untimely demise? 

Does God indiscriminately choose people to cause them to suffer for some mysterious reason that we will know in the by and by? Does He cause people to suffer for His glory or to teach them or their families a lesson? Does God impose suffering to prepare people for the work of the ministry? In this timely article, we’ll answer those questions and more… 

by Gillis Triplett

“Why Lord, Why?”
It was a scorching hot summer in Atlanta, Georgia. To make matters more unbearable, the police had just informed a mother that both of her small children were dead. In obvious anguish, she cried out, “Why Lord, why did you have to take both of my children at the same time?” She believed with all of her heart that God was the one causing her to suffer. As the investigation unfolded, these facts came to the surface. The single mother was exhausted and decided to take a much needed short nap. As she slept, her two young children, around the ages of 4 and 6, slipped outside and got into her unlocked car. The temperature outside was a sizzling ninety-six degrees Fahrenheit. Inside the car, with the windows closed, it was estimated that the temperature could have easily reached about one hundred and twenty degrees, which is uninhabitable for any human being. 

The kids managed to get in and close the car doors but they could not figure out how to get out. The medical examiner said they died of heatstroke and a lack of oxygen. The mother was inconsolable. She had just lost her two precious gems, and she could not understand why God was making her suffer so. Her pastor responded by saying, “God works in mysterious ways.” He implied that God took both of her children to teach her a lesson. Is that what happened? Was killing her two children God’s way of teaching that mother a lesson? Can we expect the same treatment from our heavenly Father? To answer those questions, we must go to the Written Word of God. The Scriptures reveal a number of reasons why people suffer…  

1. They Don’t Follow God’s Instructions (Read Numbers 20:1-29)
Moses and Aaron had consulted with the Lord about a problem they were having with the congregation. The people quarreled with Moses because they felt that he had led them into the wilderness to die. In spite of all God had done for them in times past and promised them, they simply did not believe His Word. In response to their dilemma, God gave Moses specific instructions. He commanded him to speak to the rock and it would pour out water for the people and their livestock. Instead of speaking to the rock as God had commanded, Moses took the rod and struck the rock, not once but twice! 

The result of his disobedience was that Aaron died prematurely, (See Numbers 20:22-29) and God forbad Moses from entering into the Promised Land, (See Deuteronomy 3:21-28). The average Believer would think nothing of rejecting God’s instructions and opt to use their own plans, not realizing, that they are dooming themselves to unnecessary trials and tribulations. God’s Instructions are revealed to us in the Scriptures. He covers every aspect of life. When you don’t follow His instructions, history has proven that eventually you will pay a high price. 

 This message is God’s clarion call for you to be a man or woman of God who not only accepts responsibility for your actions but who lives a disciplined life, one beyond reproach. Will God’s people suffer? Yes they will, but their suffering is never God’s fault nor is it God’s plan or purpose for their life. By fulfilling our duties such as engaging in earnest prayer, studying the Word of God and being sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit, we can avoid unnecessary and avoidable suffering. But remember, if you find your self suffering for righteousness sake, then rejoice for great is your reward in heaven.