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The Problem of Suffering

My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.  Job 23:11

 

Some scholars think Job may be the oldest book in the Bible. Whether that is true or not, it certainly deals with one of humanity's oldest questions: Why does God allow suffering?

It isn't an easy issue, because it goes to the heart of our deepest questions about God. After all, the argument runs, how could a loving and gracious God allow suffering? To put it another way: if God lets us suffer, He must not love us. But that conclusion is false. God does love us, and the proof is the suffering He allowed His Son to endure on the cross.

What, then, is the answer to this age-old question? The key is to understand the character of God. That is what Job discovered. No, God never gave him a logical, complete rationale for his suffering. But through his experience, Job came to realize that God could be trusted because He is merciful and loving. And you can trust God too--not because He always gives us all the answers, but simply because He is God.

From, HOPE for Each Day: Morning & Evening Devotions, by Billy Graham.