Biblical Reflections · Christian Living

Lord, Why Do You Allow This to Happen to Me?

5 min read, approximately

“Jehovah is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, And saveth such as are of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous; But Jehovah delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: Not one of them is broken.” (Psalms 34:18-20)

Words such as: “Forgive me, I cannot continue this relationship with you”, “I must inform you that your son will never walk again”, “You have been diagnosed with cancer”… or even the death of someone we love.

We are human, and when we receive bad news, our hearts become distressed, afflicted, and hurt. Why does the Lord allow this to happen?

“It is good for me that I have been afflicted; That I may learn thy statutes.” (Psalms 119:71)

But Through a Painful Situation? Why?

“as it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none that understandeth, There is none that seeketh after God; They have all turned aside, they are together become unprofitable; There is none that doeth good, no, not so much as one: Their throat is an open sepulchre; With their tongues they have used deceit: The poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways; And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Romans 3:10-18)

We may say that we read the Word, preach, bring good news to people and pray for them, and declare that God is sovereign. Yet the Word records that there is not even one! In other words, we need to be refined!

Refined in What Way, or for What Purpose?

“being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ:” (Philippians 1:6)

“And the God of all grace, who called you unto his eternal glory in Christ, after that ye have suffered a little while, shall himself perfect, establish, strengthen you.” (1 Peter 5:10)

Pain and affliction are the instruments God uses to shape, perfect, strengthen, and establish us!

“I pray for sick people, you hear me and heal them, but when I pray for a family member, you do not! What is happening, God? I want them to be healed!”
“Lord, I follow your Word, and things go from bad to worse. Why, God?”
“I have made a point of living with integrity and following the Way, the Truth, and the Life that you are, Jesus Christ. Why, then, is this happening to me?”

We tend to forget that God always has everything under control! (Isaiah 41:4) Yet we will never understand why God does things this way (Ecclesiastes 3:11). All we know is that his purpose will always be fulfilled in us (Isaiah 55:11), because he does not change his mind (Numbers 23:19)… Therefore, amid pain and suffering, we must understand that no circumstance will come upon us that we cannot bear (1 Corinthians 10:13), and that its ultimate purpose will always be for our good (Romans 8:28).

“Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why didst thou make me thus?” (Romans 9:20)

Is There Anyone Who Knows What Is Best for Us?

“And the God of all grace, who called you unto his eternal glory in Christ, after that ye have suffered a little while, shall himself perfect, establish, strengthen you.” (1 Peter 5:10)

“Despised and rejected among people, a man of sorrows, acquainted with suffering; we hid our faces from him, he was despised, and we did not esteem him. Surely he bore our illnesses and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken, struck by God, and afflicted. 

But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our sins; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wound we were healed. We all went astray like sheep; each turned to their own way, and the Lord laid on him the sin of us all. He was distressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. Like a lamb led to slaughter, and like a sheep silent before its shearers, he did not open his mouth. Through imprisonment and judgment he was taken away; who will recount his generation? For he was cut off from the land of the living and wounded for the rebellion of my people. 

His grave was assigned with the wicked, but he was with the rich in his death, although he had never done evil and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet the Lord willed to crush him, subjecting him to suffering. When he has offered his life as an atonement for sin, he will see offspring, live many days, and the Lord’s will will prosper in his hand.” (Isaiah 53:3-10)  

“Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name; that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven and [things] on earth and [things] under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)

Take heart: God has not abandoned you. You are part of his plans. Wait patiently, and remember that there is always a purpose!

_**Remember to stop by the Songbook

May God continue to bless you, and may you continue to have an excellent day in Christ Jesus!