by Vinny Knowles

Created on: July 15, 2009   Last Updated: July 18, 2009

If God is a God of love, then why does he allow suffering? That is a question that is asked by believers and unbelievers alike. But I think that I would be right in guessing that it is more easily answered by those who are on the "God side" of faith. Why is that? Because once you come to know God, you begin to understand that life as we know it is not all about the "here and now".

God's perspective is so much bigger. And after one has walked with God for many years they get the privilege of having glimpses into the overall plan of God and it is indeed marvelous.

But if we limit our perspective to only "me and mine", then we can never understand the wonder of His plan. After having gotten a few glimpses at the glorious wisdom of God as displayed through his majestic wonders and as described through scripture or the lives of his saints, one can begin to rest in Him. Why? Because one comes to understand just how great his love really is.

When one studies the life of the apostle Paul, one can get some valuable insight on suffering in the life of a Christian. Paul asks an important question in Romans chapter 8 verse 35, "Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or are hungry, or cold or in danger or threatened with death?" (NLT)

He answers this question for us in Romans 8:37-39. He says, absolutely not! We can be assured that God does indeed love us and he enables us to live victorious lives through these things.

To quote Paul exactly: "No despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can't and life can't. The angels can't, and the demons can't. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord "(Romans 8:37-39 NLT)

But what kind of experience did Paul have with suffering? He was well qualified to give advice on this subject. Scripture records that he experienced hunger, thirst, lack of clothing, beatings, homelessness, and that he worked wearily to cover his own expenses. He was cursed, abused, treated like the world's garbage, harassed, perplexed, hunted down, knocked down, in constant danger of death, and put in jail. He faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured

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