Why Does God Permit Suffering? This Question Becomes Impossible In The Belief In Theism If we can let go of this concept (Theism), we can face this question with the courage of being, to face reality beyond the words, concepts and theological formulations of men.   Being out in the figurative "wilderness," is where a person can truly grow, mature, learn humility and find God.

Why? What purpose could it possibly serve? View One - Suffering Teaches Us Humility The second Isaiah, the Jewish minority view, is that suffering acted to open us up, allowing God to fill our voids with his mercy. Suffering was to act as a divine potter's wheel, shaping us, molding us, leaving us with a large hole, an open void, an emptiness, a space for God to fill with our acceptance, as one theologian calls it, "a grand canyon in our soul." In turn, our allowance, giving God permission to fill our openings, thus becoming one of his children, part of his family. This was the teaching that later became the norm, among the newly formed Christian religion, "the Way," as the Jewish writers of the Gospels, re-thought, re-assessed and literally altered their Jewish writings to conform to this perceptional teaching of suffering, applying it to Christ. This teaching, although much kinder than that of the tyrannical punishment held as the majority view, still brought forth the separation from God, as an external being, who deciding apart from us, determined what or how much of hardships and tests would come our way. View Two - Suffering Comes As Punishment (Popular Theism View) The more popular view of the biblical day, was suffering being the cause of punishment administered by an external God, who lived apart in the heavens, who, as a king, tyrannically imputed harsh, painful and sometimes cruel judgment for one's disobedience of his commands. while those who did good, only received God's blessing. Thus came the protest literature, employing the figurative story of Job, a righteous man, perfect in his obedience to God, only to receive harsh and unfair treatment that in no way, shape or form, conformed to this so called line of reasoning, so brought out in the books of Ecclesiastics, Proverbs and other apocalyptic writings. This line of reasoning can most assuredly be seen today by various Christian fundamental groups that condemn sex outside of government issued marriage certificates, monogamous and loyal gay relationships and women's more aggressive role in society, all as being judgmentally defined in playing a major role in modern day societies diseases, natural disasters, crime rate and war, condemning all suffering as the result of the punishment for people who they perceive as failing to obey the commandments of an external God. View Three - Suffering Is A Result of Our Interior Thoughts And/Or Actions One Eastern viewpoint is to acknowledge God's universal spirit, or that of our creative life force as the result of our external outcome. This is the law of Karma, that is the law of cause and effect (unlike Lebintz, more like Newton). The cause of postive thinking or actions verses that of negative thoughts and actions, results in effect, as: what is put out into the universe, boomerangs in some way, shape or form, back from the universe. Yet the objectificaton of thoughts and actions are far from other forms of Eastern thought, such as Zen, and in reality, is Western in thought, for it objectifies our human thoughts as concrete and with form, to be used as an object of power. It is here within the intuitive heart, where we both consciously and unconsciously use our thoughts, our divine power of life force, God within us, and our desires there of, to project out in the universe the ability to manifest our destiny. It is our higher self, that of a raised consciousness level of the presence of God within us that gives us the awareness that all life is connected "as one," as "Christ and the Father are one," as he prayed that "we may all be one," in gaining our awareness to the fact that we are already part of the one, being connected to all life, people, our environment and God, part of the one universal soul and unseen divine intelligence that is in all life, that being the neutral, non-judgmental, life force/spirit of unconditional love. This, more than likely, is the very awareness that Christ had, enabling him to enlighten so many others to acknowledge God's presence within him and to subsequently attempt to capture his essence in human fallible terms, under the subjectivity of the era and time constraining teachings of that day. View Four - Pleasure and Truth Only Through Suffering Zen Meaning of Suffering -  "Transiency" - We should find perfect existence through imperfect existence. We should find the truth, not with escaping, but through our difficulties, through our suffering, two sides of one coin. All else is a delusion. To find pleasure in suffering is the only way to accept the truth of transiency. " - SHUNRYU SUZUKI Thick Nhat Hahn says the basic aim of Buddhism arises out of human experience itself - the experience of suffering - and it seeks to provide a realistic answer to man's most urgent question: how to cope with suffering. The problem of human suffering is insoluble as long as men are prevented by their collective and individual illusions from getting directly to grips with suffering in its very root within themselves. To set up party, race, nation, or even official religion as absolutes is to erect barriers of illusion that stand between man and himself and prevent him from facing his own reality in its naked existential factuality. In this case, says Nhat Hanh, the various world views, whether religious or political, may concur in the error of providing man with a refuge, and with stereotyped formal answers which substitute for genuine thought insight , experience, and love. One must break through these illusory forms and come directly to grips with suffering in ourselves and in others. The aim of Buddhism is then the creation of an entirely new consciousness which is free to deal with the barehanded and without pretenses. Piercing the illusions in ourselves which divide us fro others, if must enable man to attain unity and solidarity with his brother through openness and compassion, endowed with secret resources of creativity. This love can transform the world. Only love can do this. It comes as no surprise to know that Nhat Hanh is an intelligent and ardent reader of Camus, as well as of Bonhoeffer." THOMAS MERTON   "Only the man who has had to face despair is really convinced that he needs mercy. Those who do not want mercy never seek it. It is better to find God on the threshold of despair than to risk our lives in a complacency that has never felt the need of forgiveness. A life that is without problems may literally be more hopeless than one that always verges on despair." Thomas Merton (1a)

The Nobel Prize winner Elie Wiesel had lived only for God during his childhood in Hungary, his life had been shaped by the disciplines of the Talmud, and he had hoped one day to be initiated into the mysteries of Kabbalah. As a boy, he was taken to Auschwitz and later to Buchenwald. During his first night in the death camp, watching he black smoke coiling to the sky from the crematorium where the bodies of his mother and sister were to be thrown, eh knew that the flames had consumed his faith forever. He was in a world which was the objective correlative of the Godless world imagined by Nietzsche. "Never should I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live," He wrote years later. "Never shall I forget these moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust." "One day the Gestapo hanged a child. Even the SS were disturbed by the prospect of hanging a young boy in front of thousands of spectators. the child who, Wiesel recalled had the face of a 'sad-eyed angel," was silent, lividly pale and almost calm as he ascended the gallows. Behind Wiesel, one of the other prisoners asked: "Where is God? Where is He?" It took the child half an hour to die, while the prisoners were forced to look him in the face. The same man asked again: :"Where is God now?" And Wiesel heard a voice within him make this answer: "Where is He? Here He is - He is hanging here on the gallows." Dostovesky had said that the death of a single child could make God unacceptable, but even he, no stranger to inhumanity, had not imagined the death of a child in such circumstances. The horror of Auschwitz is a stark challenge to many of the more conventional ideas of God. The remote God of the philosophers, lost in a transcendent apathia, becomes intolerable. Many Jews can no longer subscribe to the biblical idea of God who manifests himself in history, who, they say with Wiesel, died in Auschwitz. The idea of a personal God, like one of us writ large, is fraught with difficulty. If this God is omnipresent, he could have prevented the Holocaust. If he was unable to stop it, he is impotent and useless; if he could have stopped it and chose not to, he is a monster. Jews are not the only people who believe that the Holocaust put an end to conventional theology. Yet it is also true that even in Auschwitz some Jews continued to study the Talmud and observe the traditional festivals, not because they hoped that God would rescue them but because it made sense. There is a story that one day in Auschwitz, a group of Jews put God on trial. They charge him with cruelty and betrayal. Like Job, they found no consolation in the usual answers to the problem of evil and suffering in the midst of this current obscenity. They could find no excuse for God, no extenuating circumstances, so they found him guilty and presumably, worthy of death. The Rabbi pronounced the verdict. Then he looked up and said that the trial was over: it was time for the evening prayer. Karen Armstrong, The History of God, pp. 375-376 Elie Wiesel, Night, pp. 45, 76-77

Suffering Molds Us, Teaches Us

The View of The Second Isaiah and Subsequent Jewish Christians

"Blessed are they that mourn." Can this be true? Is there any greater wretchedness than to taste the dregs of our own insufficiency and misery and hopelessness, and to know that we are certainly worth nothing at all? Yet it is blessed to be reduced to these depths if, in them, we can find God. Until we have reached the bottom of the abyss, there is still something for us to choose between all and nothing. There is still something in between. We can still evade the decision. When we are reduced to our last extreme, there is no further evasion. The choice is a terrible one. It is made in the heart of darkness, but with an intuition that is unbearable by its angelic clarity: when we who have been destroyed and seem to be in hell miraculously choose God! (1b)

One thing our suffering does, it molds, shapes and makes us the men and women we are today. It has been said of our older years, we can be wise old folks, wicked old folks or just plain old fools, and yet maturity and wisdom comes more in life's experience than physical age itself. Some young persons can experience and learn more than those of many years. Our pain brings us growth.

Suffering shapes us as a potter shapes an object. Most objects made have holes, spaces or room to be filled, designed to be filled with a specific entity. Human beings are made just this way. We are made to fill our lives, we are incomplete. We seek to fill our lives with things that make us happy. Money, fame, cars, houses, vacations all bring a degree of happiness and they in themselves can be great things for all of us. However, in many cases they can occupy us, keep us busy and use all of our time in pursuit of them. We never become self-contained on these avenues of life. These pursuits always leave us empty as we continually seek more to constantly fill our hole and voids of dissatisfaction, always seeking and actively pursuing the path of completion and satisfaction of our desires, hopes and goals.

Human beings are never self contained. We are never completely satisfied and content standing still, but have a void that needs to be filled. We always are moving, always seeking, always walking down various roads to find what we believe to satisfy our quest for contentment, happiness and satisfaction. Suffering, the loss of ability, loss of agility, loss of strength-being emotional, mental or physical, loss of comforts-money, homes and family, all open us up, preventing us from our life pursuits in many ways. Our various roads that we walk are temporarily or permanently under construction, with insurmountable road blocks preventing us from traveling down them. This is what suffering does, it blocks our roads of contentment, it leaves us standing there, empty and gray. It washes out our roads, blocks us from our travels, puts us in places of utter confusion and despair. Our buckets cease to have the substances we use to fill them, we stand there with empty holes and blocked roadways.

Our reactions to our personal road blocks, depends on us. We most certainly react with pain, anger, despair, anguish, hurt, sadness and depression. We see other roads, whatever it takes, to alleviate this pain and usually look in all the wrong places. Many with nowhere to turn see suicide as the only answer, while others continue in human strength to see other alternative roads to travel, to regain and pick up where they left off, choosing new roads that can be just as vulnerable to attack or instead their suffering brings them to a new road, the road to life, the road to God and his gift to us for life, his son, Jesus Christ. Really, life leaves us no other choice but to "lick our wounds," and continue our journey. Either we continue the same road or find a new. However without suffering we continue to walk down many roads that never lead to real contentment, fulfillment and the true destination of life.

Our suffering opens us up to look, seek and find alternative roads to travel. But with more intensity, and new found wisdom, our suffering is more selective on what roads of pursuit we decide to follow. Hopefully, we learn better ways to travel, more cautious paths to seek and our former skepticism can now act as a much more accurate measuring tool in determining where, who and what we really are and were we should walk. In this pursuit, comes the pursuit of God. A pursuit that would never take place if we had not suffered. We ask why, why all this pain? Why all this grief? Why all this terrible, even horrible mental, emotional and physical pain?

Much of our physical circumstances are entirely out of our control and we cannot change this, however our reactions to both our internal and external suffering can bring us much of what we experience, being this comes from our internal selves, which in turn has a great effect on a certain degree of our external surroundings that we can control. How we decide to react plays much in our mental and emotional well being. We learn as we live, as we experience life, how to more effectively deal with our sufferings. We search in new areas. Our suffering opens us up with willingness to either seek God or to see the primordial wisdom of reality, or of the universe itself.  God, the laws of dharma, or that of karma, which every direction we tend to sway, in turn is what enables us the courage of being with strength to help effectively deal with suffering, but without suffering in the first place, one might not attempt to see more than academic knowledge, but something more strengthening, more solid and real to that of personal experience.

Our courage to stand in spite of fear, to accept anxiety without acting as an object to conquer, but to continue to press on brings us both strength and mental "power" to plunge right into the middle of contradiction.

Both Buddhism and Christianity are alike in making use of ordinary everyday human existence as material for a radical transformation of consciousness. Since ordinary everyday human existence is full of confusion and suffering, then obviously one will make good use of both of these in order to transform one's awareness and one's understanding, and to go beyond both to attain "wisdom" in love. It would be a grave error to suppose that Buddhism and Christianity merely offer various explanations of suffering, or worse, justifications and mystification's built on this ineluctable fact. On the contrary both show that suffering remains inexplicable most of all for the man who attempts to explain it in order to evade it, or who thinks explanation itself is an escape. Suffering is not a "problem" as if it were something we could stand outside and control. Suffering, as both Christianity and Buddhism see, each in its own way, is part of our very ego-identity and empirical existence, and the only thing to do about it is to plunge right into the middle of contradiction and confusion in order to be transformed by what Zen calls the "Great Death" and Christianity calls "dying and rising with Christ." (1c) Zen and The Birds of Appetite - Thomas Merton, p. 51

No Adequate Answer when Theism is the Foundation	So many other pages can be written apart from this page of spontaneous thoughts, written during past moments of inspirational growth, only existing within the limited personal stage of development
Within the confines of theism, Many Theories and Questions Have Been Raised:	An angle to read, where nothing on this page conveys: Friedrich Nietzsche's, Beyond Good and Evil
Legality View of God's Name

This is the theological interpretation of God's name, the tetragramaten (Jehovah, Yahweh or YHWH), requiring to be sanctified or made holy, clearing any doubts and false charges made against him and his name by Satan and humans. No longer would anyone be successful in challenging his name with the power, glory, honor and worship that goes along with it.

Is God's name and reputation more important then each individual's sufferings? We are not speaking of mere teasing or a small bruise and scratch. We are talking about life, with the reality of rape, torture, warfare, sodomy of innocent children on a repeated basis year after year, murder, starvation, disease and much more. Would not humility allow a "God of Love" to take the false blame of his name and use his easily obtainable power to prevent and stop the emotional and physical torture, abuse and death of human beings? Is this really a "perfect God in all his activity?" Certainly a truly just and loving God would not make his name an issue to allow the suffering of millions of innocent persons. (Deu 32:3-5; 1 John 4:8)

God's Sovereignty or Ruler ship And Mankind's Free Will To Choose

This interpretation, pertains to the issue of God's right to rule or govern over mankind and his choice of free will to serve God. Does man have the right to "direct his step" apart from God ? Jeremiah says "no", while Apostle Paul states that the human governments are "God's minister", allowed to rule by God's permission "placed in their relative position." (Jer 10:23; Romans 13:1-7) The solution Jesus Christ gave to his disciples is to wait for a "kingdom to come" "that will crush and put an end to all the other kingdoms and stand to times indefinite." Meanwhile, mankind must "seek this kingdom first", while praying to God to supply comfort, strength and relief from suffering the "anxieties ... of each day for its own badness." (Matt 6:10; Dan 2:44)

Only at God's "appointed time" when mankind has reached what could be considered a peak of his political, social, technological and medical achievements will the issue of God's ruler ship or right to rule be answered, showing mankind's failure to rule independently of God, and God to be the only one capable of a successful ruler ship over mankind. That will be the time when God finally puts an end to mankind's suffering and apparently ending his freewill. (Daniel 8:19; 12:8-10; Luke 21:24; Hab 2:3; 1 Tim 6:15)

Has Not This Issue Been Answered Many Years Ago ?

How many years of suffering does it take to settle this issue? Does Science, Medicine, Social Structure and Government have to be anymore advanced then it is now in order to prove God is the only one capable of successful ruler ship over mankind?

Who does he have to prove this issue to? True, he can prove his right to rule to all the angels and mankind, allowing all of them to serve him out of love with their own free will and not by force. Yet to allow millions of innocent persons tosuffer such extreme emotional and physical torture and pain for thousands of years questions whether this can make up and compensate for the issue of ruler ship and free will of man. Is it an issue that God wants to settle? Or is it an issue that man wants to settle, since he was the one who started it?

Forsaken His Power

The issue of free will may go even further. For instance, God gave all his creatures, both spirit and human, free will. In this action, he would have had to forswear the use of force against us. For free will decisions can not be made under someone who is threatening to use force. In his love for us, he has painfully chosen never to use force to serve him. In agony, he must stand by and let us be. He intervenes only to help, never to hurt. Having forsworn from using his power against us, if we refuse his help, he has no recourse but, to watch us punish ourselves. (3) (Psalm 78:41)

In Genesis chapter 1:26 it states, "Let us make man in our image." Who is the "us" and "our" that God is speaking to? Is it God's co-creator, Jesus Christ ? In harmony with Colossians chapter 1, John chapter 1, Proverbs chapter 8 and many more scriptures, the answer is yes, it is Jesus Christ. However the context of the chapter 1 in Genesis taken alone, gives a different answer. In verses 21 and 22 it states that :

"God proceeded to create the great sea monsters and every living soul that moves about . . .With that God blessed them, saying: Be fruitful and become many and fill the waters in the sea basins and let the flying creatures become many in the earth." - Gen 1:21,22

First God creates the "great sea monsters and every living soul that moves about" and then he "blesses them" and speaks to them to "be fruitful and become many." God then, creates "the wild beasts and domestic animals and every moving animal according to it's kind."

". . . God proceeded to make the wild beast of the earth according to its kind and the domestic animal according to its kind and every moving animal of the ground according to its kind . . ." - Gen 1:26

"And God went on to say: "Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness . . ." - Gen 1:27

The context shows that, just as God spoke to the "great sea monsters" to "be fruitful and become many", God further spoke to the "wild beasts and domestic animals" saying, "let us make man in our image, according to our likeness."

Man would be in the "likeness" and "image" of both the animal, with instincts and impulses for food, sex and giving birth, and like God, having the reason and power that go above instincts, with self control using morals and the free will to choose good and evil. Here man, although like an animal, would now have to make the moral choice of whether to work for food or steal for food, have control over sex or no control, deciding whether to be selfish and greedy or be kind and generous.

It appears that Adam and Eve, first had the opportunity to completely submit to God and exercise free will on a limited basis. However they decided to eat from the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil", thus giving them the choice of free will that went far beyond God's intentions. For this, they were given both, 1. the punishment of sin, which caused illness, genetic imperfection and death and also 2. the painful consequences of being human, rather than being mere animal. (Romans 5:12; Psalms 51:5; Job 14:4)

The painful consequences of being human appear as follows:

1....They were removed from the garden of Eden and could no longer eat from the "Tree of Life", unable to live forever. The "Tree of Life" being, the tree of basic life-forces and instincts of animals.

2....Eve will find the process of bearing and raising children painful. "I will greatly multiply your pain and anguish; in pain will you bring forth children." - Gen 3:16

3....Adam will have to work to grow food instead of merely finding it on trees. "By the sweat of you brow will you earn your bread."- Gen 3:17-19

4....There will be sexual tension between men and women. "Your desire will be for your husband, and he will dominate you."- Gen 3:16

This, then is what happened to Adam and Eve. They became human. They had to leave the Garden of Eden where animals eat from the Tree of Life, the tree of basic life-forces and instincts. They entered the world of the knowledge of good and evil, a more painful, more complicated world, where they would have to make difficult moral choices. Eating and working, having children and raising children would no longer be simple matters, as they are for lower animals. These first human beings were now self- conscious (after eating the forbidden fruit, they felt the need to put on clothes). They knew that they would not live forever. But most of all, they would have to spend their lives making choices. (2)

This is what it means to be human "in the image of God." It means being free to make choices instead of doing whatever our instincts would tell us to do. It means knowing that some choices are good, and others are bad, an it is our job to know the difference. "Behold, I have set before you true path of good and the path of evil, the way of life and the way of death. Choose life." - Deuteronomy 30:19 That could not be said to any other living creature except Man, for no other creature is free to choose. (2)

If God were to not allow man choices to exercise his free will, then man's free will would be useless, rendering him the same as an instinctive animal, not in God's image. This choice both permits man to do good and show love to others as well as, "to dominate man to injury" and bring much suffering in the world. God therefore, forsakes his power, to allow man to exercise his free will and be in his image. (Ecc 9:11)

In the Christian Greek scriptures, Jesus Christ, the "exact reflection" of God, does not use God's power or force to stop the wicked from his suffering, but forsakes it and conquers the wicked with his "weakness", his faith. His impotency and lack of actions and force, using his free will and submitting to execution, was God's ultimate weapon on the wicked and human suffering. Here Jesus proved that the free will of mankind can be used for Nobel purposes and pay back the "ransom" sacrifice as the "last Adam", whose "blood cleanses us" and "takes away the sins of the world." (John 16:33; Romans 12:21; 2 Cor 13:3,4; Heb 1:3; Matt 20:28; Romans 3:24; 1 Cor 15:22,45; 1 John 3:5; 1:7)

So God, having forsaken the using of force, must obey his own standard of allowing mankind his choice of free will to choose good and evil and remain impotent, unable to prevent the atrocities that man commit against each other. He offers all his wisdom, but can not make us choose the right path. It is this same forsakenness of force and faith that Christ Jesus conquered the world with. Yet Jesus paid this "ransom" almost two thousand years ago. Why does God continue to forsake his power, while millions of innocent suffer?

This does lead to the questions as to why then in the Hebrew scriptures and Christian Greek scriptures, did God did use force on many occasions, putting thousands, if not more, to death at a time? For on certain occasions, he used his supernatural power to conquer persons and nations. The answer appears to be that his intervention only dealt with his chosen people Israel and others who had direct dealings with them.

This intervention and law code that he supplied made way for the reality, Christ. His exceptions of intervening in mankind's affairs appears to benefit his overall purpose of eventually restoring mankind to a world of no suffering. But before he could do this he must allow man's free will to reign with the ability to choose. Apparently when God did make exceptions and intervene, it never stopped mankind from continuing to misuse his free will to choose evil.

It appears that the only way mankind will be relieved of suffering, is when God removes man's power of free will. Is that what he must do? He speaks of persons who will serve him out of the law and circumcision of the heart, "for each one will know Jehovah from the heart." If that is the case then the will of man will be to do good. Yet, the bible frequently speaks of a future time when "the wicked will be cut off", but those who "call on the name of the Lord will be saved." True, there will only be righteous persons left, and their free will of choice will be to only do good. But will they still have the choice to do evil? If not, then how could they still be a creature in "God's image", exercising free will? Free will of the choice to do evil will have to be eliminated. (Psalm 37:9; Romans 10:13)

 

Sickness, Pain and Death - The Original Sin

Sickness and death is a process that is part of life. As Adam and Eve were taken out from the garden of Eden and removed from eating the "Tree of Life", they no longer could live forever. Their genetic blueprint would have to be altered and with it came a continual deterioration of genetic chromosomes that brought only more sickness and death passed on through generations of mankind. "Just as through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned." Here lies the concept of the original sin. As King David stated "Look! With error I was brought forth with birth pains. And in sin my mother conceived me." This connects the "birth pains" that God gave to Eve and her offspring, with "error" and "sin." Jesus himself put sicknesses together with sins. (Romans 5:12; Psalms 51:5; Matt 9:1-7)

This would also explain the genetic defects passed on down from generation to generation. True animals grow old and die, but unlike animals, who mate with the strongest and fittest, man can use his knowledge and medicine to keep persons alive, but their genetic code remains with the weak and defective flaws. They eventually have children and their weaknesses and bad genes are passed on, thus bringing on more illnesses.

But why did God punish Adam and Eve's offspring, for their sins? Was that fair and just? True, the above mentioned choice of man to be "in God's image", having free will to choose good and evil put them in a position to bring evil and suffering in the world, but unlike the painful consequences of having the moral freedom to choose good and evil, the punishment of sin, gave man the terrible sicknesses, diseases and death. Why this punishment on mankind? Why are the innocent born in sin?

The answer appears to be the lack of obedience of Adam and Eve. So not only did mankind receive the painful consequences of being in "God's image", with the difficult moral decisions to make and the suffering thereof, but they were also punished with sickness and death for their lack of obedience and rebellion. For this, Apostle Paul calls death our "enemy." (1 Cor 15:26)

But was this a fair and just action? Why subject all of Adam and Eve's offspring to the punishment of sin? As Job stated: "Who can produce someone clean out of someone unclean? There is not one." Why a rule such as this? Could God not have left man with the painful consequences of being human, in God's image, making difficult moral decisions, but without the punishment of sin and death? Would this go against his justice? I can not answer that.

Long Suffering

True God is "long suffering" in allowing false accusers of his name and ruler ship to continue for so long. But would it not be far more justice, to "execute a sentence speedily against the wicked", while making provisions for the "fatherless boys and the widow and the alien residents?" Should not true love and compassion allow God, the "lover of justice", to prevent millions of innocent babies from starving each day, as their mothers watch on in horror? Or does man's decision to have free will over his affairs dominate prevent God from doing this ? (Galatians 5:22; Psalms 37:28; Ecc 8:11) (Romans 2:4; 9:22; Luke 18:7; 1 Cor 13:4; Col 3:12; Psalms 68:5)

According to Apostle Paul:

"From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, `We are his offspring." Acts 17:26-2

David Roper explains it this way:

"Paul's Premise is that God controls human history-permits the rise of nations, determines their geographical boundaries and orchestrates their fall-in order that women and men may reach out for God. History is his story, which he writes for the world's salvation. Even the forces of evil are used in such a way "that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, YHWH, are God." (Isaiah 37:20) God permits wickedness to run its malignant course, allowing (thought never condoning) the appearance of the so-called monsters of history--Adolph Hitler, Idi Amin, Nicolae Ceusescu, Saddam Hussein. The Almighty reins his power for a time, allowing evil tyrants to make their plays, upsetting men's and women's well-ordered lives presenting them with dilemmas beyond their ken, shaking what can be shaken so that men and women will seek him and reach out for him and find him. Evil brings pain, but it is the genius of God, to bring good out of evil. He works everything together for good (Romans 8:28)." (4)

The Story of Job

In the book of Job, chapters 1 and 2, Jehovah debates Satan the Devil. He argues that "there is none as righteous as his servant Job." God then makes a wager with Satan, allowing him to kill all of Job's innocent children, destroy all his material possessions, have his wife turn against him, have his friends turn against him, blaming his own unrighteousness. for the suffering and finally inflict a painful, grotesque disease upon him, where he uses pieces of pottery to scratch his smelly skin.

I God Both All Powerful and Just,
........Making Job Unrighteous?

If God truly "punishes the wicked" and "exalts the righteous", and has everything in complete control, then the only answer to peoples sufferings, is that they deserve it, due to their "unrighteousness." Certainly, this is not true, for many "righteous" and innocent persons suffer immensely and do not deserve what they are experiencing.

Job's three friends, when trying to comfort him, were faced with the dilemma, either they abandon God's almighty power over every happening, abandon God's justice over every happening, or abandon the thought of Job being a righteous man, thus receiving punishment from God or his allowance of harm from others. Since they wanted to stick to the comforting thought that most persons want, which is, that God is a parent figure in complete control over everything, they chose Job's suffering to be the cause of his own unrighteousness., thus receiving what he deserves. They did not want to abandon or shake their own faith of God's power or justice, and wanted to stick to the belief that God only punishes, or allows harm from others, to come to the wicked,

But Job recognized the fact that he was no more Unrighteous then many who were not receiving such terrible suffering. He then questioned God's justice. How can a just God inflict or allow others to inflict such suffering on a righteous man?

II God All Powerful But Lacks True Justice?

Some interpret, that when Job questions, not God's power, but God's justice, God, who answers him in a whirlwind, answers by explaining his "fear inspiring" almighty power, might and intelligence to Job, but does not explain the question of his perfect justice. Another wards might makes right and no one of lesser strength can dare question God on this. (Job chapters 38-41) (Deu 10:17)

In the end of the account, in chapter 42:1-6, Job supposedly "retracts his words" of questioning God's justice. Yet some translators will argue that Job did not retract his words, regarding God's justice, rather he recognized his weakness, being made of "mortal clay", and God's almighty power and did not want to be "faultfinding" and challenge God and be destroyed. God's answer to Job was, the one who has the power is the right one and no one has the right to question him on this. If this is the case then God is lacking justice.

If Job agreed with God, that power and strength makes right and overrides justice, then he contradicts his three human friends who argued about God having true justice. If he agrees with his friends and defends God as performing true justice, he would either be: A. Putting words into God's mouth that were not spoken by him. (if God's answer to Job is interpreted that he did not answer Job's question of justice) or B. Acknowledging God's true justice, but also his limited power and control. (if God's answer to Job is interpreted this way) And if he agrees that God is truly just, but either limited in his power, or forsakes his power to allow man free will, then he can defend his own righteousness, and God's perfect justice. (Job 40: 2,8; 42:1-6)

It does not appear to be justice and loving to bargain with the Devil and allow an innocent man to suffer and his innocent children to die. True, at the end of Job's suffering, God rewarded him with far more then he had in the beginning. Was God rewarding Job for enduring under Gods lack of justice or lack of control in the situation? Was God perhaps trying to compensate for his lack of justice or his lack of power and complete control? In the past he has put laws, enforcing sinners to pay back "double compensation" or more of the damage then they caused. Also "Babylon the Great" is to receive "double" for the wrong that she has performed. (Rev 18:6; Exodus 22:4,7)

III God Has True Justice, But Limited Power

If God truly does have perfect justice, then how could he allow this to happen to an innocent man and his family? The answer could be he is limited in his power of preventing all the chaos in the world. His being not in full control of everything that happens to mankind, allows him to remain a just and loving God and on our side, truly caring for us and one we can ask for help. We can not blame him for our suffering as punishment from him or the allowance with non intervention of the spirit realm and wicked men who "dominate man to his injury."

But did God's answer to Job, cause him to fear his power and to cease questioning God's justice? Or did Job recognize that the all powerful God, had limitations and cannot control all of life's actions? This would surely allow Job to see his own limitations and insignificance as having no right to condemn God for his sufferings.

"Have you an arm like God?
Can you thunder with a voice like His?
You tread down the wicked where they stand.
Bury them in the dust together . . .
Then will I acknowledge that your own right hand
can give you the victory." - Job 40:7-14

One interpretation of these lines to mean are, "If you think that it is so easy to keep the world straight and true, to keep unfair things from happening to people, you try it." God wants the righteous to live peaceful, happy lives, but sometimes even He can't bring that about. It is too difficult even for God to keep cruelty and chaos from claiming their innocent victims. But could man without God, do it better? (2) Another wards, what God is saying to Job is, look at all my almighty, awesome and beyond comprehensive power and yet I still do not have entire control over every happening, so who are you to question me? See if you can do it better and I will put you at my right hand and give you the victory.

IV God Is Just, But Forsakes His Power, Allowing Man Free Will ?

This would be the only logical explanation in agreement with the bible. It also makes God all just, all powerful and allows mankind his free will. If God were to intervene there would be no free will. It certainly appears that this will be the case when God does decide to step in and use his power.

Is Suffering Part Of A Test ?

Apostle James tells Christians to "consider it a joy, when you meet with various trials, knowing as you do that this tested quality of your faith works out endurance. But let endurance have its work complete that you may be complete and sound in all respects, not lacking." (James 1:2-8)

Certainly it is true, that suffering, hard times and many other experiences teach us lessons in life that mere verbal instruction could not do. It can teach us empathy, love and other fine qualities. But how far does the suffering have to go to teach us? Does mankind have to continue having accidents causing brain damage, being paralyzed and amputation? Does mankind have to continue being raped, beaten and starved, while living in poverty with gunfire and sewage? Should this be included in the "joy, and various trials that produces endurance?" Hardly, for this goes far beyond mere trials that show proper integrity to God. But is it fair to blame God for these happenings ? 

If God is truly just, then the test of suffering could not be his doing, nor could it be to settle some personal issues. However his not intervention of suffering that he could prevent raises his integrity as a responsible party. The test of obedience of man appears to be the issue and although man was created to be above animals, having the knowledge to do good and evil with a limited amount of free will, it was entirely his choice to gain even more free will far beyond God's purposes. For this men are the ones who are "dominating man to his injury."

Is There Injustice With God?

Yes, it is "man that dominates man to his injury" and not God. And we all have "unforeseen circumstances that befall us all." It is also the "demons" that men sacrifice to" who bring injury and "woe to the earth" and mankind. It is not God who is inflicting the suffering and atrocities of mankind and cannot be blamed directly for it, "for with evil things, God cannot be tried", but assuming you had the power to stop the injuries, would you not?

Can you imagine seeing a house on fire, knowing there are people inside who will receive a slow burning, painful death and then refuse to put out the fire, unlock the door or even call the fire department? Instead you have an "appointed time" to intervene and stop all fires to relieve suffering. If the persons inside the burning fire, decided on their own, using their free will, to remain in the house and burn, that would be one thing. But if it's beyond their control and you have the power to call the fire department and stop the fire, then it's your responsibility to do so and if you do not, you are blood guilty. This raises the question, if God has this power to stop all the suffering in the world, his standing by and refusing action puts him in being responsible for allowing the suffering to occur. His lack of intervention puts him in the blood guilty position to many.

It has been written, who are we to "check God's hand and see what he is doing." It is true that we can not check God's power, but does that make it unlimited and responsible for the suffering of mankind? "Should the clay say to the potter, it's former, What do you make" and question the potter's work? Certainly, man, as "clay", cannot question, "the potter", God, on his power and intelligence , and does not have the authoritative right to do so. But does that mean that man, who is made in God's "image", does not have the judicial right to question God's justice, empathy, kindness and compassion towards mankind, especially in light of the scriptures and history of the world's conditions? (Daniel 4:35; Isaiah 64:8; 45:9; Mall 2:17)

As God states, "For as the heavens are higher then the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." True, God's thoughts are higher and more intelligent, but mankind was "made in his image." For this we may never understand fully of Gods plans, but as his image, we can gain some understanding ? As we do, we can learn and grow to rely on him, recognizing our inferior intelligence and strength, as Job did. Maybe this is why God appears to many to be responsible for not taking action to end the suffering of millions. (Gen 1:27; 1 Cor 15:49)

According to Paul, "there is no injustice with God", explaining how God has tolerated and preserved the wicked, in order for all persons to see his mercy, glory and greatness, by blessing and making his select chosen people, the Christians, known. This certainly shows his great mercy and kindness, for "the sufferings of the present season do not amount to anything in comparison with the glory that is going to be revealed", but does this compensate for all the intense, painful suffering of mankind from the past and is still continuing to this very day?

Peter writes, "one day with the Lord is as a thousand years and a thousand years is as one day" and that "The Lord is not slow respecting his promise, as some people consider slowness but he is patient with you because he does not desire any to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance."

Our only assurance by God, is that the wicked are walking on "slippery ground" and will receive "vengeance", "retribution" and judgment at God's "appointed time." However, putting wicked persons on notice, does not alleviate the suffering and injustice of innocent persons. Could it be, that because a thousand years of our time seems as a day to God, he can not feel total and complete empathy for our slow, painful day to day living with its many trials, along with the severe, afflictions, struggling and death for many others? Or could it be that his justice is allowing man more time because he "does not desire any to be destroyed" when he does intervene with his kingdom? Or is it totally the issue of man having free will in a totally free environment? (2 Peter 3:8-9; Psalms 73; Hab 1:4; Deu 32:35; Romans 12:19)

Just as the prophet Habakkuk asked God "How long, O Jehovah, must I cry for help, and you do not hear? ... therefore justice never goes forth because the wicked one surrounds the righteous one ..." And Jehovah's answer, "The vision (of the end of the wicked) is yet for the appointed time, and it keeps panting on to the end, and it will not tell a lie. Even if it should delay, keep in expectation of it; for it will without fail come true. It will not be late." To those suffering, "this vision" (if it has a modern day fulfillment) is "late" and is "delaying", and here is where "faith" and "need of endurance" come in. According to Christian theology, it is only with total confidence, dependence and faith in God, that will give us his holy spirit, supplying comfort, strength and an inner peace that is needed to endure. (Hosea 1:1-4; 2:3; Hebrews 10:32, 36-37)

We are told that Jesus Christ, who was "made perfect" and "learned obedience from the things he suffered", and "is not one who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tested in all respects like ourselves, but without sin" And this assurance we have by faith and not by sight. (Hebrews 4:15; 2:10; 5:8)

Suffering Out In The Wilderness

It should be of much higher importance to God for us to live a life of mercy and loving kindness to our fellow man regardless of our family and friend's opposition to do so. Jesus said that he "did not come to bring peace, but as a sword, mother against son, father against daughter .... a man's enemies will be persons of his own household." Despite the hardship this can cause, "love throws fear outside." If we truly are loving to others, our fears will diminish. (Math 10:34; 1 John 4:18)

In short, as Christians, we are to live "outside the camp" and " suffer the reproach" that Christ was willing to suffer. At the same time we would want to share thoughts and encouragement with others "not forsaking the gathering as some do." This gathering can consist of only a few persons for as Jesus stated, "where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there." And there is no set time or schedule that must be strictly followed. (Hebrews 10:24,25, Matthew 18:20)

Here in the wilderness, outside the camp there is suffering, confusion and pain. But along with this pain a person grows. Have you ever known a person that has never suffered, that is empathetic and truly understanding of less fortunate persons? Have you met many people who know how to forgive people, who have never had the pain of others hurting them? Suffering is a test, a test that is very unpleasant to go through, but as bad as it gets, it produces growth, endurance, patience, compassion, empathy, and more than just tolerance, understanding.

David Roper, author of "Elijah, a man like us", speaks of the time Elijah, one of the greatest prophets ever of the nation of Israel, who suffered out in the wilderness in a place called Kerith. It was here that Elijah was all alone, fed by God, who used a brook for water and ravens to bring him food. It was also here that the "brook ran dry" and Elijah had to totally rely on God,

Suffering is preparation. It is an indispensable part of the process of growth and spiritual maturity. Out in the wilderness, outside the camp, alone in our vulnerable tent, relying on God, we face many trials.

Describing the desert of Kerith, where we suffer, author of Elijah, a man like us, David Roper states:

Kerith is the day of weakness and shame, It is being disregarded, misunderstood, criticized and accused. It is living with hurtful gestures and critical words. It is losing our as others take our places. Kerith (Out in the wilderness, the desert) is obscurity. it is dreary duty that no one sees or applauds. It is humdrum, tedious tasks, some boring some distasteful, some downright disgusting, It's being unknown, uncelebrated, unnoticed, and unimportant. Kerith. delivers us from the need for "men's empty praise"; it makes us satisfied with God's "well done" alone. Kerith is discovering to our shame, how little we understand, how much we do not know. It is the sure cure for unholy certainty and wooden headed dogmatism. It teaches us to be "agnostic," in the sense that we come to the end of ourselves at the end of the day and say, I'll be honest with you, friend, I just don't know." We learn that we cannot explain everything that comes our way. It teaches us that sometimes-the only answer is God himself. Kerith is temptation. "The word in the desert is most attacked by the voices of temptation,: T.S. Eliot said. Temptations are sure to come; God permits Satan to sift us like wheat. Temptations humble us, purify us, and teach us to pray. Kerith is disappointment and debilitating discouragement. It is regret and struggle The Desert - A Paradox A place of growth, insight and humility. A place to find God. It is valuable years. A place of disappointment and debilitating discouragement. It is regret, struggle and failing. It is useless years. and failing. It is useless years. It is the agony of spent vice and self-indulgence. It is abject failure through which we learn that our wills are incapable of keeping us from sin. Kerith is humiliation-when we put our worst foot forward and fall flat on our faces. it is how God deals with our presumption and pride. Pride is a vexation to others, but mostly it vexes us. Nothing pleases us if the whole world exists to meet our needs; no one will ever come through. We're always exasperated, offended, disquieted and tormented. "The only wisdom we can hope to acquire is the wisdom of humility." Eliot said "Humility is endless." Kerith is learning to do without-without love, beauty, money, marriage, or health, It is being stripped of friends, father, mother, brother, money, reputation, and even our earnestness of God. It makes us content with God and what he gives-to want but little. It is being weaned away from all other passions but a passion for God. Kerith is going without feelings even having no interest in God. It is deliverance from sensuality-our tendency to make feelings the ultimate test of reality. It is growing beyond chance and circumstance. It is learning persistence-not mere resignation, but a hardy obedience to a course we know to be right regardless of how we feel. Kerith. makes us thirsty for God. Slowly, steadily, God strips us of all our longings, leaving us with nothing but desire for him alone. We say with Israel's poet: Whom have I in Heaven but you? And earth has nothing that I desire but you.-Psalm 73:25 Suffering can push us away from God or it can draw us close to his heart. It all depends on perspective. If we understand that every event is screened through God's love and chosen for our good, we can accept it with patience, draw near to him, and wait for its outcome. "He who has the why to living can bear with almost any how, Victor Frankl said. When we know why-when we see what God is doing with us-and draw near to him, his presence begins to rub off on us; We become more loving, tolerant, joyful, dependable, more stable and strong. We're less likely to waver in the face of opposition or falter because of blame. We're rendered more independent of places or moods; we carry about us a subtle ambiance-a dignity, unruffled by insult, untouched by shame. We begin to let go of what we want. We become more mellow, easier to live with, easier to work with, easier to be around. Adversity enables us to know the human heart. We understand. "We can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." (2 Corinthians 1:4) Suffering shapes us and makes us into instruments that God can use. The world obviously, sees no value in suffering. It will always take the easiest and less costly route. But we must see it otherwise. Suffering is God's gift to us, making us more like him than we ever thought possible. He is the LORD, we say, "Let him do what is good in his eyes." (1 Samuel 3:18) Our best choice is to be still and submit to God's discipline. We are never so safe as when we yield our wills. In his love, God tempers each trouble with his gently mercy. He will not permit us to be stressed beyond endurance: "God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear" (1 Corinthians 10:13) That's not to say we will never be stretched beyond what we think we can bear! Our father knows precisely what we can tolerate and selects each diversity with careful scrutiny. He limits its intensity and duration to that which we can endure. He loves us too much to ruin us. In the meantime, our most difficult days can be full of sweet fellowship and communion with him. In tumults, troubles and disasters we abide under the shadow of Almighty God. He is with us; he will keep us in perfect peace."(3) Were under construction. God isn't finished with us yet. This life is not godliness," Luther said, "but the process of becoming godly, not health but the process of becoming healthy, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise. The process is not yet finished, but it is actually going on. This is not the goal, but it is the right road. At present everything does not gleam and sparkle, but everything is being cleansed."(4)

"Even from our sin," Augustine said, "God can draw good." Our hardships, pain, mistakes and bad decisions are all ways we learn and grow. If we never made them, how would we grow? Do you know of any people that have had almost everything handed to them in life? A moderately wealthy family? Paid schooling? Out from the security of a financially stable family to a job that pays handsomely? Then they gain a position of authority, either in business, government, or even in a religious organization. They are considered successful, knowledgeable and wise. And when it comes to business or things with money, their status, power and reputation do them well. Yet they have no real understanding, empathy and insight to the real life. Only living out in the figurative wilderness, with pain, suffering and hard hitting decision making apart from the security of a family, friendship circle and bank account, can a person really grow and gain insight. In most cases, only out in the figurative desert can a person gain real growth and the way to find God and learn what true faith really is. How far and how long does this have to go, depends on the person and how much they need to grow. It depends on how much it takes to get them to grow, how much it takes to learn true humility.

God gives us over to false accusations, malice and contention of other people, with the suffering of loosing family, friends and money, because they are part of the process the make us what he intends us to be. The hurting makes us sweeter, more mellow. We lose the fear of losing out, we learn to let go of what we want. We're not so easily provoked to wrath by harm or reproof. We learn to absorb abuse without retaliation, to accept reproof without defensiveness, to return a soft answer to wrath. We learn to be less judgmental of other people and more understanding of their ways in life. It makes us calm and strong.

God's way of correcting Elijah's perspective was to bring him to the place of revelation, which is what he must do with us again and again. It's in that quiet place that we hear God's voice. That's where we hear the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. That's where we get our erroneous zones corrected,; that's where we get real. (3B)

Why?

Larry Crabb Jr. describes our suffering this way:

No one will conclude that God is good by studying life. The evidence powerfully suggests otherwise. Belief in God's goodness and the worship that naturally flows from this confidence depends on the revealing work of the Holy Spirit. When he ushers us into the presence of ultimate goodness, when our darkest tragedy is pierced by one glimpse of invisible glory, then faith is born."(5)

When God's Spirit connects with ours, we obtain our true identity. With this identity our faith is born. With our faith, we can trust in God and his purposes, his reasons and allowance for our sufferings.

We may have suffered for many years, growing up in dysfunctional families, emotional, physical and mental pain, anguish, anger and neglect, leaving a great big hole in our lives, a gap, an open space of emptiness. As John W. Frye called it, "A Grand Canyon in our soul." (6) Why? What purpose could it possibly serve? So God, our heavenly Father, can fill it. Our suffering acts as a divine potter's wheel, shaping us, molding us, leaving us with a space for God to fill with our acceptance, allowing us to become one of his children, part of his family.

God knows us more then we can ever know ourselves. He has known us from the day of conception in our mother's womb. At that time he already knew "every day of our lives." His allowance of our sufferings has shaped us, molded us, with an open hole for him to fill to become one of his children.

Psalms 139:13-16 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous--and how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. New Living Translation)

	Suffering shapes us to what we are. It molds us as the following:
1.	Opens us up, leaves us with a gap, a void, for God to fill.
2.	We find our true identity with God. We obtain his Spirit and our faith.
3.	Daily dependence on God, recognized our weaknesses and allowing solely him to make us strong.

The Prodigal Son
The Son Leaves

"There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, `Father, give Unlike Men and Religious Organizations, Jesus Is There With Us, Out In No Man's Land me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. "When he came to his senses, he said, `How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men." Luke 15:11-19 The Son Returns So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. "The son said to him, `Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son." Luke 15:20-21 The Father Forgives "But the father said to his servants, Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate. "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. Your brother has come, he replied, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound." Luke 15:22-27 The Older Brother Gets Jealous "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, `Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!" Luke 15:28-30 The Way of God "My son, the father said, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." Luke 15:31-32

Out in the wilderness of life, we suffer. Family and so called friends may never take us in. We may never have a "father,", brother, sister or mother who will take us in, help us in our hour of darkness, aid us with comfort, food, shelter, emotional and physical support and covering. We learn to rely on God, he is the ONLY one who truly cares for us in a complete forgiving way. With his Spirit, he gives us strength, peace and power. He forgives us regardless of our past mistakes, whether intentional or not, whether evil or not, whether foolish or not. Though we may or may not have acted foolishly as the prodigal son did, we may find mercy from a human "father," with or without strings attached, wrong motives implied and true forgiveness and love. And when we do find mercy by this one, we may be greeted by our "brothers" with jealousy, accused of taking advantage of the love shown to us persuading and convincing the one to cease their mercy towards us.

However, no one can accuse us of taking advantage of God and his son, Jesus, nor can they convince them to give up their love and mercy for us. We can be confident that our sins are completely forgiven by Christ as we put faith in him and give him our burdens. We can "throw our burdens on him" and know "he genuinely cares for us," because he has the compassion, empathy, understanding and truly loves us. He personally feels for us as to "the extent of what happens to us, one of his brothers, is the same as doing it to him." The Father has given us his Son, Jesus, who had carried our iniquities, "dying for us while we are yet sinners," carrying our burdens, forgiving us of our sins. And it is only Jesus Christ who willing and truly does this for us with no strings attached and no wrong motives imputed. No jealous brother can convince or persuade Jesus that we are doing wrong for throwing our burdens on him. Out in the wilderness with the cold emptiness, the harsh desert and hot dry brutal climate, this can bring us to the realization that it is only Jesus who carries our burdens, who is there for us, hears our prayers and knows our hearts. While man fails to forgive us, imputes wrong motives of us, blind to our reality, unable to see, feel, taste and touch the very place that we are, we know Jesus does and he's there for us, waiting for our faith. (Psalms 55:22; Romans 5:8; 1 Peter 5:7; Isaiah 53:4-5; Hebrews 4:14-16; Matthew 25:40; 1 John 5:14)

Does God Intervene ?

Does it really make sense that God intervenes and helps a man in to find a decent job so he could put food on the table, while in another country, he does not intervene, allowing innocent babies to cry all day long for food, their stomachs growing from air and bones protruding from their bodies, while their mother's cry with them. Does God supply food for a poor Christian elderly man in the United States, while allowing an entire Christian family to slowly starve to death in Ethiopia? Is there a lack of justice here? Or are there circumstances out of God's control. Or does God only intervene for those who are seeking his will, kingdom, first in their lives? This of course applies to all religions.  Proverbs states that God does not agree with having "two sets of weights" on the "measuring scale", and is "not partial, but in every nation the man that fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him." (Proverbs 20:10, 23; Micah 6:11; Acts 10: 34, 35)

In the many years I have spoken door to door and on the street to various individuals of many different walks of life and cultural and religious backgrounds and faiths, I have heard the same stories over and over again. Are some telling the truth, while others are lying? Are all of these persons being deceived except the members of the one true religion? Hardly, for the stories are always the same. Could God have been really helping all of these persons? Anything is possible, but from Christian theology, its shows that God mainly supplies a "strength" and mental "way out, " a "power" and a "peace that excels all thoughts," to those who have faith in Christ, while he "excuses" and "accepts" those who do not have faith in Christ, who are unknowingly following the law of the Christ. (Romans 2:14-16)

A Born Again Christian man who wants to preach and has no shoes, finds a pair laying in the street. Another Jehovah's Witness man is given a car by a stranger so he can complete his pioneering preaching work. A Baptist goes to seminary school on the last day to register for the next semester with no money and suddenly the office finds financial aid for him that they overlooked. A Catholic woman prays for a bible study and the doorbell suddenly rings or her Pastor calls her. A Jewish man is saved by a mezuzah around his neck, from flying shrapnel. (true story) These stories and thousands of others can be said of Mormons, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and many others I have spoken to. All of these persons are fully convinced that God did intervene in their lives, and really, no one can say otherwise.

Do the scriptures and secular history of mankind, show that God supplies cars, shoes, financial aid, rent payments and insurance premiums, supplying a physical and material "way out ?" The opinion here is that God does not make it easier for us. He may or may not help us in these areas, all depending on our faith, humility, endurance and the extent of the external circumstances involved. Those who have things go just right and credit the Lord to be doing so may just be doing so in their own minds. Even so there are "gifts of the Spirit," that are currently operative in our modern day. One thing that is certain and real: God will supply the "power" and "strength to endure," the mental "way out" for those who have faith in Christ. God did supply Elijah material food out in the wilderness of Kerith and the Israelites physical food called manna. Jesus fed physical food to people in need and physically healed many sick people.

Does it make sense that God would allow an innocent 2 year old to be run over by a car, a  mother of small children to die of bone marrow leukemia, a young couple to die in a car accident on the way to their wedding, a baby to die in his crib, and the many senseless murders to go on, while he supplies material and physical aid for a relatively small select group of people who pray to God and Christ? The answer should be obvious, but it is not. God has been know to both let many horrible occurrences happen and yet also bring material and mental aid to persons. Perhaps he does this to allow certain persons to under go more trials and suffering than others to train their faith, hearts and motive conditions, as he did with the man Job. Even Christ spoke of Satan wanted his disciples to be sifted as wheat, suggesting that Satan singled them out for more suffering than others. And their loyalty and integrity in maintain their faith would give them a reward far more extreme than the suffering they would receive here on earth. In the meantime, they would receive the "power" and "peace" of the Holy Spirit to endure on this earth and do the will of God.

It is written that God does not supply the bad events, but "time and unforeseen occurrence befall us all" "and he cannot be tried with evil." But does he supply the good events, such as physical and material aid, while others are not receiving it?  It's a fact that some suffer more than others and that the scriptures show some to be singled out for more suffering. Other's are just merely in the wrong place at the wrong time. God does supply His Spirit to all those who have faith. Jesus stated that we should not be worrisome over the anxieties of life and to seek the kingdom of God first, and in return be given a mental strength, a mental "power what is beyond normal" and an "inner peace that excels all thoughts" to endure the suffering. King David observes, "A young man I used to be, I have also grown old. And yet I have not seen anyone righteous left entirely. Nor his offspring looking for bread." However, it is not uncommon for Christians with faith in under developed countries to die of a lack of bread, starvation and disease. (Ecc 9:11; Matt 6:24-33)

So then, what does this really mean "not to be left entirely and looking for bread?" Does this mean that it is impossible for a "righteous", godly person, who "seeks the kingdom first", to become homeless, with no family, beg for bread and finally starve to death? What do the world facts show? History show millions of accounts of "righteous" persons, including Christians with faith,  who have been "left entirely" of material provisions, "looking for bread," imprisoned and then die, however it is not so clear as to whether they were left entirely spiritually, that is despite the extreme hardship they received, a  mental "comfort" and "strength" that God supplied to them. Even if God did not intervene in a material and physical way, to those "righteous" persons and not relieve them in their sufferings, apparently he did make some type of mental "way out" by giving them a "strength" and "comfort" to carry on, "above what is normal", giving meaning to King David's words. (Psalm 37:25)

What is required of man, to receive this mental strength and "inner peace that excels all thoughts" is faith. James wrote that man cannot doubt or suppose anything, but rather have total confidence that God is the "rewarder of those earnestly seeking him, for Paul also wrote that "without faith it is impossible to please God." In return, God supplies his "holy spirit" and the "gift of faith" to those who sincerely seek it and search for it, along with an inner peace and "strength", "comfort", and mental "way out" to endure the suffering. This faith is in God's gift to mankind, his son, Jesus Christ. He is our sacrifice, we need not have to do them, but "rest from our works" of sacrifice. Our faith must be joined with simple acts of individual mercy towards our fellow man, and we become part of God's family. He then supplies us with his Spirit, making us "new creations," transforming our minds over giving us the mental "comfort" and love and confidence to believe in him. Prayer, faith and building a special one-on-one relationship with him and you alone will bring and end to much suffering, while under going many trials and hardships in this life.

Dallas Willard comments:

"Many things that happen are not the will of God, although obviously he does not act to stop them. For example, "the Lord is . . . not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). Nevertheless countless people do perish and fail to come to repentance. God's world is an arena in which we have an indispensable role to play. The issue is not simply what God wants but also what we want and will. When we accept whatever comes, we are not receiving guidance. The fact that something happens does not indicate that is it God's will. With respect to many events in our future. God's will is that we should determine what will happen. What a child does when not told what to do is the final indicator of what and who that child is. And so it is for us and our heavenly Father. " (7a)

We may not be able to meet our financial obligations and God may or may not, supply us money, cures to our sickness, nor an end to the mental and physical abuse put on us from others, but for those with faith, he will supply a mental "comfort", "strength," "inner peace" and a love that goes above mere words. A spiritual relationship, special in nature will develop bringing us a future reward that will bring true happiness, contentment and satisfaction. This is all we can expect from God and nothing else. We may not receive shoes to be provided, cures to our illnesses, injustice removed from unjust governments and corrupt people but we can be confident, sure and positive, and expect God to supply us with some type of "mental "strength" and "comfort" that aids us to carry on for survival and an inner "strength" that can only come from having true faith and total dependence on God. God loves us and when we get to know him, we can find out that he loves us more than our very closest family members. His love and mercy goes far above any human type that we have ever experienced. (1 Cor 13:9; Heb 11:1-8)

To many this may seem as not enough help from a God who has all the power in the universe to both prevent and stop the horrors that occur, making God both cruel and callous, someone who merely watches, only supplying a mental strength, while allowing the intense mental and physical suffering to occur. This is a hard issue to balance and it appears that the only logical answer is man's quest for free will under a totally free environment.  Whatever the case, it appears this is all we can expect from God and be thankful for the good that we have. It also is evident that a "natural man cannot discern the things of the Spirit." With faith in Christ, we are supplied a Spirit. This Spirit acts as a "teacher," which enters our bodies and gives us discernment of the Spirit to gain understanding of many things. We still "see out of a hazy mirror, " and will do so "until the complete, the Christ arrives," but the Spirit will give us enough discernment to carry on our faith and maintain confidence in God and his love.

Our Contentment Lies In God's Presence

Theologian Dallas Willard comments on the those that seek the presence of God in to obtain His active part in providing external benefits in our lives,

"In many of this world's religions the favor of the gods is mainly or totally sought simply because of the advantage it brings. The psalmist, once again, describes the presence of God as a place to hide from the pride of man (Psalms 31:20; 27:5; 32:7). After refusing to enrich and fortify himself with plunder from this victory over the kings (Genesis 14:22-24), Abraham, father of the faithful, is given a vision of God saying to him, "Do not be afraid . . . I am you shield; your reward shall be very good" (51:1). When Jehovah was angered by the sins of the Israelites on their journey to Canaan and seemed about to dessert them; Moses prevailed upon him by saying "For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people, unless you go with us" In this way, we shall be distinct, I and your people, from every people onto he face of the earth,: (Exodus 33:16) Yet trying to control our circumstances by means of the presence of God, is not, finally, what we rest in as disciples of Jesus. We are told to "be content with what you have; for he has said, 'I will never leave you or forsake you.' So we can say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid." What can anyone do to me?" (Hebrews 13:5-6). The promise here is not that God will never allow any evil to come to us but that no matter what befalls us, we are still beyond genuine harm due to the fact that he remains with us and his presence is utterly enough by itself." (8)

Thomas a Kempis speaks for all the ages when he represents Jesus as a saying to him,

"A wise lover regards not so much the fit of him who loves, as the love of him who gives. He esteems affection rather than valuables, and sets all gifts below the Beloved. A noble-minded lover rests not in the gifts but in Me above every gift." (9) The sustaining power to the Beloved Presence has through the ages made the sickbed sweet and the graveside triumphant; transformed broken hearts and relations; brought glory to drudgery, poverty and old age; and turned the martyr's stake or noose into a place of coronation.(9a)

As St. Augustine has written, when we come to our final home,

"There we shall rest and see, see and love, love and praise. This is what shall be in the end without end."(10) "It is this for which the human soul was made. it is our temporal and eternal calling; "Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever." (11)

Praying For Comfort

Although "time and unforeseen circumstances" seem to outweigh God's intervening or aiding us physically and materially, this does not mean we should stop praying to God to help us. For Apostle Paul tells us to "persevere in prayer" and "pray incessantly." Even though we may suffer extreme physical and emotional turmoil, Paul further states that God "will comfort us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those in any sort of tribulation through the comfort with which we ourselves are being comforted by God." Apparently, through prayer, God will supply to men "the peace of God that excels all thought and will guard your hearts and your mental powers by means of Christ Jesus" and we in turn can supply this comfort to others as well. Faith with Prayer, opens up a doorway to the spiritual realm, it allows God to put his spirit inside us and aid us and let us know his intense interest in us. (Romans 12:12; 1 The 5:12; 2 Cor 1:3-7; Phil 4:7)

This "comfort", which includes the "strength by virtue of God, who imparts power" to us, appears to be the main thing God can give us. But does this "comfort" and "strength" compensate for all the horrendous crimes, atrocities and hardships of mankind? Does God really "not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear and ... make a way out in order for us to be able to endure it?" The answer to this depends on our faith. Our faith, with prayer, will open up our relationship, a personal one, that can bring us something that happens on an individual basis.

"Faith is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead." As history shows, from the world's conditions, that among both the godly and ungodly people, horrible suffering has occurred. Did God's "comfort" adequately cover over the deep physical and emotional wounds of his servants and supply a "way out" for these millions? Will this "comfort" be there for us too? Our faith in Christ, says Yes.

But according to Christian theology, unless we personally experience true faith and total dependence on God, we will not truly know ourselves of this mental "comfort", "strength" and "way out" that God is to provide. Apparently the suffering of mankind will continue until God's "appointed time." In the meantime mankind is required to pray to God to receive the comfort and strength to "make a way out" for them, giving them the mental strength and confidence that is to outweigh the many forms of physical, emotional, mental and painful suffering. (Phil 4:13 1 Cor 10:13)

Whether God either is limited in his power, or most likely forsakes his power to allow mankind free will, it is written that only with our faith and total dependence on God, relying on God's superior knowledge and ability to care for us, will alleviate our worries, anxieties, fear and depression from our mental, emotional and physical sufferings in life, comforting us and providing us "mercy ... and help at the right time." (Heb 4:16)

Overcoming Suffering

While Giving Glory To God

Thomas Merton explains:

Suffer without reflection, without hate, suffer with no hope of revenge or compensation, suffer without being impatient for the end of suffering, Neither the beginning of suffering is important nor its ending, Neither the source of suffering is important nor its explanation, provided it be God's will. But we know that He does not will useless, that is to say sinful, suffering. Therefore in order to give Him glory we must be quiet and humble and prior to all that we suffer, so as not to add to our sufferings the burden of a useless and exaggerated sensibility. In order to suffer without dwelling on our own afflictions, we must think about a greater affliction, and turn to Christ on the Cross. In order to suffer without hate we must drive out bitterness from our heart by loving Jesus. In order to suffer without hope of compensation, we should find all our peace in the conviction of our union with Jesus. These things are not a matter of ascetic technique but of simple faith; they mean nothing without prayer, without desire, without the acceptance of God's will. In the end, we must seek more than a passive acceptance of whatever comes to us from Him, we must desire and seek in all things the positive fulfillment of His will. We must suffer with gratitude, glad of a chance to do His will. And we must find, in this fulfillment, a communion with Jesus, Who said: "With desire have I desired to eat this Pasch with you before I suffer" (Luke 22:15). (12) Suffering, therefore must make sense to us not as a vague universal necessity, but as something demanded by our own personal destiny. When I see my trials not as the collisions of my life with a blind machine called fate, but as the sacramental gift of Christ's love, given to my by God the Father along with my identity and my very name, then I can consecrate them and myself with them to God. For then I realize that any suffering is not my own. It is the Passion of Christ, stretching out its tendrils into my life in order to bear rich clusters of grapes, making my soul dizzy with the wine of Christ's love, and pouring that wine as strong as fire upon the whole world. Useless and hateful in itself, suffering without faith is a curse. A society whose whole idea is to eliminate suffering and bring all its members the greatest amount of comfort and pleasure is doomed to be destroyed. It does not understand that all evil is not necessarily to be avoided. Nor is suffering the only evil, as our world thinks. If we consider suffering to be the greatest evil and pleasure the greatest good, we will live continually submerged in the only great evil that we ought to avoid without compromise: which is sin (the the failure to love as God does, the will to do what God does not will). Sometimes it is absolutely necessary to face suffering, which is a lesser evil, in order to avoid or to overcome the greatest evil sin. What is the difference between physical evil-suffering and moral evil-sin? Physical evil has no power to penetrate beneath the surface of our being. It can touch our flesh, our mind, our sensibility. It cannot harm our spirit without the work of that other evil, moral evil-sin. If we suffer courageously, quietly, unselfishly, peacefully, the things that wreck our outer being only perfect us within, and make us, as we have seen, more truly ourselves because they enable us to fulfill our destiny in Christ. They are sent for this purpose, and when they come we should receive them with gratitude and joy. (12a)

The Thin Places

Outside religion, organizations with formal worship, corporate gatherings and group dogmas exists both the physical and spiritual realms. Where these two worlds connect, the threshold places, the borders of where two worlds meet, where one has the possibility of communicating with the other can be likened to the "thin places." Religion is the attempt to give formal record of our individual and unique experiences in life, recording those "thin places." In many different religions, monasteries and holy places were created to put persons in places and spots to increase the likelihood of a transcendental communication.

It appears that three points of where the human and divine come into the most intimate and profound of proximity's are the experiences of suffering, joy and mystery. These three areas in life, though fleeting moments, can capture those thin places that stand at the border between the spiritual and temporal realms, and with people gifted with super natural gifts in the mundane world and those living on the border.

It is through suffering and joy that bring people to special realizations. Suffering being the context of joy, even as darkness is the context of light and silence for hearing. It is through these special experiences where the discover becomes the discovered, the light bulb goes off, an inner victory of achievement, but in many cases obtained only through the pain of alienation and darkness. It is many that emerge out of suffering that experience the joy, that can claim the victory. It is through suffering that many come out with true hope. Hope is spawned and is only hope in the place that appears to be hopeless, as can be seen in many areas in the world that seem hopeless with starvation, war, unrest and poverty.

Peter J. Gomes relates;

"If global politics is not the model in which to try out this principle where then is hope to be found among the people? Where the suffering have been the greatest. That means that we look to those who have been excluded and placed on the margins, to those who by the terms of the world are not successful, to those who, Jesus' words, "suffer and are persecuted." It is not simply that we expect now, as the result of our raised consciousness and improved scholarship, to find a place for blacks, women and homosexuals within the household of faith, and perhaps even in the Bible. It is that the place for creative hope, that arises out of suffering is most likely now to be found among blacks, women and homosexuals. These outcasts may well be the custodians of those thin places; they may in fact be the watchers at the frontier between what is and what is to be. If , as Martin Luther King, Jr. said "unearned suffering is redemptive," then those who have suffered most particularly at the hands of other Christians, have the most to give to a world of tribulations. All who know suffering may well stand in their debt, and all who suffer may well have something to give." (13)

Biblical Literalist Conclusion

Apparently God has demonstrated his power, wisdom, justice and love. But if God's power has no limits, then his forsaking his use of it, must be just in order to make him a just God. If not, then this would question his justice and love. Along with the sin of man, who is made in God's "image", his use of free will, has reflected both the love and the lack of it in his dealings with others, causing much pain and suffering as centuries of documented history confirm. (Gen 1:27; 1 Cor 15:49)

	Three Options That Conform To Biblical Literalism
1.	Our suffering opens us up to seek God with belief and further extend this to faith.
2.	God chooses to forsake his power to allow mankind his choice of freewill
3.	It is not God's time to act.
	Two Options That Biblical Literalists Cannot Accept
1.	God's power over mankind has limitations over each and every occurrence
2.	God is all powerful, but not just.

To agree with Biblical literalism, the first three reasons must be used, since it is written that God truly "cares for us" and does not want to see righteous persons destroyed. It would give reason for waiting until the one day, at the right time for mankind as a whole, when God steps in and alleviates the world's sufferings. (1 Peter 5:7; 1 Peter 3:9)

But why does God believe it to be more advantageous to wait to use his unlimited power that he forsakes? Mankind desperately needs God to cure his illnesses, sufferings and crimes, putting an end to the demons and man's wickedness against each other. It would stand to reason that when God does end suffering, if such a thing will happen, he will he have to completely remove mankind's power of free will and free will to govern.

In the future, it is written, that God promises to perform a resurrection of men and "the former things will not be called to mind" and only then. In the meantime we are to have faith and total dependence on God to supply us with a mental "strength", "comfort" and a "way out", not allowing "more then one could bear."  This requires a real faith and total dependence on God, not on ourselves or our material possessions, receiving the holy spirit, along with true faith and total dependence on God and having our fears and anxieties alleviated, being given the strength and comfort that we need. (Hab 2:3; Phil 4:13; 1 Cor 10:13; John 5:28-29; Isaiah 65:17; Rev 21:4;)

Mystic / Universalist Conclusion

View Three - Suffering Is A Result of Our Interior Thoughts

One Eastern viewpoint is to acknowledge God's or that of the creative life force that exists in our selves. It is here within the intuitive heart, where we both consciously and unconsciously use our thoughts, our divine power of life force, God within us, and our desires there of, to project out in the universe the ability to manifest our destiny. It is our higher self, that of a raised consciousness level of the presence of God within us that gives us the awareness that all life is connected "as one," as "Christ and the Father are one," as he prayed that "we may all be one," in gaining our awareness to the fact that we are already part of the one, being connected to all life, people, our environment and God, part of the one universal soul and unseen divine intelligence that is in all life, that being the neutral, non-judgme