Where Is God When It Hurts?
Faith in a personal God can be a solid foundation for enduring suffering.
Philip Yancey delves into the profound topic of pain, highlighting the ultimate solution found in God's recreation of the earth. He emphasizes the sustaining power of faith in the hope that God, as a compassionate Physician, feels the suffering of every individual. Yancey shares how his anger towards pain diminished as he experienced God's joy, love, and goodness, affirming God's trustworthiness. Ultimately, he concludes that knowing God is invaluable, providing unwavering faith even in the face of intense suffering.
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The problem of pain will have no ultimate solution until God recreates the earth. I am sustained by faith in that great hope. If I did not truly believe that God is a Physician and not a Sadist, and that he, in George MacDonald's phrase, "feels in Himself the tortured presence of every nerve that lacks its repose," I would abandon all attempts to plumb the mysteries of suffering.
My anger about pain has melted mostly for one reason: I have come to know God. He has given me joy and love and happmess and goodness. They have come in unexpected flashes, in the midst of my confused, imperfect world, but they have been enough to convince me that my God is worthy of trust. Knowing him is worth all enduring.
Where does that leave me when I stand by a hospital bed the next time a close friend gets Hodgkin's disease? After all, this search started at a bedside. It leaves me with faith in a Person, a faith so solid that no amount of suffering can erode it.
Sermon Outline
- I. The Problem of Pain
- A. The question of why God allows suffering
- B. The search for answers in a broken world
- II. The Nature of God
- A. God as a Physician, not a Sadist
- B. God's personal involvement in human suffering
- III. The Hope of Redemption
- A. The promise of a recreated earth
- B. The power of faith in the face of suffering
Key Quotes
“God feels in Himself the tortured presence of every nerve that lacks its repose.” — Philip Yancey
“Knowing him is worth all enduring.” — Philip Yancey
“Faith in a Person can be solid enough to overcome suffering.” — Philip Yancey
Application Points
- Faith in a personal God can give you the strength to endure suffering.
- Knowing God is worth all the challenges and hardships you face.
- Trust in God's goodness and love can help you navigate difficult times.