Why?

In Acts 12 we read facing persecution for the gospel, James was Martyred but Peter was miraculously set free from prison.  Why did God deliver Peter but allowed Herod to kill James? Why is life so full of hardships, difficulties, and sorrow? Why does God allow His people to suffer?

The truth is that we don’t always understand the reason why God permits suffering.  He doesn’t always give us answers to those “whys.” But when we are faced with what we don’t know, we must hold fast to what we do know. And what do we know?  We know that God is sovereign! Even when things don’t makes sense like trying to wrap our minds around why James died and why Peter was set free.  Yet the lesson in both circumstances is that God is still on the throne, and that nothing happens without His permission. We know that all things are working together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose. We know that God’s thoughts towards us are good, not evil, and we know that He is working out an eternal plan for our lives even in the suffering. Our pain is never wasted. He will turn it around for His glory if we allow Him to.

So when pain  or trauma comes and we have no answers for why we are suffering, we can hold tightly to the knowledge that ‘the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18.) Our sovereign God is working out an eternal purpose though our circumstances.  We don’t need to know why. We just need to know Jesus.

by Cecilia Trent