Making Sense Out Of Suffering

I recently visited a good friend of my mother. He's a great golf companion (taught me some swings before), and always in high spirits. He has been fighting cancer for a few years now but has always mustered enough strength to play golf on Saturdays.

However, in the recent Saturdays, he has been missing in action. It is suspected there is a growing tumor which is pressing against his spine. As a result, it is causing severe pain for his entire right leg up to the hips. The pain is so severe to the extend that he has to administer morphine for pain relief. To counter the tumor growth, he has to undergo 12 sessions of radiotherapy.  The doctor however has pre-cautioned that there is no guarantee that it would remove the pain. This is because the strain on the spine if its caused by mechanical reasons, i.e. slipped disc, then removing the tumor growth would not solve the root of the problem.

He shared that it is most painful in the morning when he attempts to stretch himself. When sitting down or driving, he has to find his 'sweet spot' for the position that his pain is most relieved. His days now involve going to radiotherapy sessions, countless hospital visits and regular administration of pain relief. Its just not too long ago that he underwent an operation in which his wife shared that he almost lost his life.

When I chatted with him, i will always remember his first words, 'Count my blessings'. He is a devout Christian who has great faith and submission to God. He says, 'I pray for a miracle, that God will heal me. But if He has another plan for me, may God help me to submit to His good will.' He quotes Romans 8:28, "For all things work for the good of those who love Him."

I told him that he reminds me of a modern day Job. Job as recorded in the bible, was a God fearing man, blameless, upright, and shunned evil. He had many children, had many possessions and servants. However, one day, God allowed Satan to test Job. Overnight, all his children died, his servants killed, his possessions stolen. Job, tearing his robe out of extreme sorrow, shaved his head and fell to the ground worshiping, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked i will return. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:20-21) Through all this, Job did not blame God for his misfortune. He held his faith and submission to God.

That wasn't the end of Job's sufferings. Some days later, Job was inflicted with sore boils on his entire body. Even his wife said, "Do you hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!" Job however replied, "You speak as one of the foolish woman speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" (Job 2:9-10) To make things worse, some friends of Job came and blamed Job that the reason he was under so much suffering was that because he had sinned against God though he had not. He was not only under physical pain, more so, he was undergoing emotional hurt.

Job complained, questioned, and challenged God's wisdom and justice. And finally, God Himself spoke. God spoke of His mighty power, "Where were you when I laid out the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding." (Job 38:4) "Have you ever commanded the morning and caused the dawn to know its place," (Job 38:12). God spoke of His authority over nature and its beings. "Do you give the horse his might? Do you clothe his neck with a mane?" (Job 39:19) "Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook or press down his tongue with a cord?" (Job 41:1-2)

God does not give us a direct reason on why there are sufferings. But He wants us to know that it is all in His sovereignty. It is in His good will. All things, good or bad, work out to God's good will. He just requires that we trust in Him.

In the ending of Job, it records that God gave back to him double of what he had lost. He restored his possessions, healed him, and give him children again. However, God does not promise us the necessity of health or wealth though He often blesses it to us. We cannot be eternally healthy or eternally wealthy. Even if we are healed now, we will one day have to face death too. Even if we are in prosperity now, there will be one day when we have to leave all that behind. There will be a time when we just have to let go and let God. God might not necessarily resolve our problems in this life time, be it healing our illnesses, or our state of poverty, But He assures us that in heaven, there will no longer be pain nor suffering. Every tear will be wiped away. We just have to trust in the good God Himself. Our satisfaction should only be in God Himself.

Uncle Timothy has a living hope. A hope based on earthly matters will diminish as death nears. But his hope is a living hope which does not diminishes as the days to death nears but one which grows livelier and  livelier  till he actually sees Christ face to face. He himself said, he no longer fears the sting of death. Christ abides in him, and he abides in Christ.


It is certainly not easy at all, to go through suffering. We are all weak people. But may we rely on prayer to Him, to help us in our difficulties, and to trust in Him that He knows best what is good for us.

Why Does God Allow Suffering?

The question is often asked, "If there is a God, a loving, merciful God, why does He allow people to suffer? How can He allow humans to experience the terrible accidents, illnesses, crime, wars and troubles that are so common in this world every day? Doesn't He care?"

God does care

He knows when humans suffer. He is God. His perspective is infinitely greater than ours. He sees the "bigger picture" - that our experiences as mortal humans, however painful or unhappy, will be to our eventual benefit. 


When a parent takes an infant to the doctor for a regular vaccination to prevent some childhood disease, it's because the parent cares for and loves that child. The young child however will almost always see things very differently. When the doctor's needle goes into that little arm, the child will often cry out and howl from the pain. It may look up at the parent, with those big innocent eyes, in the most pleading and pitiful way, as if to say, "Look at the horrible thing that's happening to me! Don't you care about my terrible suffering? How can you just stand there and allow this to go on? Don't you love me?"


The parent however knows better. He or she is aware that everything is going to be all right in a very short time (even though it almost always has an emotional impact on the parent to see the child distressed in such a way). A minor, brief pain is the price the child pays for a healthier life later.

God's Good Will in the Midst of Suffering

Just as an infant cannot possibly understand the motives of its parent while it is still only a child, so too we cannot appreciably comprehend God's will for us while we are still as we are. It's a matter of perspective - the brief few years of a physical human lifetime, versus the eternity, time without end, that will follow.


God is our ultimate parent. He knows all about the problems we often have, but He also knows that our experiences with pain and suffering, along with all of the good experiences that we may have, will, help mould us into the kind of person that God wants us to be.

God's Offer of Life, Christ

God is not about to willingly abandon any of His children for whom the price of life has been paid. Loss will only occur as the result of a knowing, deliberate refusal to accept God's offer of life,
Jesus Christ Himself, who died for our sins, even though He had lived a perfectly sinless life, and had committed no crime, was brutally beaten, flogged and crucified in great agony.


Let's remember that even the longest human life is merely like a single grain of sand on the infinite beach of the eternal life to come. After we have become immortal, even a century of the worst human pain and suffering would seem to us as almost insignificant, a momentary jab with a vaccination needle, and we will surely be the better for having experienced it.

A Day Where There Will Be No More Suffering

It records in the last book of the bible, Revelation 21:3-4
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes.There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”


Suffering on earth will only be temporary. There will be a day when God will wipe every tear off our eyes. There will be no more death, mourning, crying or pain. Let's fix our eyes and faith upon Christ, who endured the greatest suffering for us that we have the hope of eternal paradise, a new heaven and earth when sufferings will be no more.

Joy in Suffering

Psalm 31:7-8
"I will rejoice and be glad in your faithful love because you have seen my affliction. You have known the troubles of my life and have not handed me over to the enemy."

Being a Christian doesn't mean that we will not go through sufferings. But how can we have joy in them?

1. We have joy because of God's faithful love. Which means that in our sufferings, God has meant them to be beneficial for us even though we do not understand it. Think Joseph, almost killed by his brothers, sold to Egypt, maligned by Potiphar's wife, jailed, yet it was all in God's sovereign plan by God to make him prime minister for Egypt that through his God given wisdom planned for the coming famine.

2. We have joy because God cares for us in our suffering. Just as sick children who suffer in their illnesses, whenever their parents take care of them, wipe away their tears and embraces them, a smile breaks out on their face. Because they know that their parents care for them. Their parents know the pain they are going through. The same way, we are in the embracing arms of God who sympathizes and understands what we are going through.

Jesus cares for us. He cared for the little children. He care for the hungry people whom he taught. He care for a mother whose son was about to leave her. He care for the many sick and blind. He care for those whom had not God's truth. He cares for us till the point of laying down his life for us.

To Bring us to Fellowship in Christ. To identify with Christ. To remind us of Christ suffering. To Be Worthy of The Crown of Life

9. To Bring us to Fellowship in Christ. To identify with Christ. To remind us of Christ suffering. To Be Worthy of The Crown of Life

Imagine teleporting back 2000 years to in front of the cross where Christ is at the moment being crucified. Does your suffering pain in comparison to his?

Romans 8:17 “we heirs of God, co-heirs of Christ, seeing that we might suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”

Php 3:8 Because of HIm i have suffered the loss of all things and consider them filth, so that i may gain Christ and be found in Him. My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.

Col 1:24 “Now i rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I am completing in my flesh what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for His body, that is, the church.”

James 1:12-13 “A man who endures trials is blessed because when he passes the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. No one undergoing a trial should say I am being tempted by evil, for God is not tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.”

Bad Things Happen As A Litmus Test To Know If We Have Lived For Christ.

6. Bad Things Happen As A Litmus Test To Know If We Have Lived For Christ.

Bad Things in the WorldIf we live godly lives in Christ, we will be persecuted as a result of living for Him, as a result of service in His kingdom.

Acts 5:40-42 “Apostles were flogged and ordered not to speak about Jesus. Then they went out from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be dishonored on behalf of the Name. They continued everyday teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.”

公 会 的 人 听 从 了 他 ， 便 叫 使 徒 来 ， 把 他 们 打 了 ， 又 吩 咐 他 们 不 可 奉 耶 稣 的 名 讲 道 ， 就 把 他 们 释 放 了 。他 们 离 开 公 会 ， 心 里 欢 喜 ， 因 被 算 是 配 为 这 名 受 辱 。他 们 就 每 日 在 殿 里 、 在 家 里 、 不 住 的 教 训 人 ， 传 耶 稣 是 基 督 。

2 Tim 3:12 “In fact, all those who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

"不 但 如 此 ， 凡 立 志 在 基 督 耶 稣 里 敬 虔 度 日 的 也 都 要 受 逼 迫 。"

John 16:33 " 在 世 上 ， 你 们 有 苦 难 ； 但 你 们 可 以 放 心 ， 我 已 经 胜 了 世 界 。"

People will question why you put so much energy, time, money into vanity. People will be frustrated with your non-compromising stand on salvation. When we speak about Christ absolute authority and Lordship in this age, we are ridiculed with relativism and unrespectfulness.

Bad Things Happen To You In The Church When You Serve

In fact, persecution starts from within the church. When you want to serve, there will be bad things that will happen to discourage you. There might be jealously. Another wants to out perform another. When you teach with biblical authority, people do not want to listen. When you rebuke, people rebut you. Labeled believers stood up to Paul, did not regard him as an apostle, created 'groups', did not want to support him financially, held him in contempt. These kinds of persecution are the most painful. In fact, as you notice majority of the epistles, Paul faced such internal persecutions. Yet, imagine how he remained hopeful and joyful.

If i am chased by a dog or scolded by a flat owner when I give tracts, I can still sleep soundly at night. But if a believer stood up to me, tries to misinterpret me, maligned me in my faith, stirs up falsehood in the truth, I cannot sleep. These are real problems our church leaders are facing. These are what Jesus faced too. The betraying disciple following him. The quarrels within his disciple. The maligned of him by Pharisees, teachers and Jews.

These are things that will happen when we serve in the church becaus the church is a set of sinners coming together. These are what may happen when we serve in church. It is not just rosy Sunday mornings with church bells ringing. Hence what should be our response? Be angry? Be petty? Leave the church? Don't commit to it? Be a mature Christian, not a petty Christian. Submit to one another.

1 Cor 16:13 "要 作 大 丈 夫 ， 要 刚 强 。"


7. Bad Things Happen to Make Us Mature. Don't Be Petty

Pettiness in the Church

Serve diligently in the church. Overlook criticisms. Continue to do good. A pen design looks ugly? Learn from the lesson. Chairman chair badly? Take feedback and improve. Camp programme has some issues? Builds up camp organizing experience.

箴 言 19:11

人 有 见 识 就 不 轻 易 发 怒 ； 宽 恕 人 的 过 失 便 是 自 己 的 荣 耀 。

Don't give up and leave in a huff. Continue to serve. You are a slave of the Lord, serving Him. Not just men. Do His will above your will. Build up the church. A church has problems, the more we need to stay there and help build it up, not leave and find an already stable church (if there is one).

SERVE. Don't be deceived by the devil telling you that serving is an added continual weekly committment and because of this you don't take it up. Love your God with all your mind, with all your heart, with all your soul, and all your strength.

1 Cor 15:58 所 以 ， 我 亲 爱 的 弟 兄 们 ， 你 们 务 要 坚 固 ， 不 可 摇 动 ， 常 常 竭 力 多 做 主 工 ； 因 为 知 道 ， 你 们 的 劳 苦 在 主 里 面 不 是 徒 然 的 。

Pettiness at Home

Similarly at home, we should aim to be mature and not a petty christian. Be a care giver without bitterness and excessive grumbling.  Love is ... The fruit of the spirit is...

James 1:2-4 “Consider it a great joy when you experience various trials, knowing that the tesing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature, and complete, lacking nothing,”

2 我 的 弟 兄 们 ， 你 们 落 在 百 般 试 炼 中 ， 都 要 以 为 大 喜 乐 ；因 为 知 道 你 们 的 信 心 经 过 试 验 ， 就 生 忍 耐 。但 忍 耐 也 当 成 功 ， 使 你 们 成 全 、 完 备 ， 毫 无 缺 欠 。

Romans 5:2-5 “We also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

" 我 们 又 藉 着 他 ， 因 信 得 进 入 现 在 所 站 的 这 恩 典 中 ， 并 且 欢 欢 喜 喜 盼 望 神 的 荣 耀 。不 但 如 此 ， 就 是 在 患 难 中 也 是 欢 欢 喜 喜 的 ； 因 为 知 道 患 难 生 忍 耐 ，忍 耐 生 老 练 ， 老 练 生 盼 望 ；盼 望 不 至 於 羞 耻 ， 因 为 所 赐 给 我 们 的 圣 灵 将 神 的 爱 浇 灌 在 我 们 心 里 。"

Bad Things Show Us The Sufficiency Of God’s grace.

5. Bad Things Show Us The Sufficiency Of God’s grace.

God does not remove the pain because it is productive. But as pain increases, grace increases.

2 Cor 12:9 "他 对 我 说 ： 我 的 恩 典 够 你 用 的 ， 因 为 我 的 能 力 是 在 人 的 软 弱 上 显 得 完 全 。"

The bad things in our lives seldom diminishes. As we grow older, the amount of bad things that happens just increases. However, do not despair, for grace increases accordingly.

As the difficulties of Joseph mounts, God's grace with him grows. Leads him victorious from temptation, gives him wisdom to interpret dreams, gives him wisdom to govern a nation through a famine.

As Moses faces more and more difficulty from Pharaoh, God's grace and power grows with him. As he leads more and more people, he has more leadership abilities.

As Paul, Peter is persecuted more, his boldness and wisdom from God increases.

By the sufficiency of God's grace, when problems mount, our ability to take on more burdens increases.

Bad things happen to build the church. You can comfort others who are going through what you have been through.

4. Bad things happen to build the church. You can comfort others who are going through what you have been through.



The God of Comfort
2 Cor 1:4 "我 们 在 一 切 患 难 中 ， 他 就 安 慰 我 们 ， 叫 我 们 能 用 神 所 赐 的 安 慰 去 安 慰 那 遭 各 样 患 难 的 人 。"



After experiencing God’s comfort for the bad things, we can comfort others who are going through bad things as well. 

Like how a preacher can comfort people who are trying to preach the gospel to their loved ones by her example.


Like how older brethrens comfort those who have a hard time in raising kids, coping with daily pressures.


Like how those in sickness take strength from those in sickness too.


Like how care givers are comforted by care givers.

What’s the ultimate comfort? 

To know God's good purpose through the pain. 

When Bad Things Happen to Christians (4) - Bad Things Happen To Bring Us Closer to God in prayer.

3. Bad Things Happen To Bring Us Closer to God in prayer.

Job 1: 20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship

2Cor 12:8 为 这 事 ， 我 三 次 求 过 主 ， 叫 这 刺 离 开 我 。

Remember when your child is in surgery, how you came to God in prayer?
When your loved one is still unsaved, how you came to God in prayer?

When Bad Things Happen to Christians (3) - Bad Things Happen to Humble Us

2. Bad Things Happens to Christians to Humble us.

Job 1:10-11
“Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.11 But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

Job 1:21
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
  and naked I will depart.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
  may the name of the LORD be praised.”


Reminds us that everything we have is Given By God



It humbles us because we know that everything that we currently have is by the grace and preservation of God. Our health, our family, our work, our income, our houses, our car. 


It also prepares us to face future bad things by knowing this truth.



May we memorize Job 1:21. Naked i came, naked i will go. The Lord gives, the Lord takes.


To Keep Us From Being Conceited


1 Cor 12:7 "又 恐 怕 我 因 所 得 的 启 示 甚 大 ， 就 过 於 自 高 ， 所 以 有 一 根 刺 加 在 我 肉 体 上 ， 就 是 撒 但 的 差 役 要 攻 击 我 ， 免 得 我 过 於 自 高 。"


Imagine if you have the special privilege of being brought to Heaven, seeing revelations, hearing the secrets words of God, seeing Jesus calling you, educated in the top Jewish schools, won't you be filled with pride?


But Paul says that the thorn in his flesh, prevented him from being conceited which contributed to his effective,selfless ministry.


My Migraine


I get migraine more regularly now. Whenever i have migraine, i am totally incapacitated. I can't do anything. And this spurs me, that if I were to have migraine continually, money, power would not mean anything to me. It also reminds me that i am so fragile and every minute is sustained by God. My life can just end or be rendered useless any minute. And that spurs me to take chance of my health and serve him.

When Bad Things Happen to Christians (2) - Bad Things are Gifts from God - They Reveal Our Spiritual Selves

Bad things are a gift from God.

1. They reveal our spiritual selves.

They reveal if we are in sin and reveal the need for repentance.

1 Pet 4:15 “None of you however should suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or a meddler."

Examine ourselves for repentance if we are suffering as one of the above. Is sin the cause for suffering?

Are we suffering because we have neglected the things of God/family due to too much time in work, studies? 

Are we suffering because we are addicted to pornography? 

David suffered because of his adultery with Bathsheba.

Are we suffering because we do not love our spouses, family enough? 

Eph 5:25 "Husbands, love your wives." Too many broken families due to this simple principle.

Are we suffering because our speech is coarse/vulgar? 

Are we suffering because of jealously, pride in someone more gifted than us or has achieve more success than us? Like the bitterness of Saul?

If we are, we need to repent. 

Matt 5:3,4 "Blessed are those who mourn for their sins, for they will be comforted."
They reveal if we continue to trust in God.

In good times, when things are going well, needs are taken care of, we trust God. But what about when the bad things happen?

Bad things reveal our weakness in our faith. If we are trusting in God enough. If we are we loving Him with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. Or if we are still reliant upon our health, wealth, relationships?

Note Job’s response.

Job 1:21
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
  and naked I will depart.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
  may the name of the LORD be praised.”

He continued to trust in God. He had no other reliance. He continued to love God, praise God, with whatever he had even though his closest companion, rejected it.

Noah continued building the ark though he was ridiculed by his closest friends.

Joseph keep his faith in God's promises when he was in potiphar's house, in jail.

Abraham continued sacrificing his son, though it was the most prized possession he had.

When Bad Things Happen to Christians (1) - How We Should Not Respond

当圣徒遇见苦难  When Bad Things Happen to Christians

There are all kinds of bad things that happen to Christians in the world. In fact, they happen to non-Christians as well. They happen to everyone.

Bad things will definitely happen because we are bad people in a bad world.

But when the bad things happen, what is different is how we respond. And we can respond in a God honoring manner by knowing His purposes for us when bad things happen. People think that only the good things are from God. But both good and bad things are allowed by God. And often, the bad things achieve a greater effect than the good things.



What are some of the bad things that may/will happen? (Read Job 1-2)


Car accidents. Illness. Diabetes. Paralysis. Cancer. Death to your child, your wife might suffer a miscarriage, your spouse. Your wife might die in child birth.
Job 1:18 While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 19 when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”



Economic - loss of income/job demotions/loss of savings, investments are down by 90%. Retrenchments.
Job 1: 14-15 “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, 15 and the Sabeans attacked and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”



Illness to self. Migraine
Job 2: 7 So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. 8 Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.



Human Inflicted Problems

Like how Job's three friends comfort turned in rebuke/mistrust that his suffering was a result of his sin.

• Work - ostracized by colleagues/bosses, unfairly treated
• Family - quarrels, some do not play their part, children, parents
• Church - criticism though you have served faithfully, betrayal, fell into sin/false teachings though you have shepherded them.

Human inflicted pain are often the most painful things. Often more than economic or physical. The more intimate the relationship, the more the pain. Eg. Job’s wife, three friends. Paul’s betrayal, departure from God’s teachings even after he has invested his heart, tears, money in the churches he has so faithfully ministered to.



What we should know. Bad things happen to Upright, blameless, God fearing, evil shunning Christians.

Job 1:1
In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.



How we should NOT respond.
1. We should not grumble against God. Job's wife. Think that He is not in control. Hold Him in contempt. Rage against Him.

Stop serving Him. 

Don’t believe in Him.

Job 2:9 "Job's wife said, Do you still retain your integrity? Curse God and die!"
Num 14:27 "How long must I endure this evil community that keeps complaining about Me? 29 Your corpses will fall in this wilderness because you have complained about Me."

2. Just look for human means to solve the problem. Read secular self-help books, counselor, psychologist above the teachings of the bible. All these are not wrong, but if they reign above the bible, then it is dangerous. You might solve the surface of the problem temporarily, but it will come back again. Worse, it might not be biblical. God does not favor.



We have to trust that God’s word can answer to our deepest problems. We often think God’s word solves only the shallow problems and psychology solves the deepest problems. NO! There is an interview with psychiatrist/psychologist above if they have treated any one of them. In the interview, none can confidently claimed that they have treated any one. We have to go back to biblical counseling and not be ashamed of God's truth that it cannot solves the deepest of our problems.