Why does God allow suffering?

I've been thinking a lot about suffering lately. My dear friend, Russell Solice, has suffered much during his life, becoming a quadriplegic at the tender age of 17 years old. He's especially been suffering during these past 18 months as he's been in and out of the hospital, (mostly in) battling infection after infection. He suffers greatly, but He always smiles. Many ask, "How in the world can he do that everyday?" What's his secret?

I also have a friend on Facebook who is dealing with her cancerous husband (he has stage 4 terminal gastric cancer) and she has MS. That's a lot of hurt for one household. Yet this sweet lady spends her days asking for prayer and Praising God in the middle of her horrendous circumstances through her Caring Bridge blog Site.http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/cherylsmith22. Ok, again, who does that? Who in the world can have a thankful heart about anything, when their world is falling apart around them?

I'm sure you know friends who are dealing with a crisis right now? There most likely is suffering involved. How are they handling it?

When life throws you a curve, which can happen to anyone at anytime, you have a choice to make. You can choose to blame the doctors, yourself,  your spouse, your friends and even God for what happens, or you can choose to embrace your new circumstances, get a hold of yourself and let go of all that anger and bitterness. Instead of blaming God, try thanking God! What are you kidding me, "thanking God in the middle of all this?" Yes, you heard me right, "Thank God." 1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Many unbelievers have the stance that a loving God would not allow all the suffering that goes on in this world. Where is He? Why doesn't He intervene? That is what keeps many of them away from pursuing a relationship with Him, or at least that is what they say.... "Why would I want to hang out with Him, if He allows all this heartbreak and doesn't stop it? "What kind of God is that?"

Some people will say, "You're a Christian and you got real sick, what difference did it make? Your faith didn't help you one bit. Your God didn't protect you." Well, the truth is, my relationship with Jesus has made all the difference in the world. I couldn't have been able to navigate these rocky waters of living with MS if I didn't have a firm foundation to lean on each day, and I don't mean my husband, my kids or my friends. I mean Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior.

The thing is there will always be suffering in this world we live in. It is not designed to be pain free, never was. It's one giant testing ground from my point of view. Everything you go through in this life is a test, either you pass and grow closer to God, or fail miserably and pull further away from Him. John 16:33 reminds us "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

If you believe God and His Word, then that's all you need to hear. You know that although suffering is a part of life, you can have peace in the middle of the storm if you hold right to His Hand and don't let go. Is is really that simple? I have to tell you dear friends, "Yes, it is that simple." If you are suffering or hurting in anyway, go to the One who can sustain you and gird you up with His strength, not your own.

Just remember, Jesus suffering tremendously. He knows all about it. He feels your pain. He was mocked, ridiculed, spit upon, flogged, beaten and hung on a cross to die. He had to carry His cross through town with a crown of thorns on His Head where people shouted at Him, threw stones at Him and made fun of Him. If the Savior of the World went through all that, what is your suffering in comparison to His? You can handle anything, with Him by your side.

My verses for today is above in red.

My prayer for today:

Lord Jesus:

Suffering is so hard. We don't understand it, but we know that we can get through it with you by our side. We know that with You, anything is possible. We are thanking you and believing you will take care of us through anything that comes our way. Thank you Lord, that you sustain us in the midst of our pain, our uneasiness, our worry, our doubting hearts and our unforgiving souls. 

Thank you Lord for being there through everything.

In Jesus name,

Amen