Suffering: How Do We Respond?

Investigators Seek Clues in NYC Crash


NEW YORK (AP) -- Federal investigators continue to search for clues about the plane crash that killed New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and a flight instructor. The National Transportation Safety Board says there is no indication a distress call was made before the plane crashed into a Manhattan apartment building yesterday. continued....

I was pretty shaken when I tuned into the news yesterday afternoon. At first I thought, 'Another terrorist attack.' PANIC. And then we find it was just an accident. I had to find something to help me deal with these mixed feelings. A feeling of relief, because it wasn't something as big as a terrorist attack, but also a feeling of loss and fear. At any moment a plane can crash land into my apartment. I don't have to fly to be afraid of airplanes.
I found something to help me deal with that fear in "Our Daily Bread". Yesterdays reading went like this.



Suffering: How Do We Respond?
Man who is born of woman is of few day and full of trouble.
-Job 14:1

Why is there suffering? You might ask that question when you hear of hurricanes, mudslides, earthquakes, and other disasters taking people's lives. Job asked that question too.
Why is there so much pain in God's world? Consider these reasons:
1) We can't escape the laws that govern our universe. We need such things as gravity, weather, and fire to survive, but they can lead to tragedy. (Mathew 5:45). Fire is good in your stove, but an out-of-control fire can kill.
2) We are a social race. Our lives are intertwined, so we sometimes suffer when the sin or foolishness of others spreads trouble (1 Corinthians 12:26).
3) Sin brought a curse on the earth and its people. This curse includes disease and death (Genesis 3:15-24).
4) Suffering awakens compassion. Jesus told us to care for those who suffer in poverty. We are His partners in helping others (Luke 10:33-35)
As Job discovered, God's world is a fallen place. When we see suffering, we can use it as an opportunity to serve God by helping others, to trust Him in spite of the difficulty, and to grow in our faith in Him.
When trouble hits, let our first reaction be to trust the Lord and care for the needs of others. -Dave Branon

For Further Study
Wondering about the reason for your trials? Read the online booklet "Why Would A Good God Allow Suffering? at http://www.rbc.org/bible_study/discovery_series/booklet/30993.aspx


Our response to suffering can either make us or break us.