Oftentimes in the midst of suffering and pain we cry out to God and question why He would allow this to happen. In this video, Pastor Noe Garcia attempts to answer that question and explain how we can rest in the sovereignty of God in times of suffering.
The entire video is above, and the complete transcript is below.
Why does God allow suffering?
This is the million dollar question that’s been asked for years and years and years. I’ve asked that question. Church members ask that question. And I think there’s something that we’re looking for behind that question.
We’re looking for purpose in the midst fo our pain. Because if we find purpose in the midst of our suffering, in the midst of our pain, then we almost feel like we can deal with it better. But to suffer and to know that there is a God in heaven Who has created everything, Who can stop it at any moment, Who didn’t have to allow it and He is, that’s hard to grasp.
My wife and I went through a very traumatic experience of losing a child. Literally my wife miscarried in our car. And it was a very, very tough moment. I was in the ministry. I was being as faithful as I could be. She was being faithful. And then this moment of suffering came.
And in the midst of the moment of suffering I remember this feeling of entitlement. Almost as if saying, “God, I’ve been faithful. You owe me! I don’t deserve this. Why did You allow this? What did I do wrong?” And it started messing with my theology. Was there sin in my life? Is that why God allowed suffering? Is He trying to teach me something? And I went down all of these paths and it was interesting because none of them ever gave me peace. I was looking for an answer before I had peace.
But the truth is, while I wish I can give you an exact reason why God allows suffering, we’re asking an age-old and timeless question that only God can truly answer. But I don’t want to use that as a cop out because here’s what I’ve realized: That if suffering comes and we know God is sovereign, then we know He has allowed it. And if a sovereign God has allowed suffering, we know that we can rest in the midst of suffering because He is sovereign. You don’t have to like it. You don’t have to understand it. You don’t have to want it or invite it. But you can trust that the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament, Who has been sovereign since the beginning, is sovereign even now in the midst of your suffering.
My wife, during this time, I remember she didn’t even want to go to church. I remember she didn’t even want to read the Bible. And why does God allow suffering? Man, if we had that answer it would have made it just a little bit better, but it wouldn’t have taken away the tears. It wouldn’t have taken away the pain. Knowing doesn’t nullify the experience. But what we held onto was His sovereignty, was His sovereignty, was the sovereignty of a loving and kind God.
I hope that encourages you. And if you’re in the midst of suffering, hang on. Hang on. Keep hanging on. Keep walking. Keep fighting. Keep telling your emotions the truth of Scripture because your emotions are gonna make you feel otherwise. But hang onto the truth of the Word of God. He is sovereign. He is good. He is loving. And if you are His child, you are His child forever. God bless.