Why Does God Allow Trials?
“I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge” Psalm 18:1-2.
Counseling a friend going through some devastating news, she exclaimed, “Why? What is God doing to me? Is He punishing me? How can He love me if He allows this?”
Have you ever been there? Crying out loudly in pain and frustration, or mentally wrestling with feelings of abandonment, confusion, and despair?
I expect you have. In fact, I doubt that anyone who walks with God hasn’t shared in these human experiences. So:
Why does God allow trials? What is He doing?
What can we understand about these painful experiences?
I addressed this topic in my book, I’M TOO HUMAN TO BE LIKE JESUS: Spiritual Growth for the Not-so-Perfect Woman. (From chapter 8: How can I stand in Life’s Storms?) I hope you find these thoughts helpful.
“One of my favorite old hymns asks, “Shall I be carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease, while others fought to win the prize and sailed through bloody seas?” Every time I think of this line, my mind conjures up images of princesses on floats in the California Rose Bowl parade. What’s my response to the question? “YES!” That’s exactly what I want my life to be like—flowery beds of ease with no thorns pricking me and causing me pain. Don’t you?
Don’t you wish God provided Christians with invisible armor so the painful thorns and arrows of life would simply bounce off us? Or He gave us our own private cloud of blessings to float on, a place immune from the suffering others go through?
The truth is, God is for us. We are His dearly loved children, but that doesn’t insulate us from life’s stormy trials. No matter what we’re called to go through individually, God promises to be with us. He won’t necessarily remove us from our trials, but promises to always go through them with us, giving us what we need to survive and to grow closer to Him spiritually and emotionally.
Over the next weeks, I want to share more on our common, human, questions in difficult situations:
* Why do storms come? (There are several causes)
* What is God’s purpose? (There are four we need to grasp)
* What difference does my perspective make? (It shapes your spiritual future)
* How can I cope? (Intentional actions that strengthen your heart)
If you want more information on this subject, or don’t want to wait for my newsletters to come, you can order my book and read ahead. If you know of a friend or relative who is wrestling with these questions, please support them by sharing how they can subscribe and receive their own email.
My friend is slowly working her way through her distorted thinking about God and her exhausted emotions. But—God is drawing her to Himself, encouraging her, and giving her hope. I pray this will be true for you also as you wrestle with the trials in your life.
Love to you, in the Name of the God of love,
Poppy
Get snippets of encouragement every other day. They are posted with YOU in mind at: Instagram and Facebook.
For more inspiration, follow me at: www.poppysmith.com
Click here to purchase I’m Too Human!
