Posts Tagged ‘suffering’
Hope in the Place of Despair
by David Gibson “For there is hope for a tree, when it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and its shoots will not fail. Though its roots grow old in the ground and its stump dies in the dry soil, at the scent of water it will flourish and put forth sprigs like…
Read MoreDid God Cause the Tragedy?
by Gardner Hall Did God cause the tragedy in the Dominican Republic? The roof collapse at Jet Set Nightclub in the Dominican Republic resulted in over 200 deaths and sent shockwaves through the Dominican community in New York City. Many in our West Harlem congregation lost friends or relatives. As in every disaster, some point…
Read MoreBut It Hurts!
by David Gibson Why we suffer may be the most troubling of all questions. Atheists’ strongest argument is: How could a good God permit suffering? It is important to know what the Bible says about this so we won’t lose faith or grow bitter. Suffering is a complex issue. It has no single cause. Sometimes…
Read MoreThey Wish You Would Help
by Floyd Chappalear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 13, No. 4, December 31, 1987 “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all” (I Thessalonians 5:14). In so doing, the church of our Lord is the finest “support group” on the face of the earth!…
Read MoreWhy Didn’t He Save?
by Chadwick Brewer Often, we hear people lament the loss of a loved one. They are hurting and mourning the loss of those they hold dear, and they struggle with the question of why Christ would not take away the pain, suffering, and loss – especially when He had done so for others while He…
Read MoreUnwritten Pains
by Chadwick Brewer “And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets” (Mark 1:19). In Scripture, there is not much exploration of the bond between James and John. That is not to say that nothing is implied or understood…
Read MoreWho Moved the Stones?
by David Gibson Only Matthew tells us that “an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it” (Matthew 28:2 NASB). But when Jesus came to Lazarus’ tomb, He said, “Remove the stone” (John 11:39). It would have been easy for Jesus to move the stone…
Read MoreWhy didn’t God rescue my friend?
Question: I am a member of the Lord’s church and trying to help a coworker and friend. She has become dear to me, and we’ve studied the Bible a little. I hope to have more studies with her. She has somewhat stumped me with a tough question. She was sexually abused as a child by…
Read MoreWhere Was God?
by Chadwick Brewer The Book of Esther stands out as unique among the Old Testament books because it is the only book that does not mention God at all. Compared to other Old Testament stories, God’s absence in the story of Esther can seem rather profound. To this end, we want to ask, “Where was…
Read MoreTrusting God Through the Storms
by Doy Moyer Storms can be frightening. Lightning and thunder can be a bit terrifying when it gets close. Flood waters can overwhelm, winds can level, and human beings can only run and hide. We sometimes wonder why, but we are reminded that we are not the ones who control nature. We are humbled as…
Read MoreWill Life Ever Be Good Again?
by Zeke Flores Sometimes, it may seem like nothing will ever be right in your life again. You might look back to happier times and wonder how things could so completely fall apart. Beaten down by circumstances, maybe even the consequences of your own bad decision, you become overwhelmed with despair. Will life ever be…
Read MoreI was ready to fight at first, but by the end, I agreed
Question: I just wanted to express my appreciation for your response to this question: Why doesn’t God prevent innocent children from being harmed? I’ll admit, I was ready to fight at first, but by the end of the entire response, I felt that you detailed and answered all of my grievances that not only that person…
Read MoreJesus Wept at Human Pain and Hurt
by Terry Wane Benton He saw and cared deeply about how His disciples hurt over Lazarus’ death (John 11). Jesus cared so deeply that He wept with them. He suffered with them, and He knew the larger plan would be to raise Lazarus so that more good could come out of all this pain. More…
Read MoreThis Will Turn Out
by Terry Wane Benton “For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:19). He had a mob of angry Jews trying to kill him in Jerusalem and in route to Caesarea, was kept in prison at Caesarea for two…
Read MoreIf Any of You Lacks Wisdom
by Terry Wane Benton James speaks of the wisdom to see our trials as opportunities to perfect our faith and develop durability, endurance, or patience. We can choose to count it all joy, see how to grow deeper in faith, or we can let the trials beat us down and dishearten us to the point…
Read MoreI wished you had softened the blows of the truth
Question: Good morning, I stumbled across your site this morning. I found it very useful in my personal endeavor, so naturally, I began exploring this new goldmine of wisdom and scripture. I admire your work, and I very much appreciate this amazing resource shedding light and truth in a dark world. I will be upfront.…
Read MoreGod’s Glory in Concealed Things
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Gods-Glory-in-Concealed-Things.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 97 I. When men wish for the glory of other men, they highlight the things that they do A. When we want a promotion or a pay raise, we present to our bosses lists of how we benefitted the company. We make sure the boss notices the good things…
Read MoreLive Joyfully!
by Paul Earnhart Biblical Insights 14(9) September 2014 The Preacher concluded the eighth chapter with another of his oft-repeated observations that God’s ways are inscrutable to men, however wise (Ecclesiastes 8:17). Job, in his misery, twice asks plaintively: “But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?” (Job 28:12, 20). He then…
Read MoreLet this Cup Pass from Me
by Terry Wane Benton What did Jesus mean when He prayed three times in the Garden of Gethsemane to “Let this cup pass from me?” (Matthew 26:39). It is a metaphor for having to experience something very dreadful. When we experience something bitter and horrible to our senses, we could metaphorically say that we have…
Read MoreWhen Tragedy Strikes
by Doy Moyer What exactly does one say to another when tragedy strikes? We all wish that we had the perfect words that would appropriately capture what everyone is feeling, words that would comfort and encourage even the most downtrodden. We want to come up with profound statements about how “this is life” and “here…
Read MoreSuffering in Baptism?
by Perry Hall Amid Peter discussing suffering and judgment, he mentions, “baptism now saves” (I Peter 3:21). Contextually, what baptism saves us from is God’s judgment on a sinful world. The context from 3:14-4:19 is “Suffering and Judgment.” However, there are many ways baptism cannot save us from suffering because baptism is inherently tied to…
Read MoreLess Than Deserved
by Joe Works “Why do bad things happen to good people?” That is a question that people commonly ask, and it is a fair question that is somewhat difficult to answer to complete satisfaction. But have you ever considered asking … “Why don’t more bad things happen to me than they do?” “And after all…
Read MoreJesus Heals the Hurting
by Doy Moyer The world in which we live is filled with heartache and pain. This is part of the corruption experienced by humanity due to the problem of sin (Genesis 3). Things in this world are not as they were initially created to be, and we know things need to be made right. Our…
Read MoreWhy Me?
by Doy Moyer If the blind man of John 9 asked, “Why me?” the answer would be “that the works of God might be displayed in you.” If the paralytic from Mark 2 asked, “Why me?” the answer would be “that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive…
Read MoreNearer, my God, to Thee
by Doy Moyer Songs are magnificent. There is a reason God wants us to teach by singing, and I was reminded of this powerfully one night recently after I preached a lesson in a meeting. My lesson was called “Come to Bethel,” and I discussed Genesis 28, Jacob’s leaving the land, the sun going down…
Read MoreDying for Jesus
by Matthew W. Bassford These days, it seems like people in our country are increasingly being led astray by a godless, secular mindset. This worldview has a lot of superficial appeal. After all, if there is no God, you don’t have to submit to anybody. You can do whatever you want with whomever you want.…
Read MoreGrace Is Sufficient
by Doy Moyer Paul describes certain visions and revelations that were beyond his understanding (II Corinthians 12). He then spoke of what he calls a “thorn in the flesh,” given to him to keep him from becoming conceited. He implored the Lord three times that this thorn would be removed from him. Whatever it was,…
Read MoreShut In
by Matthew W. Bassford Last Sunday morning was the last time I will ever attempt to assemble with the saints. I say “attempt” because I did not succeed in assembling. It was a debacle. About midway through the debacle, I resolved that I wasn’t going to put myself or my wife through such misery anymore.…
Read MoreSome Benefits of Suffering
by Bob Waldron Via Guardian of Truth December 19, 1996 There is no problem in life more universal, more common, and more unique than that of suffering. It is a common malady of mankind; if we live long enough, we will experience some type or degree of suffering. It is not my purpose in this…
Read MoreBurdens
by Johnathan Perz Struggles, infirmities, and adversities are a part of life. We all face them. Paul describes a struggle he brought before God on three occasions, seeking that God remove it from him. Instead of removing the burden, God let Paul bear it, admonishing him with the words, “My grace is sufficient for you,…
Read MoreCompassionate and Merciful
by Matthew W. Bassford There are many different opinions about the point of the Book of Job. Some say that it proves that man will serve God for nothing. Others posit that it is about the incomprehensible nature of suffering. Personally, I am partial to the explanation provided in James 5:11. According to the inspired…
Read MoreMore Than Conquerors
by Matthew W. Bassford Yesterday was a difficult day for me. I woke up without fever, breathing issues, or any of the other problems that have kept me from assembling with the saints. However, once the time came to leave, I discovered that my hand didn’t want to cooperate in steering my power chair. In…
Read MoreDon’t Be a Victim
by Perry Hall The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), in modern lingo, teaches these two counter-culture concepts: Suffering doesn’t make you a victim when you find your blessing from God and not circumstances. Victimizing others doesn’t make you powerful when your victims refuse to get their dignity through your oppressive eyes. Check out the…
Read MoreAre We Asking the Right Question About God and Evil?
by Perry Hall I have been studying and teaching “The Problem of Evil and Theodicy.” The main question usually asked is, “If God is good, why does God allow evil in this world?” The question needs to change. Change is needed because I am not sure that question is plainly asked and answered in the…
Read MoreWhen You Are Discouraged
by Jefferson David Tant Do you ever feel discouraged or disappointed? Welcome to the club! Take comfort in the fact that you are not alone. There are countless numbers of people who can sympathize with you, as these feelings have impacted people on planet earth for multiple thousands of years. We are familiar with the…
Read MoreWhy did God make me deaf?
Question: Why did God make me deaf suddenly a few years ago? I try to do good for others. I looked after my mum when she had cancer and I worked in aged care because I care. Then I sprained my ankle, got uveitis (eye inflammation), and lost my hearing only months apart in the…
Read MoreGod’s Unchanging Hand
by Ken Weliever, The Preacherman “For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, inasmuch as we,…
Read MoreWorshiping like the Psalms
by Matthew W. Bassford The other day, I saw an article by a professor of Old Testament studies in which he compared the content of the book of Psalms to the content of Top 25 Christian contemporary music. He observed that many of the most prominent themes of the Psalms, like God’s help for the…
Read MoreThoughts and Prayers
by Matthew W. Bassford People in our society say lots of dumb things. Surely among the most foolish, though, are the denials of the power of prayer. This usually comes up after mass shootings, when conservatives send “thoughts and prayers” on behalf of the victims’ families. In reply, progressives sneer that thoughts and prayers aren’t…
Read MoreGod Has an Answer
by Matthew W. Bassford The contrast between Revelation 13 and Revelation 14 is one of the most striking between any two chapters in the Bible. In Revelation 13, all the news is bad. Even though the dragon has been defeated in heaven, a new ally for him, the beast, emerges from the sea. Another evil…
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