“Why do so many hunger?”

“How can God allow that evil man to rule?”

“How does a loving God allow my child to die.”

There are many who believe that a faithful and compassionate God would give us a world without hunger, without pain, without hate, without tribulation, without death.

Actually, that sounds a lot like heaven to me. And as the Apostle John tells us in Revelation 21:4, that is a pretty good description of what heaven will offer:

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

This God has promised us. For eternity. But in our culture of entitlement, we not only want God to be real and bring heaven to earth right here and right now, we want Him to do so without condition and without consequence.

Like it or not, it is not God’s intention that we are without trials or absent suffering in our humanity. Certainly, He was not without anguish in His. Throughout His life on earth, Jesus endured emotional and physical torment beyond description. It ended with His crucifixion which He bore without complaint – seeking only to be obedient to the will of His Father so that “whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

Jesus demonstrated that the perseverance of suffering is about trusting God. The Bible is very specific that His is an example that we are to emulate in our own trials.

“Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: ‘Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth’; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;”

1 Peter 2:21-23

Jesus trusted His Father to judge righteously. We, too, are to trust God to judge righteously – knowing that He will reward our faith and good works, and will punish those He deems deserving. Too often we take righteousness into our own naïve hands. Frequently, our trials stem from anger that we (or those close to us) did not receive that to which we are entitled – or from revenge-driven rage that a punishment has gone undelivered.

If we can trust God to judge righteously – as Jesus did – we can remove provocations of such anger and rage, eradicating a bitter source of our sufferings.

Yes, trials are sometimes God’s way of testing us. We need look no further than the first book of the Bible (Genesis 22) to see how Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac because God commanded him to do so. Abraham passed that test of faith and he was rewarded.

The Bible is clear: while God will test us, He will not tempt us (1 Cor 10:13, Jam 1:13-15). That is Satan’s work. And though it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between trials of temptation and those that prove and refine one’s faith, steadfast obedience to God’s word will ensure we also are rewarded. As we are promised by Jesus Christ in Revelation 3:21:

“To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”

Needless to say, the tribulations of this world – regardless of their perceived severity – pale in comparison to what Jesus Christ endured for us. Unlike Jesus, we are sinners deserving of far more anguish than most of us are required to bear. But tribulation is indeed what God has intended for His faithful:

“For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake”

Philippians 1:29

That will be uncomfortable to many. But it is through suffering – and our attitudes towards it – that we enter into fellowship with Jesus. Keep in mind that this does not simply reference the persecution and ridicule the Bible tells us Christians will face for their faith. This suffering includes the death of loved ones, poverty, hunger, sickness, etc. – suffering that can lead some to question God’s very existence.

And it is not the suffering itself that is the critical behavior here. It is how we respond to that suffering, for one’s ability to maintain his or her Christ-centeredness in the face of torment glorifies God by demonstrating unwavering trust in Him.

The Apostle Paul experienced merciless hardship inflicted by those who would see the gospel of Jesus Christ eradicated from the world. His letters describe innumerable lashings and beatings. He was stoned and shipwrecked. He often went without food, water or sleep. Deceivers, robbers and other evil were his constant companions. His life was one of persistent tribulation.

But his response to those trials reveals the fellowship he sought, the faith he manifested and the glorification of God:

“We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.”

2 Corinthians 4:8-10

Finally, understand that it is God’s intention that our trials and tribulations lead us to Him. We must trust in His purposes rather than question His will and His methods for they cannot be understood by mere men. Instead, seek comfort in the knowledge of Christ Jesus, that He died for our sins and was resurrected to defeat death for all times. Take joy in His boundless love for His creation. Find peace in the knowledge that He will judge righteously.

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30