WHAT GOD DOES WHILE WE SUFFER

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.          Suffering is one of the things that makes all men equal.  One has rightly said:  “…suffering makes kinsmen of us all” (Elbert Hubbard).

 

B.           There are numerous types of suffering:  physical, emotional, and spiritual.

 

C.           As Christians, we want to believe that God is always with us in our pain and anguish.  However, we sometimes wonder.  We even begin to think that God has abandoned us.

1.             The psalmist felt this way (Ps. 22:1).

 

My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?  Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

 

2.            Job expressed a similar thought (Job 30:20).

 

I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me;  I stand up, and thou regardest me not.

 

D.          Have you ever wondered where God is in the hour of suffering?  Have you ever wondered what He is doing in your affliction?  Let’s look at the topic:  “What God Does While We Suffer.”

 

I.      GOD WATCHES

 

A.          The Bible teaches us that God is watching over all things.

1.             Genesis 1:31

 

And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.  And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

 

2.            Proverbs 5:21

 

The ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings.

 

3.             Hebrews 4:13

 

Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight:  but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

 

4.            I Peter 3:12a

 

For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous…

 

B.           Most of the time we emphasize that God sees us when we commit sin.

 

C.           God also sees us when we are struggling and faint.  He sees us when we are down and out.  He sees us when we are lonely and depressed.

 

II.     GOD WEEPS

 

A.          When we hurt and weep, God weeps with us.

 

B.           Five times in the psalms, God is said to be “full of compassion.”

1.             Ps. 78:38; 86:15; 111:4; 112:4; 145:8

 

But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

 

2.            The word “compassion” is a compound word:  “com” meaning “with” and “passion” meaning “to suffer.”  Thus, God is a God who suffers with others.

 

C.      In John 14:9, Jesus said:  …he that hath seen me hath seen the Father…

                   1.       Whatever we see Jesus do, the Father does the same.

                   2.       Jesus was a being who suffered and wept for others.

a.       In Matthew 9:6, He was moved with compassion on the multitudes because they fainted, and were scattered abroad…

b.       When He saw the multitudes in Matthew 14:14, He was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.

c.       In Matthew 15:32, He said:  I have compassion on the multitude because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat…

d.       In Matthew 20:34, He had compassion on two blind men.

e.       Luke 19:41

 

And when he was come near, he behold the city, and wept over it.

 

3.             Remember:  Jesus said that if we have seen Him, we have seen the Father.

 

III.    GOD WAITS

 

A.          God doesn’t always immediately respond to our longings and requests.  Sometimes He waits.

 

B.           The story of the Israelites in Egyptian bondage.

1.             A new king arose in Egypt which knew not Joseph (Exo. 1:8).

2.            The Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor (Exo. 1:13).

3.             Moses was born (Exo. 2:1-3).

4.            Forty years passed before Moses attempted to bring deliverance to his people (Acts 7:23-26).

5.            Another forty years would pass before God would call Moses to go and deliver the children of Israel (Acts 7:29-35).

 

C.           It is when God waits that we question. 

It is when God waits that we wonder. 

It is when God waits that we begin to doubt.

 

D.          Why does God wait?  We don’t always know, but we must rest on His promises.

1.             Peter tells us that we are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (I Pet. 1:5).

2.            Psalm 121:3-4

 

He that keepeth thee will not slumber.  Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

 

IV.    GOD WORKS

 

A.          In our suffering, God is always working.

 

B.           He is often working around us in through His providence.

1.             Joseph acknowledged God’s working in the affairs of his life (Gen. 50:20).

 

But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant is unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

 

2.            Paul acknowledged that God might have been at work in the departure of Onesimus from Philemon (Phile. 15).

 

For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever.

 

C.           God can also work in us to make us better individuals.

1.             Philippians 2:13

 

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do his good pleasure.

 

2.            Sometimes it is our trails and afflictions that bring us the most growth (Heb. 12:11).

 

Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous:  nevertheless afterward it yeildeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

 

V.     GOD WANTS

 

A.          As we go through our difficulties, there are certain things that God wants of us.

1.             He wants us to be faithful (Rev. 2:10).

 

 

Fear none of these things which thou shalt suffer:  behold, the devil will cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried:  and ye shall have tribulation ten days;  be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

 

2.            He wants us to hold fast and never waver (Heb. 10:23).

 

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised).

 

3.             He wants us to pray (Heb. 4:16)

 

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

 

B.           We could add a host of other things to this list.  God want us to grow, to study, to fight, and to shine.

 

VI.    GOD WINS

 

A.          If we stay faithful to God, God eventually wins.

1.             Joseph was exalted in Egypt and was reunited with his family.

2.            Job was given double what he originally had.

3.             Paul received a home in glory in the hereafter.

 

B.      We cannot always promise victory in the physical realm.

                   1.       Sometimes it will come.

                   2.       We can promise victory in the spiritual realm (II Cor. 4:16-5:1).

 

For which cause we faint not, but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen:  for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.  For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house no made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.          What we have seen is that God is with us in our struggles.

 

B.           Remember:  “If you mistakenly assume that God is not present, you’ll be spiritually blind to His presence.  But if you take God at His word and expect to find Him in the darkest hours, you’ll be surprised that you see Him all around” (God Is In the Tough Stuff, Bruce and Stan, p. 14).

 

C.           Look for God in your crisis.  …for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.  So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me (Heb. 13:5b-6).