Does God Think Suffering Is Good?

After I was discharged from the hospital following my diving accident, a group of friends met every Thursday evening with Steve Estes for Bible study. You see, my quadriplegia had not only shaken my faith, it had shaken the faith of my friends. And Steve was trying to answer our questions.

One night, I asked Steve a very difficult question: If God always has good intentions for his people, does that mean he thinks my quadriplegia is good? If God’s will for his children is always good, and his children often suffer, does God think suffering is good? Steve thought about it for a moment. It’s a tough question!

Finally, Steve opened his Bible and showed us how God hates suffering—absolutely. Jesus spent most of his time on earth relieving it. Throughout the Bible, God tells us to feed the hungry, clothe the poor, visit prisoners, and speak up for the helpless. Even when God punished sin, it gave him no pleasure (Ezek 18:23). But—and here’s the thing—God delighted in how that suffering fit into his plan of good for us and glory for himself. He sees the bigger picture and knows how it will all turn out in the end, but on this side of eternity, we can’t. Then Steve closed his Bible, turned to me, and said something I will never forget: “Joni, God permits what he hates to accomplish that which he loves.” Immediately, I got it. I understood it.

God hated the cruelty, suffering, and injustice of the Cross, but he loved what the Cross would accomplish: salvation for all! In the same way, God hates my spinal cord injury. He allowed that awful, paralyzing accident to happen, but he delights in how my accident fits into his plan of good not only for me but also for so many other people with disabilities—people I’ve had a chance to help.

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For the next devotional from Joni, see p. 1081click here.

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