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By: Jeremy Lyzenga
You may listen to this devotion in audio form via podcast here.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”
- Revelation 21:3
Why does a good God allow for so much pain, and suffering in the world? We’ve all heard it asked, and most of us have deeply groaned the question ourselves. And the truth of the matter is this question has for many become the initial impetus to walk away from God when they don’t have answers that satisfy or ease the pain experienced.
While there are many ways to approach the age-old question, and many answers given with varying degrees of comfort or assurance, Biblically speaking, we know that evil exists because God didn’t make Adam & Eve robots. He has given humankind, made in his image the real ability to love, or to not love. The result of disobedience in the garden of Eden (and the garden of our own hearts) has caused a deeply broken world where tragedy strikes daily as the result of broken relationship with God, others, and the creation itself. But this may offer little to no consolation. Of course there are other responses as well such as: Christ suffers with us, and that it is often through the trials of life that God shapes us more and more into the image of Christ. All true answers, but personally, I have found greatest comfort in clinging to this promise and guarantee from scripture, and the inherent line of reasoning that follows.
"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
- Revelation 21:4-5
What amazing comfort! What unfathomable hope! One day, it will all BE as if it never WAS in the first place when Christ returns. But on top of that reality, in the meantime, as Christ tarries (‘waits’ to return) and as we continue to struggle, to grieve, to carry heavy burdens through this life, consider this: every day that we face the difficulties of this broken world is another day that Christ has not come back in full force. This means that every day of your life is another day for someone else to come to know Christ, to repent, to seek after him and find him and to follow him. Therefore, your pain may very well be literally to someone else’s gain eternally speaking.
And we will rise to meet the Lord
Then sin and death will be destroyed
And we will feast in endless joy
When Christ is ours forevermore
-Christ Our Hope in Life and Death by Keith & Kristin Getty, and Matt Papa