How God sees Suffering.
How do we reconcile anguish and suffering with the Bible’s portrayal of a loving God? 
Why would He allow the horrendous miseries that afflict humanity? Does the Bible explain suffering? Many people, the faithful and the faithless, look at calamities—whether personal, national or global—and agonize over these questions. In this lesson we will see how the Bible addresses this enigma: Why does God allow suffering?
The most overwhelming objection to belief that there is a wise and loving power behind the universe is the existence of so much pain and anguish in the world. We tend to be comfortable believing in God when all is going our way. But let tragedy strike and we can quickly begin to doubt His very existence.
Look at the spiritual condition of the world. Agnostics—people who declare their scepticism of the existence of a supreme, intelligent Creator who controls the universe—influence educational, scientific and governmental policies. The existence of suffering in the world is one of the most common justifications for agnostics’ lack of belief and faith in God.
Not understanding the reasons that suffering abounds, they conclude that neither God nor religion offers answers to the world’s problems. As British historian and author Paul Johnson observed: “I suspect that the problem of evil drives more thoughtful people away from religion than any other difficulty.”
Agnosticism is rampant worldwide. The erosion of religious faith began in earnest when the enormity of the suffering and despair that hit home to the millions modern people. Like in the post World War I, when More than 10 million had died and another 20 million had been wounded in that massive conflict.
Since then most Europeans have come to believe that faith in God is hardly justifiable. Many have expressed the opinion that God was deaf to anguished cries emanating from the rain-soaked trenches of World War I and the Nazi death camps of World War II. This wave of doubt has been so great in Europe that in some areas many ancient church buildings have been sold for use as bookshops, office space and even nightclubs.
The Bible puts our sufferings into proper perspective. It explains why we hurt, the ultimate purpose for our afflictions and how we play an important role in relieving the agonies of others—not only by personally helping them but in bringing the knowledge of the true gospel to a world mired in anguish caused by sin. In many ways the Bible, taken as a whole, shows how God is willing to relieve our sufferings in many ways. He has many options available to Him.
He particularly looks after His people (Hebrews 13:5-6). “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever” (Ephesians 3:20).
Above all, remember that suffering is only temporary, not eternal. After its purpose has been accomplished, God will erase it forever. One of the most reassuring and encouraging prophecies in the Bible talks about God relieving suffering: “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 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” (Revelation 21:3-5).