Epicenter: Rome (Exchanging Death for Life) — Tuesday


Lamentations 3:16
He has made me chew on gravel. He has rolled me in the dust. (NLT)


Ever feel like Jeremiah? He suffered so much that he wrote a book about it (Lamentations). He really grappled with the “why” of suffering. Maybe you do, too. Sometimes God intervenes, sometimes He doesn’t… but ultimately, He’s God and we’re not, and a lot that will remain unanswered until we get Home. In the meantime—today and tomorrow, let’s dig into some of the reasons for human suffering. 

First on the list would be sin. It’s clear in Scripture that sin separates us from God and others. When we make bad choices, healthy relationships often disintegrate. Left to ourselves, we tend to self-destruct rather quickly. We seem to have a knack for propelling ourselves into awful circumstances. A friend of mine has a pornography addiction. I’ve noticed that he’s most at risk when he’s angry, idle, or alone. He knows how fragile he is. The problem is… so does Satan. Our Enemy makes a career of finding ways to lure us into his lair. Beware.

Another reason for suffering is natural law, which means that if I fall off a ladder, the law of gravity will make me hit the ground, causing suffering. By creating inescapable natural laws, God directly or indirectly puts us all at risk. The same fire that warms us can burn us. The same water that cleanses us can drown us. We blame God for a lot of things that are caused by our frivolous approach to natural laws.

A third cause of suffering is Satanic attack. Lucifer and his fallen angels make a career out of oppressing, accusing, and—where possible—destroying believers. 1 Peter 5:8 gives us a description of Satan’s primary joy: “…seeking whom he may devour.”

Finally, some suffering is simply unexplained. It’s an incorrect view of Scripture to say that we will always understand what God is doing in our lives. Not every situation brings an explanation. Not every sickness, a healing. Not every problem, a solution. I sat with a mourning widow just minutes after hearing the news that her husband was killed in an automobile accident on his way home from work. I still hear the ring of her desperate words, “Why, Gary? Why, why, WHY?” There were no answers, no promises, no whitewashing the horror of it all. “I don’t know Jean," I said. “I’m so terribly sorry.” Then we cried together. 


Tuesday’s Reflection

We’ll dig in a little deeper tomorrow. In the meantime, check out this verse. God gave it to me at a horrible time in my life about 12 years ago. It has helped more than I can explain. What’s your verse?


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Epicenter: Rome (Exchanging Death for Life) — Wednesday

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Epicenter: Rome (Exchanging Death for Life) — Monday