Praising The Lord Through Times Of Suffering

This study will reflect upon God’s promise to us of new skies and a new earth. It will also look into the topic of the temple in heaven and the end of death and tears. As we shall see, God’s love wins in the end.

This study begins a long but all-important journey this quarter—a journey into the meaning of suffering, evil, and death. Yes, suffering can be studied as a separate phenomenon of human existence; it can be studied from a scientific or psychological perspective in such terms as perception, affections, and consequences. However, the biblical view on suffering is much deeper. The Bible explains the origin of suffering—an origin that exonerates God from any responsibility for bringing sin into existence. The Bible also shows how God uses suffering as a transformational framework for our own enrichment, victory, and eternal life.

This study will highlight some reasons we may suddenly find ourselves under pressure and experiencing tests in places in which circumstances cause us to change, develop, and grow in character. This will help to give us an awareness of what God is doing in our lives so that when we enter a crucible, we will have an idea of how to respond.

This study focuses more on crucibles of maturity. While it is true that many of our troubles are created by us, God is ultimately the Sovereign of the entire universe and the history of nations, as well as our individual lives. God not only wants us to grow as individuals but also as families, as communities, and as nations. In the context of our fallenness, growth takes on additional dimensions.