LOCCF Visalia

💕The Source of Our Adversity
In Touch Ministries

Do you struggle to understand why God allows pain and suffering?

Ecclesiastes 7:10-14

10
Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?”� For it is not wise to ask such questions.
11
Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing� and benefits those who see the sun.
12
Wisdom is a shelter� as money is a shelter,�but the advantage of knowledge is this:� Wisdom preserves those who have it.
13 Consider what God has done:
Who can straighten� what he has made crooked?
14
When times are good, be happy;� but when times are bad, consider this:�God has made the one� as well as the other.�Therefore, no one can discover� anything about their future."

When we encounter difficulties, we might wonder why God allows those painful situations.

How do we reconcile our suffering with His love for us and His power to prevent or stop it?

In order to understand what’s going on, we need to consider the possible sources of adversity.

❤️A Fallen World: When sin entered the world, suffering came with it. So we might wonder why God didn’t simply make us like puppets that were unable to choose sin.

But if we lacked free will, we’d be unable to choose to love Him. And love, by its very nature, must be voluntary.

❤️Our Own Doing: Sometimes we face consequences from our own foolish or sinful choices.

❤️Satanic Attack: Satan’s goal is to destroy believers’ lives and testimonies, thereby making us weak and useless for God’s purposes.

For us to accept that God allows adversity, we must first see it from His perspective.

Is your focus on the pain of your experience or on the Lord and His faithfulness?

As Christians, we’re assured that no adversity comes our way unless He can use it to achieve His good purposes.