I will put this in first person, because this is how I used to be and sometimes still am.
I used to watch people suffering deeply and wonder, “Will God ask that of me? Will He not protect me from that?”
Sometimes I wondered if the suffering might be the person’s own fault. But to be honest, many, many times I could not think of any good reason why the person might have caused their own trouble.
This was a very scary thought because it meant I could not protect myself from suffering by doing the right things.
(I tried to do right things anyway, yes–to avoid pain, but also simply because they were the right things to do and I love the Lord.)
But in fact, most of us know many examples of people suffering dramatically because they did the right thing!
So then, how can we avoid the suffering that we are afraid of? It’s impossible. But, take courage.
The very great comfort I have for you is that suffering cannot separate you from the love of God.
Now that I have experienced staggering loss: http://www.blackhillspicturebooks.com/category/welcome/ (like Job in the Bible), I can tell you one thing: hold onto the God of the Bible, and you will be okay.
No suffering can damage you beyond repair. No pain can destroy your soul. Only sin can destroy you soul, and through the Bible we know the remedy for that–God’s forgiveness through the blood of Jesus!
Finally, this world and all its pain are but a blink of an eye compared to eternity.
I know that all believers in Jesus will be drawn to Jesus’ side, and we will experience the unspeakable joy of heaven forever.
To recap quickly: no suffering can separate you from the love of God. Hold onto God (or let Him hold onto you!!), and you will be okay. Pain cannot destroy your soul, and we have access through Jesus to God’s forgiveness. Earth is short; heaven is forever.
Those truths, and the pure grace of God, are why I am surviving emotionally despite everything, and they are why you can make it through anything, too.
And in heaven, everything will be okay.
