Have you ever needed your computer to work effectively that very minute yet it just kept giving you the spinning icon? And then it finally moves to the next page, nevertheless, at a rate that makes the sloth look like an Olympic sprinter? Computers are no doubt amazing, but even they become overwhelmed with information and can have trouble processing it all at once.

Processing loads of information at once is not much easier for us as humans, particularly in regard to suffering. When suffering happens, it can be extremely difficult to process and make orderly sense of things. And even if we can bring in some logic, our emotions aren’t as ready to comply.

The question of God and suffering shipwrecks many. Their brains are computers trying to download more data that it can handle and they conclude that God must not be real. They reason that God and suffering cannot co-exist. Are they right? Not for a second. Scripture helps us to process the reality of God and the reality of suffering simultaneously. We may not arrive at a complete understanding (does anyone?), but Scripture lays foundational processing stones, whereby we can see God correctly.

God is Good

The first foundational processing stone Scripture gives us is that God is good and has done good. After creating the universe—including matter, space, time, the laws of physics, climate, creatures and humans—God, in a sense took a step back to evaluate His work. Scripture says (Gen. 1:31), “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” Every single visible and invisible piece of creation was VERY good. No sin was present in God, in His creation, or in His motives. The Scriptures introduce us to a good and powerful God who made a good and beautiful world. When processing suffering, this truth must be the first lens we look through.

Man is Not Good

The second foundational processing stone Scripture lays is that mankind has rejected the good God of the universe to be his own god (Genesis 3). As a result, God judged them and all of creation with a curse. God did not make them sin or cause them to choose evil. Adam and Eve did so on their very own and brought evil and suffering upon themselves. But wait, didn’t God enact the curse and suffering? Yes, He did. However, His judgment was good and right. And He would have been good to completely wipe them off the planet. However, God and His goodness had a better plan. God made a promise that through the offspring of Eve, He would bring a savior (Gen. 3:15). God removed them from the Garden of Eden, but also sent them out in animal skins (coverings) and with future hope.

When we read the story of Scripture, there is temptation to focus on the people in the story instead of God. Both characters are important, but God is even more so. Man doesn’t take long to reject God, but God’s responses demonstrate His goodness, both in judgment and in future deliverance. Instead of thinking how mean God is, humans ought to process how good He still is to be righteous yet merciful to His creation. When processing suffering, man’s fallen nature, judgment, yet future hope should be recalled.

A Good God and Bad People Can Exist Simultaneously

With these two foundational processing stones laid, we can logically see how God and suffering people can exist at the same time. God is good in nature, in creation, in judgment, and in future hope. And man, who was good in creation, is not good in nature anymore, is not good before judgment, and not good enough to earn salvation.

God is Sovereign

Okay, God is good, but maybe He is not sovereign and cannot stop suffering? A third foundational processing stone is that God is sovereign. He does as He pleases and no one can hinder His plans (Isaiah 14:27). Therefore, as suffering is processed, God is both good and capable to move at His will. But why then does He allow it?

God is Wise

A fourth foundational processing stone is that God is wise. He knows the best ends and the best means to those ends. God’s wisdom is clearly demonstrated in creation (Ps. 104:24), salvation (Rom. 11:33, 1 Cor. 24), and in the daily messes that humans cause (Rom. 8:28).¹ Whatever God does or does not do must be processed through His perfect wisdom. And His perfect wisdom contains a perfect plan to redeem His people from their sins. When processing suffering, it must be borne in mind that there is a much bigger plan and purpose in place for humanity. A plan discovered in the person and work of Jesus Christ. What happens today, is one day in a much bigger rescue plan.

God is Merciful

A fifth foundational processing stone is that God is merciful. God has a deep compassion to relieve the suffering of sinful people. He does not take pleasure at the pain of others and His heart is not to crush (Lamen. 3:33). Then why doesn’t He just remove all the pain right now? Remember the fourth stone—God is wise. There will be a day when He removes all evil and suffering (Rev. 21). In the meantime He extends His mercy through Jesus Christ, the offspring of Eve, so that true freedom from suffering can be eternally found and justice be complete.

With these processing stones in place we can better frame the reality of human suffering. Instinctively, humans are quick to see God through the lens of their pain, but these stones guide us to see ourselves through the lens of God’s character and humanities sinfulness. Many questions can and will be asked about God and suffering, but it is my hope that this will set you on a good trajectory to do it in faith in Jesus.

God and suffering is a tough subject for us to process in our human finiteness. I know people who have lost homes, kids, spouses, and limbs in war. I have heard the horrors of children dying in WWII and struggled to make sense of it. Nevertheless, let us go back to the truth of Scripture and begin with the truth of God and find comfort in His character and in His Son Jesus as we walk through and lament our sufferings in this broken world.

Let us remember Psalm 117

¹Praise the LORD, all you nations;
extol him, all you peoples.²For great is his love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the LORD.