While the Bible gives no precise or detailed answer to
this question, it does speak a lot about suffering, it can help people
deal with their suffering, and it does give us a number of principles
to help us with the 'problem of suffering'.
The Bible tells us that God created a perfect universe where we could
enjoy perfect relationships (with God and with each other) in a
perfect environment (disease and disaster free).
Suffering and pain are the result of our rebellion
against our creator. It is easy to trace the link between some
suffering and acts of human selfishness (eg. terrorist acts,
drink-driving). But some suffering is not the direct result of any
specific selfish action (eg. injury in a freak storm). It exists
because we live in a 'fallen' world. (i.e. a world that has turned
it's back on God).
Sometimes God allows suffering to alert rebellious
and self reliant people to the need to turn back to him and rely on
him.
God has suffered. If anyone knows about suffering,
it is God. He has experienced the pain of our rejection of him. Jesus
has suffered, by dying on the cross in our place so that we could be
forgiven. (We have no conception of the suffering Jesus went through
in doing this.) God hates suffering and the pain it brings to the
creation he loves.
He has promised that he will wipe away all
suffering, and every trace of evil when he re-creates the universe. In
this new creation those who have turned back to God and trusted in
Jesus will enjoy perfect relationships in a perfect world.
God is purposefully delaying that time so that men
and women have the opportunity to turn back to him and receive his
forgiveness through Jesus' death and resurrection. God is displaying
his patience and love in delaying that great moment because he does
not want anyone to experience the suffering of being separated from
his love for ever.
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