Have you ever wondered why God allows tragedy? Maybe it's hit you. Something's happened: a call from the doctor with bad news; the unexpected death of a loved one; or just a personal struggle you're facing.

Paul’s Struggle

I think of the Apostle Paul. He was a man who walked with God and was used by God powerfully, but the Lord allowed in Paul’s life what Paul described as a thorn in the flesh. We don't know what that was, but it was so bad that he prayed about it all the time. He asked the Lord to take it away. 

Some believe it was a physical problem. Of course, you know Paul was beaten a bunch of times! It could have been an injury that resulted from one of those beatings. But whatever it was, it was hard! He asked God to take it away, and here's what God said to him: "My grace is sufficient for you, because my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).Then Paul went on to say, "I'll boast in my weakness, that God's power may be put on display." Gods Power

Gods Power

You know, that's really true! Because when you go through hardship, you're sometimes hoping that someone will have the right words to say to you to fix it. But here's what God effectively says: "I will be with you." I mean, when God said, when Jesus said, to Paul, "my grace is sufficient for you," He was effectively saying, "Paul, you need me! That's the answer! You need me. Me!" 

Let me put it another way: when you're in times of hardship, you cling to God more tightly than in other times. You realize that the answer is God: a closer relationship with God, walking with God.

Walking with God

David said "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil because you are with me" (Psalm 23:4). I think it's a greater awareness of the fact that:

1. You need God

2. God is with you

And you cling to him—you rely on him. You're not so self-sufficient! You realize that only God is sufficient to get you through these things. 

Another reason God can allow suffering is so we can help other people. Paul wrote that we comfort others with the comfort with which we've been comforted. And when you've gone through something and come through the other side, you can go to someone who's going through it and bring great words of encouragement. In effect, you've been given the right to address the subject because you've survived it—or you're surviving it. I think God can really use you to help someone else, so that they don't lose hope, and so that they know that there's light at the end of the tunnel!

Prayer

Look, here's the thing: we can pray, and sometimes God will remove our problems. Sometimes he'll heal us of that infirmity. But sometimes our problems don't go away, and God is still with us. Jesus said, "I'll never leave you or forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5). We have a greater hope than just life on this Earth: it's a life in heaven and the presence of God. 

For now, all of our questions are not answered. We all have questions as to why this happened, and why that happened. But there'll come a day when we'll see God face to face! All of our questions will be answered. Until then, we need to walk by faith, and we need to trust God and remember that His grace is sufficient for us! That's something to think about.