The With-God Life:
The Dynamics of Scripture for Christian Spiritual Transformation
June 19-22, 2005
Adams Mark Hotel
Denver Colorado
Featuring
Richard J. Foster
David deSilva
Dallas Willard
Michelle Lee
Virginia Stem Owens
Information &
Registration
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Excerpt from the "With-God" essay:
"The People of God in Travail"
In the forthcoming
Renovaré
Spiritual Formation Bible |
Pre-order today
On sale now
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God's Action
At the heart of Scripture is the reality of a loving
God who is present to us even in the midst of our deepest setbacks and sufferings.
But why does God allow suffering? This question perplexes people in every
age and is especially relevant to building our life with God. Consider just
a few passages of Scripture. The Psalmist cries out, "Deliver me from
my enemies, O my God . . . Deliver me from those who work evil [against me]" (Ps.
58:1-2). And elsewhere, "I am weary with my crying, my throat is parched.
My eyes grow dim waiting for my God" (Ps. 69:3-4). Or consider the book
of Job where Job and his friends struggle to explain the possible causes
of suffering--it can be a result of human evil, or of individual sin, or
even of corporate unrighteousness.
Ultimately, though, Scripture teaches that many times suffering just "is." Its
mystery extends beyond human comprehension. Suffering is a reality whose
existence eludes any ultimate explanation. It defies our human understanding.
As much as we try, the limits of the human mind simply fail to make sense
of it. While we struggle to understand why God has chosen to place us in
a world where suffering exists, God always makes provision for the deepening
of our character.
Human Reaction
The quest to understand and explain suffering has led to some of the most
magnificent breakthroughs in our knowledge of God. As different biblical
writers have pondered its reality, they in turn have challenged some of the
most fundamental teachings in the Old Testament. Job, in reaction to his
own suffering, demonstrates that there simply is no easy relationship between
good fortune and righteousness, or between misfortune and wrath. He finds
that life is a mystery that can only be faced by trust and reliance upon
God. And this mystery eludes the easy answers of his companions and even
his own best explanations. It defies Job's reason and shatters the boundaries
of his understanding--as it does our own. In the end, suffering challenges
us to trust in a God, who, in ways beyond our knowing, controls the ultimate
destinies of humans and nations. In one of the most dramatic exchanges in
all Scripture, God states, "shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty?
. . . Will you condemn me that you may be justified?" (Job 40:1-8).
In the lament Psalms we find kings and ordinary people
who react to suffering with anger in their hearts or revenge on their minds
or even despair within
their emotions all while knowing that God is in control of their destiny.
In their anguish they call out to God for deliverance from their enemies,
rail at him when they are wronged, plead their case to a brass heaven, and
sigh into their pillows. Many times their cause seems hopeless and God seems
heartless. But the psalmist acknowledges that, constant like the needle of
a compass, "the Lord sits enthroned forever, he has established his
throne for judgment" (Ps. 9:7).
 
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E-newsletter Archive
September/October 2004
