Why?

This is a basic question of life in this fallen world.  

Why is there pain and suffering in life when there doesn't seem to be a real reason?

In John 9:1-3 Jesus explains about reasons and about suffering:

"As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, 

“Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” 

Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; 

but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him."

We can understand what Jesus says here in John 9, but then when our own life agonies happen we sometimes have difficulty understanding the "whys and hows" until we think biblically about our situations.  This may take time to pull ourself out and away from the sufferings and analyze and remember how the LORD works in us.

This is a difficult reality to allow in our thinking: that the LORD uses our sufferings in us and in others.  Mainly, the LORD is glorified when He has allowed suffering into our lives, and we choose to cry out to Him and draw closer to Him during and after any pain we live in.  

It is wrong thinking when we think we are here in our lives living, and living happily, like we are supposed to do. Let's not forget where we are ~ we live in a wicked fallen world where sufferings happen.  This is normal life.  

The LORD can transform our broken lives in the midst of agonies, when we choose to allow Him to be our great God in our life.  We must learn we can not do this life, but we can do it in Him and His strength.  This is when we learn about JOY, His JOY!  This is not "happiness", but the joy of being His child in and out of sufferings.

In the Culture of John 9's time the basic thought was that, "If I do good, then good will come to me, thus, if I do bad, then bad will come to me."  

Are we any different now?  I think as Believers we tend to think that our life will basically go on happily if we follow the LORD, and so when tragedy comes, and it will, we are completely surprised, and hurt, and troubled about "why?" and "where is the LORD?" and "how could He allow this?"

We must let the LORD be our God.  We must be in His Word and think biblically throughout our days.  We must remind ourself, we must preach to ourself His truths, and we must capture our wayward thoughts, our unbiblical thoughts.  

This all takes time and effort.  If you are struggling with keeping your wrong thoughts captive and then thinking biblically, just keep going. Already you are closer to Him because you are choosing to draw closer to Him in His Word and your thought life.

Let's allow Him to use us for His glory.