Suffering

In the face of human suffering, pain and injustice, the psalmists and prophets repeatedly cry out with a heartfelt question for the Sovereign One – “How long O Lord?”  They struggle, as do we, with the apparent passivity of God who could, and arguably should, intervene to rectify the egregious wrongs in the world. “Will you hide yourself forever?” they ask (e.g. Ps.89:46). The rest of Scripture tells us that God’s unequivocal answer is most certainly “No!”  He won’t wait forever. There will be a definite end to sin and injustice. All wrongs will one day be made right.

What we often fail to see in God’s “delayed justice” is his incredible grace. Peter reminds us that though God is just, he does not take pleasure in judgment of the wicked, but longs to see more people come to repentance (2Pet.3:9). His continued patience will mean salvation for more and more people as it did for us (2Pet.3:15). God will indeed make things right, but in the meantime it is our prayer and our ardent endeavor that more people would turn from their sin to God and find the grace and forgiveness that we so richly enjoy.