You might say, “No, he can’t bring good out of my circumstance. The harm was too great, the damage was too extreme, the depth of my suffering has been too much.”
But if you doubt God’s promise, listen to what a wise man once said to me: “God took the very worst thing that has ever happened in the history of the universe-deicide, or the death of God on the cross-and turned it into the very best thing that has happened in history of universe: the opening up of heaven to all who follow him.” If God can take the very worst circumstance imaginable and turn it into the very best situation possible, can he not take the negative circumstances of your life and create something good from them?
Your relationship with God is close and real and intimate
But there’s a flaw built into the question. Just because he hasn’t done it yet doesn’t mean he won’t do it. I wrote my first novel last year. What if someone read only half of it and then slammed it down and said, “Well, Lee did a terrible job with that book. There are too many loose ends with the plot. ” I’d say, “Hey! You only read half the book!”
The Bible says that the story of this world isn’t over yet. It says the day will come when sickness and pain will be eradicated and people will be held accountable for the evil they’ve committed. Justice will be served in a perfect way. That day will come, but not yet. In other words, we’ve only read half the book!
So what’s holding God up? One answer is that he’s actually delaying the consummation of history in anticipation that more people will put their trust in him and spend eternity in heaven. Second Peter 3:9 reads: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
The fourth point of light: Our suffering will pale in comparison to the good things God has in store for his followers.
In Romans 8:18 we read: “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
Remember these words were written by the apostle Paul, who suffered through beatings and stonings and shipwrecks and imprisonments and rejection and hunger and thirst and homelessness-far more pain that most of us will ever have to endure.
I certainly don’t want to minimize pain and suffering, but it helps if we take a long-term perspective. Think of it this way. Let’s say that on the first day of 2012, you had an awful day. You had an emergency root canal at the dentist-and then ran out of pain-killers. You crashed your car, and had no insurance. Your stock portfolio took a nosedive. Your spouse got sick. A friend betrayed you. From start to finish, it was like the title of that children’s book: Alexander & the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day .
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But then every other day of the year was just incredibly terrific. A friend wins the lottery and gives you $100 million. You get promoted at work to your dream job. Time magazine puts your photo on its cover as “The Person of the Year.” You have your first child and he’s healthy and strong. Your marriage is idyllic, your health is fabulous, and you have a six-month vacation in Tahiti.
