What do we do when bad things happen?

(This is a post from Lifeway’s Truth Connections series. I hope you enjoy!)

What do we do when bad things happen?

“My soul, praise the Lord,

and all that is within me, praise His holy name.

My soul, praise the Lord,

and do not forget all His benefits.

He forgives all your sin;

He heals all your diseases.

He redeems your life from the Pit;

He crowns you with faithful love and compassion.

He satisfies you with goodness;

your youth is renewed like the eagle”

(Psalm 103:1-5, HCSB).

Bad things happen to good people. It is a part of life, but it is not the end of the story. Many times when faced with the pain of human suffering, we begin to ask, “Why?” If we serve and devote our lives to a loving God, is this the thanks we get?

What we have to understand, though, is that pain and suffering, while not part of God’s original plan for the world, has accompanied the sinful nature of our human race since Adam’s decision to be disobedient to God in the Garden of Eden. Like all loving, compassionate parents, God is there to comfort us in times of hurting.

Take note of David’s words in Psalm 103—God forgives our sin, heals our diseases, redeems our lives from death, crowns us with love and compassion, and satisfies us with goodness. Isaiah 40:31 echoes these same thoughts in perhaps a more famous verse:

“but those who trust in the Lord

will renew their strength;

they will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary;

they will walk and not faint.”

In spite of living in a world where sin is rampant in us and around us, we serve a God who is very present, uplifting, and renewing. God is in the business of restoring His people, and when we are restored, He fills us new and fresh again.

So, pain? It’s part of the human story. But is it the end? Are the rewards worth the endurance of suffering? How do we draw close to God when we suffer? The answers to these questions help move us to a new place in our faith and trust in the One who saves.