Suffering Saints and the Goodness of God

For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

People often question God’s goodness. They think that suffering is proof that God is not always good. People experience family problems, being mistreated, losing a job, being diagnosed with health problems, and losing loved ones. Why would individuals face these hard circumstances if God is a good God? We must continue to trust His Word and believe His promises. God often uses difficulty for our good. God trains us to become more like Christ.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:28-29

First, God can use suffering for our good to make us more like Him. An excellent biblical example is the story of Joseph. Throughout most of Joseph’s life, he encountered suffering. For instance, his brothers hated him at home and made him a slave. Potiphar’s wife lied about him in Egypt. Also, the cupbearer initially forgot about Joseph in prison. Epp affirms in his book, Joseph: 'God Planned It for Good', that Joseph responded well to his suffering and God was able to use Joseph because of it. The suffering of Joseph prepared him to be able to save many lives during a famine. These people include Joseph’s own family preserving the line of Christ.

A good passage to counsel a suffering saint with is Romans 8:28-29. It says “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” Commentator J Vernon McGee concerning Romans 8:28-29 says that what people think is “bad” things, God can use for good. Joseph proclaims that God used the evil done against him for good.

But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Genesis 50:20

Some things we face are bad, but God can use them for good. Joseph himself said, “you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive” (Genesis 50:20).

God’s goal for suffering believers as Romans 8:29 states is to make us more like Christ. God will work in our life until we go to glory (Philippians 1:6). No matter what a believer’s profession is, they should seek to use the opportunities that God gives them to help others with their walk with God.

Second, no one deserves God’s goodness; however, he is good and gracious to save sinners. Sometimes someone may ask, “Why is there suffering in the world?” God said that everything was good when He created the world (Genesis 1:31). However, sin caused pain, suffering, and death to come into the world (Romans 5:12). God is a holy God and cannot tolerate sin. Through God's goodness, He made a way for sins to be paid for through the death and resurrection of Christ so that anyone who believes has a relationship with God. Dr. Paul Tripp said, “One of the things that the gospel confronts us with is that God can bring the very best things out of the worst of things” (“Trusting the Goodness of God”). The greatest suffering ever faced was what Christ faced on the cross. Nevertheless, Christ did it because He loved us. Since everyone is a sinner, we do not deserve any of God’s goodness; however, God still loved us anyway and provided salvation (Romans 3:23; 5:8). Jesus went to unimaginable pain and suffering for our good. His righteousness is the only way anyone can go to heaven. Overwise, we would all get what we deserved: the lake of fire. Believers can be assured that God is good by the fact that God saved them.

God can use bad circumstances to bring people to Himself. Tozer compares God to the prodigal son's father (Luke 15:11-32). This story is a reminder of God’s goodness. It is about a son who was brought down to the lowest point in society because of his rebellion against his father. However, God used this to bring him back to his senses and to return to his father. Just like the father forgave his son, God forgives and welcomes repentant sinners.

Third, a person must know God to trust in God’s goodness. Every good biblical counselor will say, “the heart of the problem is the problem of the heart”. A common root problem in unbelief of God’s goodness is that they do not know who God is.

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Psalms 34:8

The first step in trusting God is knowing God. Just like people do not trust strangers, it is difficult to trust God if you do not know who He is according to His Word. Neither can you trust God if you do not learn from His Word who God is. Additionally, we will not always understand God’s ways but we must trust that He knows what is best. Proverbs 3:5-6 proclaims, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”

Suffering is not always the consequence of sin, but God can use suffering to reveal himself. James 1:2-3 says, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” God can use suffering to make people realize that they need God. Job was blameless before God and his friends. Through Job’s suffering, Job got to know his God better. He said, “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You.” (Job 42:5). Also, we can know God better through His Word. Psalms 119:68 says, "You [God] are good, and do good; teach me Your statutes[God's Word]." Someone who truly knows and believes God can trust in God’s goodness even when they do not understand (Proverbs 3:5-6).

The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him. Nahum 1:7

In conclusion, Biblical counselors can proclaim the goodness of God in a suffering world. First, Christians can know that God can use bad things for our good by making us become more like Christ. Second, God has been good to believers by saving them from their sins. Lastly, believers can know and trust God's sovereignty and goodness because they know their God. Christians find comfort during their suffering through trusting God's Word. No matter what the suffering believers are facing, God is good.

For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. Psalms 100:5

References

Epp, Theodore H. Joseph: 'God Planned It for Good'. Back to the Bible Broadcast, 1971.

GotQuestions.org. “What Does It Mean That God Is Good?” GotQuestions.org, 18 Jan. 2018, https://www.gotquestions.org/God-is-good.html.

McGee, J Vernon. Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee, Volume 4. Thomas Nelson, Inc, 1981.

Tozer, A.W. The Knowledge of the Holy the Attributes of God: Their Meaning in the Christian Life. Back to the Bible Broadcast, 1961.

Tripp, Paul D. “Trusting the Goodness of God.” YouTube, YouTube, 25 Mar. 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe-J5PRJl_c&t=150s.