The New Life Inc.

Newsletter: Article

Why Do People Suffer?
May 2001
by Ralph Nault

We have been so blessed through the years of this ministry. God has allowed Pauline and I to be a part of many families. The Lord allowed us to share their heartache their pain and suffering and their joy.

Several times I have been asked the question! Why the suffering? Why does God allow so much suffering?

As Pauline and I have been blessed to be a part of these families that have gone through so much suffering I came to know the answer to the question. Why the suffering?

I think that for most of us and our loved ones if there were no suffering we would not know the Lord! O we might be good churchgoers and even thank God if every day was trouble free. But we would not have a close intimate walk with Him.

So Many times down through the years I have heard people say. "Thank God for that painful thing in my life that drew me to Him. I would not have the relationship with God that I now have without it."

I think of the difficult time that Pauline and I went through in our marriage. The heartache and suffering, the confusion in the mind and emotions, and yet both of us agree it was the best thing that could have happened to us. Why? We both came to know and experience Jesus Christ through that hard time in our marriage.

We have seen whole families come to know the Lord because some member of the family was treated unjustly or suddenly had a very serious sickness or some accident happened to them or even some member of the family died or was killed in some unfortunate way.

The scriptures tell us that when we search for Him with all our heart, all our mind, all our soul, and all our strength then we will find Him. That condition within us does not usually appear on the good days when we are trouble free and pain free.

I know a man that was sent to prison unjustly became involved in prison ministry and became a blessing to many prison inmates. It was very difficult for the family but it was a great blessing for those inmates that came to know the Lord Jesus. He was later found blameless and was released. The suffering we go through so often is not for our benefit but for someone else.

I knew a wonderful young lady that was injured in a diving accident and laid in bed for the next fifteen years that came into a very close relationship with Jesus and brought many other people into a close walk with Jesus also.

I knew an elderly couple that dared to go outside of their denomination walls and as a result were told you have to make a choice, those people out there, or us. They made a choice and went outside the camp bearing the reproach of their church people. As a result God used them mightily to become a blessing to many other people in their community and other churches in the area.

God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Jesus suffered and died. Who did He suffer and die for? You and me! Suffering seems so terrible but yet it brings forth so much fruit.

It seems like sometimes we suffer as a nation, other times as a family, yet other times as a church body, and still other times as an individual.

I believe that many of you have said; "Lord here I am use me!" and the Lord did use you, but not in the way you expected. You might have gone through some suffering, some unjust treatment, some reproach, but God did use you to draw someone else closer to Him.

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