Life is not fair. The strong win. Lies succeed. And things often don’t work out the way they should.
God does not promise to fix the injustices of life in the present. Those that claim he always will are preaching a “theology of glory”—but God is not revealed in power, but in Jesus dying on the cross for us.
God does not promise to lift all our psychological suffering as we face the injustices of life. Those that claim he always will are also preaching a theology of glory—just an internal one. Jesus himself suffered huge stress and strain for us. And in this we see God’s heart toward us.
Instead, God makes objective promises. Promises that do provide genuine comfort and hope in the midst of suffering. Not promises that replace suffering.
In a book of the Bible called “Lamentations”, one of God’s children wrestled through finding exactly this kind of comfort in the middle of a terrible, unjust, situation:
Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. (Lamentations 3:19-20)
Our afflictions and sufferings are real. They are bitter to us. God gives us prayer to bring them before him and ask him to remember how we are suffering. Because when we are suffering ourselves—we certainly can’t forget! You can talk to your Father in heaven continually, whenever and wherever you need to. He doesn’t require anything from you in order to pray. Simply having a need to bring to him, and knowing he genuinely cares and listens simply because of Jesus, is all the preparation we need.
But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” (Lamentations 3:22-24)
Whatever you’re facing. No matter how bitter and unfair it is. God’s attitude to you is positive. He’s settled, unwavering, in a good mood with you. He is not punishing you—because his “mercies” never end. That’s what it means to be forgiven. And on the cross Jesus forgave everyone. The one praying this prayer does not know why they are suffering in the way they are. (They don’t even ask.) But they do know that whatever the reason: it is NOT because God is angry with them. That’s why—no matter how unjust or unfair your situation and suffering is—you can hope in God. He’s on your side. He knows what he’s doing—even if you don’t. But you can be confident that he’s not against you.
The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone in silence when it is laid on him; let him put his mouth in the dust—there may yet be hope; let him give his cheek to the one who strikes, and let him be filled with insults. (Lamentations 3:25-30)
These words are not about being silent when we should appropriately speak. In many of life’s sufferings, there are appropriate ways we should be talking: through structures and relationships that exist for that purpose. But silence here is about not stepping out of line to try and take control beyond what is right and proper. Whatever people’s motives: it is wrong to escalate prematurely into public accusation (Matthew 18:15-20) or bypass someone directly involved (Prov 26:20); or act or decide before seeking understanding (Prov 18:13). It is when we are most unfairly afflicted that we misinterpret God’s attitude to us, and so fall into these bad behaviours. The person praying this prayer is determined not to interpret God’s feelings from the injustice they’re living through.
For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men. (Lamentations 3:31-33)
Ultimately, all good and bad we experience comes from the hand of God. It may indeed come through other people as an intermediary—it usually does. They may follow good, godly and right procedure. They may not. And the motives of men are always mixed. It may be we experience evil and injustice—which he permits, governs and curbs for reasons we don’t understand—but it does not reflect what he feels toward you in his heart. But the one praying this prayer has confidence because God is ultimately in charge.
And while God does allow suffering in this life for a time, it will not last forever. He has set a day on which he will judge the world, and bring vindication and glory for all those who trust in his Son. He has his purposes for allowing what he does now. We do not know what they are. But we do know—even in the reality of our deepest unjust suffering: he does not afflict us from the heart.
The heart of God is only revealed in the cross of Christ—not in your circumstances. And that’s why God gave you the church—as a place where you can receive Christ’s work and assurance that his heart for you is good. Come along in person any Sunday, or log in on Wednesday from anywhere online:
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