We now resume our “Why” series for a few more posts.
I have a little plaque that hangs in my house. It reads “There are two things I try to remember every morning: There’s a God, and I’m not Him.” Here are other quotes that I keep as reminders of that.
“Why does God allow suffering?” The answer, of course, is that the world as we see it today is not how God intended it to be. Mankind’s choice to turn away from Him (Genesis 3) brought disease, disasters, hatred, brokenness and all the other problems that plague the human race. But it’s also why God sent His Son into the world to save and redeem it (John 3:16-17). He has a better plan, and is working it out. -Focus on the Family
“Sometimes it is God’s will, pure and simple, that we suffer. Sometimes it is His will that we enjoy the world around us. That’s His call, not ours. That last sentence comes from what we call trust. And you cannot trust someone you do not know. Knowing God takes a lifetime but it begins with a point in time. As a young man, David faced King Saul and tried to explain to him how he could take out the giant Goliath. I’m persuaded that Saul was in amused bewilderment at the audacity of this young man. But David’s words in 1 Samuel 17:37 revealed, not audacity, but a growing relationship with Yahweh. When asked how he was going to conquer Goliath since he was ‘but a youth,’ David replied, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” David’s trust did not begin when he was standing outside of Saul’s tent. That would be tempting God. It began back in the field when David took care of his father’s sheep. Where will it begin for you? Training in trust doesn’t begin in the moment that it is needed. It begins long before.” – Chaplain Christopher Faria
It is better to be with Christ in the storm than in smooth water without Him. Ps 118:8
A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor. John 14:27
“If you look at the Bible, it’s clear God hates suffering. Jesus spent most of His time trying to relieve it and His gospel was always a two-sided coin. On one side he’d be declaring the good news and on the other side He’d be demonstrating it. God permits what He hates to accomplish things that He loves. And what does He love?…Christ in you, the hope and glory.” -Joni Eareckson Tada [A diving accident in 1967 left Joni Eareckson, then 17, a quadriplegic in a wheelchair. She is an evangelical Christian author, radio host, and founder of Joni and Friends.]
“God always seems bigger to those who need Him more.” -Joni Eareckson Tada
“It is doubtful that God will use any man greatly until he is hurt deeply”. Tozier
Everything I endure is designed to prepare me for serving others more effectively. Everything. –Charles Swindoll
Climbing Downhill 
