Why does God Allow the Righteous to Suffer? – Audio

SPEAKER 02 : 0:00

It is often asked, why does God allow the righteous to suffer? You know, in dealing with suffering, there are a lot of questions, but God’s Word has the answers. Let’s address it today on the International Gospel Hour. Stay with us.

SPEAKER 01 : 0:21

It’s time for our broadcast from the International Gospel Hour. I’m Jay Webb, and welcome to our study today as we embrace God’s Word to help us meet the challenges of today. Let’s open our Bibles and open our heart for this time of Bible study with our speaker Jeff Archie of International Gospel Hour, a broadcast of the Churches of Christ. Here’s Jeff.

SPEAKER 02 : 0:45

Well, thank you to our J-Web, and greetings to all of you. Great having you with us once again for our broadcast here from International Gospel Hour. You know, in recent broadcasts, I have shared studies from the late David Payton. Now, David was the evangelist for the Lafayette Church of Christ in Lafayette, Georgia, a wonderful group of people and dear encouragers of our work here at International Gospel Hour. In the fall of 2022, David was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. My, how David battled this gallantly until he passed in January of 2025. Now, in sharing David’s work, we honor his requests and his efforts. He wanted as much as possible for his work to be preserved after his passing, and so that others could use and benefit from it. So allow me to present some of his work at this time, an article very appropriate for this study, Why God Allows the Righteous to Suffer. Then after our study, I want to share with you a number of tools that we’d love to send to you and make available to you absolutely free. If indeed, friends, you are dealing with something that you’re suffering with or someone of whom you care for, I’ll have more to say on that in a moment. But for now, why God allows the righteous to suffer. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. Psalm 34, 17. The word affliction in this passage refers to bad, unpleasant, or evil things. We live in a world where bad things happen. The sad reality of the passage at hand is the fact that those who are righteous are not exempt from suffering. Do you ever ask yourself why? Why do those who are righteous suffer? Let me begin by saying it is not wrong to ask questions of such nature. However, it is very important to the strengthening of our faith that we come to the proper conclusion. Consider with me, if you will, several possibilities as to why God allows the righteous to suffer. First, suffering keeps this world from becoming too attractive. The Bible teaches that we are pilgrims and sojourners here on earth, 1 Peter 2, 11 and 12. This world is not truly our home. Our citizenship is in heaven, Philippians 3, 20. God has prepared something better for us. For we know that if the earthly tent, which is our house, is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, 2 Corinthians 5.1. One of the many blessings of our heavenly home is the fact that there will be no more suffering, Revelation 21.4. Now think about it for a moment. If there was no suffering, there would be no desire to leave this present temporary world. There would be no desire for an eternal home with the Heavenly Father. As a result, people would not prepare themselves spiritually for the next life. Second, suffering makes us more dependent on God. God wants us to depend on Him, Proverbs 3, verse 5. Far too often in this life we think of ourselves as self-sufficient, that is, until we experience suffering. When someone experiences suffering and a half dozen of the most skilled men in their profession tell you, They have done all they can and it is completely out of their hands. You suddenly realize how much you depend on God. At no other time is one more likely to realize that we depend upon God for our very breath. Acts 17.28 Third, suffering causes us to be more appreciative. We are all blessed beyond measure in this life, Psalm 31, 19. Since God blesses us daily, it’s easy to take those blessings for granted and not receive them with gratitude toward God. Suffering is the one thing that opens our eyes and helps us to appreciate more fully good health, good friends, and a loving family. Fourth, suffering helps us to be more sympathetic. The word sympathy is defined as caring about and being sorry for someone else’s trouble, grief, or misfortune. Jesus was very sympathetic to those in his surroundings, Matthew 9, 36, Mark 1, 41. As Christians, we are commanded to be sympathetic. We are to weep with those who weep, Romans 12, 15. If there is one thing in this life that will help us be more sympathetic, it’s suffering. When we experience affliction, it helps us to comfort those who are suffering, 2 Corinthians 1, 3 and 4. And 5. Suffering causes Christians to put forth their best effort. The Bible commands Christians to bear one another’s burdens, Galatians 6, 2. We are to think more of others than ourselves, Philippians 2, 3 and 4. Suffering often brings these qualities out of us. Think about what happens when people around us suffer. We pray more fervently. We call, visit, send flowers and cards, prepare food, offer financial support, and on and on the list goes. When we see others suffer, it often brings out our best. As one can see, suffering can be beneficial, but not if we see suffering as man sees it. We must look at suffering through the eyes of God, Isaiah 55, 8 and 9, knowing that it is a bridge to something much better. You know, friends, as I read that and the material that David has left behind, and again we are looking at the work of the late Brother David Payton who passed from this life in January of 2025 due to ALS. As I read that, I thought of his life and how that reflected so well. You know, friends, with our vast and dedicated audience, you know, suffering is just as wide. And I’ve often shared with people that either we are in one of three places in our lives. Either we are in the middle of something, we are heading into something, or we’re coming out of something. And I’m dealing with the challenges and the problems of life. And maybe you are dealing with ALS either personally or you’re a caregiver. Or maybe you are supporting family or friends in some way who are dealing with this dreadful disease. So allow me for the remainder of our broadcast to share some tools with you to help. Now, the first one is a YouTube offering. It’s a video by Don Blackwell of the Gospel Broadcasting Network. He has a program called Truth on Wheels. It’s an exceptional broadcast. And Don himself, being a paraplegic, addresses a lot of things concerning the sufferings of this life and things that he has faced. Well, he conducted an interview with our David Payden and his wife Kelly and explains a little bit more about David and how he was addressing ALS and the things therein. I’d love for you to see this. It’s very good. And we have the link available at our Facebook page. That’s International Gospel Hour. If you go over to that page, if you are what we would call a Facebooker, You can go to our page at International Gospel Hour and you’ll find the link there. Now, if you’re not into social media, but you have an email address, just email us at info, I-N-F-O, at internationalgospelhour.com. That’s info at internationalgospelhour.com. And just put in the subject blank ALS and hit send. That’s all you have to do. And then we will respond to you with the YouTube link. So we hope that will be of help to you. Now, when you also email us and you put in the blank ALS, I want you to also put in that blank suffer. And give us your home address. And I want to send you also, and it’s free, a copy of Why People Suffer by Dave Miller, courtesy of our friends at Apologetics Press. Again, we will make that available to you. If it is easier for you to just give us a call at 855-444-6988, You can leave us your name and address and just say ALS suffer and then spell out your email address and we can get that information to you the same way. Now friends, that’s a lot we’re sharing with you, but our J-Web has one more offer and if the other two do not appeal to you, maybe this one will. We love to share good Bible study material, so I’m going to offer you a third free opportunity from us here at International Gospel Hour. Here is our Jay Webb.

SPEAKER 01 : 10:54

An additional Bible study by mail is now available from International Gospel Hour. It’s titled, God and Man, How to be Saved from Sin. This study booklet addresses a number of questions about the salvation from God to man. And friends, like all materials, it’s free. Call us toll free at 855-444-6988 and leave your name, address and just say God and man. Or you can go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com, click on the Contact tab, and leave us the same information, name, address, and type God and man in the message box. Another Bible study that is free from IGH and our friends at godandman.com. That’s god-and-man.com. And, you know, since you can’t see it, let me just spell that out for you. We’d love to hear from you.

SPEAKER 02 : 12:03

Well, friends, we’re grateful to offer all of this material to you. If it’s a little bit confusing, again, call us at 855-444-6988. and leave us your name and just say, ALS Suffer, or I heard your broadcast, please call me back. We’ll do our very best. Thank you for joining me today on the International Gospel Hour. I’m Jeff Archie, and friends, keep listening.

SPEAKER 01 : 12:29

God be with you till we meet again. Thank you for listening today. To God be the glory. And we hope that our study today will draw you closer to His Word to walk in His way. Feel free to listen to our other programs at our website at internationalgospelhour.com and join us next time.