Dealing With Trouble

It seems that one of the most frequent complaints that humanity has against God sounds something like, "If there was a God and he really was love, why all of this pain and suffering?" Unfortunately, when asked that question most believers don't have an answer to it. At least, I know I never do. I mumble out some awkward response like, "well, because something good will come of it." Which is true, but not what the inquirer wants to hear.

This is a key theme of Ecclesiastes: Why all these toils and troubles? The "preacher" wrestles with these questions over and over in different aspects of life. Why does the rich man not enjoy his wealth? Why are the righteous punished right along with the wicked? etc. One of the most beautiful illustrations for the toil of life I found in my research on Ecclesiastes in a book called IS THIS ALL THERE IS TO LIFE?: ANSWERS FROM ECCLESIASTES by Ray Stedman. Ray presented his readers with a poem on the forming of disciples which is why he believes there are reason for troubles in this world.

THE SHAPING OF A DISCIPLE

When God wants to drill a man,
And thrill a man and sill a man;
When God wants to mold a man
To play for Him the noblest part,
When He years with all His heart
To create so great and bold a man
That all the world shall be amazed,
Then watch God's methods, watch His ways!
How He ruthlessly perfects
Whom He royally elects;
How He hammers him and hurts him,
And with mighty blows converts him
Making shapes and forms which only
God Himself can understand,
Even wile His man is crying,
Lifting a beseeching hand...
Yet God bends but never breaks
When man's good He undertakes;
When He uses whom He chooses,
And with ever purpose fuses
Man to act, and act to man,
As it was when He began;
When God tries His splendor out,
Man will know what He's about."

-Stone

What a beautiful illustration of God's love for his children even in the midst of what they consider to be persecution. Next time I am struggling, I would like to stop and ask of the Lord what He has for me to learn instead of griping about my problems.