Faces of Samuel - 4

Faces of Samuel - 3

Faces of Samuel - 2

Faces of Samuel -1 

Reason for Suffering (5) - Final

I heard a pastor preaching about a year ago and i still clearly remember the analogy up till today. The Surgical trial and the Mugger's trial.The surgical trial is a typical trial suffered by a typical Christian. A sick person undergoes a surgeon's knife improve his condition. Pain will be part and parcel of process. He may moan about it but he needs to go through it so as to be better. Similarly a christian undergoes pain in a trial, but at the end of it, he becomes a better person.A mugger's trial is about a person who is mugged for no rhyme or reason. It is "by chance" that he is selected as a taret, and robbed. He may be shot and money stolen. He feels pain, and in the end, he does not become a better person. but maybe a much more careful person.
Christians need to differentiate whether their friends are going through a surgical trial or a mugger's trial. Many people does not, but now I know!
When your friend goes through a mugger's trial, just by being there is enough. You may want to pray for God to give him/her strength. Doing more may make matters worse! Always think "Do I sound like Job's friends?" If you do, just shut up and simply be there for your friend. That means more to the person going through a mugger's trial.
So what is the conclusion. What is the reason of suffering? Only people who goes through it really understands. Its not for discussion!

Reason for Suffering (4) - Kanna Swanned

The story of Job clearly confirms that the idea that "God is trying to tell us something everytime we suffer" IS WRONG. The general principle that a man reaps what he sows (see Pslams 1:3, 37:25) does not always apply. Job deserved suffering less than anyone else. He arguably suffered more than anyone else.
Today in churches, we reserve the shiniest merit badges for those who have been miraculously healed. We feature them in church bulletines, flyers, magazine articles, telling people that healing is available for people who claim it.
I am not discounting the wonderfulness of healing. But the emphasis on miraculous healing has the side effect of causing unhealed ones (like me and my Samuel) to feel as though God has passed me by. I remember attending a church regularly and the pastor said many times: "You are not healed because you do not have enough faith." I was left wondering why my faith in God failed. And you know what, I stopped attending the church service after a while because I do not want to "swanned" by the pastor week after week.

In the book "Don't blame God", by Dr Carol Michalski, the author tries to make sense out of tragedy and suffering. She tried to address the causes of disorders today, giving multiple reasons. On the topic of hereditary illness, she completely missed the point, focussing instead on people who complained about their genes!
In another book "Suffering and Pain" by Pukuta Mwanza, every chapter was devoted to a reason of sufffering, such as "suffering because of success", suffering because of righteousness, suffering because of spiritual sin". There is even a chapter on "suffering because of the will of God". But again, the author tried too hard to defend God and give reasons for the suffering that happens here in our world.
Searching on the internet "suffering" did not turn up any thing useful.

I would like to propose that sometimes, there is no reason for suffering.
That would be explained in the next and final blog on suffering.