We see suffering on Global scale - like earth quakes etc. We see suffering on personal scale - disease, human hardships, rapes, murders etc. We see suffering within the communities like train crashes etc.

First of all - Suffering is not part of God's Original order or plan. There simply wasn't any suffering before the humanity rebelled against God. There will not be suffering when God creates New Heaven & Earth as the First Heaven & Earth have passed away & there was no longer any sea.  Rev 21: 1.

Suffering only entered the World because Adam & Eve sinned against God & then they blamed God & one another for their sin instead of taking responsibility & REPENTING.

God Allowed Sin to Continue - because He Loves us & He wanted to give us Free will.

Love is Not something that can be Forced or Bought - It can only be Love if it is GIVEN FREELY & where there is Free Choice to Accept it or Reject it. We have a choice to Love or Not to Love. Since Adam & Eve humanity has Chosen to Break God's Laws & to Reject His Love.

As soon as Free will is taken away then there is NO longer any freedom to do as you like, but there is Pressure to adhere & do as someone else says. Just like there is no choice to use self imposed freedom to question Religious leaders of any Cult.

As C.S. Lewis puts it. "It would, no doubt, have been possible for God to remove by miracle the results of  the First ever sin committed by humans. But this would not have been much good unless He was prepared to remove the results of the second & the third & the forth etc, etc.  By removing this sin or INTERFERENCE by God then NOTHING Important ever depended on Human Choice, and in which choice itself would soon cease from the certainty that one of the apparent ALTERNATIVES before you would lead to NO Results and  was therefore not really an ALTERNATIVE." From the Problem of Pain page 14 by C.S. Lewis {Fount 1940}.

There are Physical laws of nature that hurt us - like placing our hands in fire - we will get hurt - By Falling down from anything we will hurt ourselves & thus suffer some kind of pain. There are Moral laws - like not drinking to much & becoming a drunk & if a person persists in continues drinking then he / she will became a Alcoholic or a drug abuser - Murderer etc. In similar way, selfishness, greed, lust, arrogance, bad temper etc. etc. etc. often lead to broken relationships and unhappiness & some one suffers.  May that be the person abusing him / herself or others around them. In many cases it is the INNOCENT Bystander that suffers the abuse  more then the person who is doing the abusing.

There are many aspects to sin nature & how  we are punished by it. Sometimes it is our own ill chosen ways that come back to haunt us & other times it is someone else's deeds that are causing us harm. God does allow these things to happen to us as He does not want to TAKE AWAY the free will of the Abuser. If he took the Free will of the Abuser then it would be NO LONGER a free choice to do as we wish & choose - even though we are hurting some one.

One thing that I would like to point our is this: Suffering is never  'good' in itself, but God is able to use it for good in a number of ways.

First - Suffering is used by God to DRAW US To Christ - God talks to us in many ways & when we disobey Him, Just as our Kids disobey us. He teaches us a lesson from it - Just as we teach our own kids from misnomers that they do. Yes this way of doing things SOMETIMES leads to Final & Unrepentant Rebellion against our parents & even God Himself. It's a case of WHY didn't He stop it before I Got Hurt.  It is a case WHY didn't the kids listen to us before they were hurt - after all we know better as we have already gone through it our selves. So we know how it feels & what the consequences will be, but such is life & humans just have to try something new & learn it for themselves.

Isn't it a fact of life that MANY Great faith is the product of great fights.  Great testimonies are the outcome of great tests. Great Triumphs can only come after great trials.

AS David Watson wrote -"There is no doubt that millions of Christians all down the centuries have became more Christ - like through sufferings." From His Book fear No evil page 119 {Hodder & Stoughton 1984].

It is easy to say - God leave me alone I am happy the way I am! The question is- How long would that last? If we faced reality -  a Husband or a wife would say those words to each other every time they felt little depressed - how long before that marriage breaks up? Not long = right!

We Humans need Love & Caring all the time. We need some one to love us no matter how we feel - no matter what we do. God does LOVE us all the time - all that we have to do is accept it & Listen to him. Just as our own kids have OUR Love all the time & that Love is Unconditional - they do not have to do anything to earn it, we offer it no matter what they do.

Gavin Reid, The Bishop of Madistone, tells the story of a boy who shattered his back as a youngster, like this: "The Boy said that God is fair - Gavin interrupted him & asked "How old are you?" Boy replied 17. How long have you been like that going back & forward to Hospital?  Boy replied 13 years. Then Gavin asked him. "Do You Think That is fair?' Boy Replied, "God's got ALL of the Eternity to make it up to me."

Well folks - God does have ALL of Eternity to make up to us for our hurts - our pains & sufferings. The only question is WILL YOU Allow Him to enter Your Life & Allow Him to Lead you ?

There is No real answer to us humans as to WHY? of suffering. We may approach this subject from many angles & we would always come up with a different conclusion, But God is not  Impassive in our suffering - He is suffering with us. Any time one of His children is being hurt - he is  Hurting also. He came down from His heavenly throne & reconciled ALL of us back to Himself  in Christ Jesus.

There is a Playlet by John Scott "The  Cross of Christ of  [IVP, 1986 pages 336 - 337} It is called "The Long Silence" it goes like this.

"At the end of time, billions of people were scarred on a great plain before God's throne.

Most shrank back from the brilliant light before them. But some groups near the front talked heatedly - not with cringing shame, but with belligerence.

'Can God judge us? How can He know about suffering?' snapped a young brunette. She ripped open a sleeve to reveal a tattooed number from a Nazi concentration camp. "We endured terror... beatings .. torture.. death!'

In another group a young man lowered his collar. 'What about this?' he demanded, showing an ugly rope burn. 'lynched .. for no crime but being black!'

In another crowd, a pregnant schoolgirl with sullen eyes. 'Why should I suffer?' she murmured. 'It wasn't my fault.'

Far out across the plain there were hundreds of such groups. Each had a complaint against God for evil & suffering He permitted in His world. How lucky God was to live in Heaven where all was sweetness and light, where there was no weeping or fear, no hunger or hatred. What did God know of all that man had been forced to endure in this world? For God leads a pretty sheltered life, they said.

So each of these groups sent forth their leader, chosen because he had suffered the most. A Jew, a young black man, a thalidomide child. In the centre of the plain they consulted with each other. At last they were ready to present their case. It was rather clever.

Before God could be qualified to be their judge, He Must endure what they endured. Their decision was that God should be sentenced to live on earth - as a man! 'Let Him be born a Jew. Let the legitimacy of his birth be doubted. Give Him a work so difficult that even His family will think of Him out of His mind when He tries to do it. Let Him be betrayed by His closest friends. Let  Him face false charges, be tried by a prejudiced jury and convicted by a cowardly judge. Let him be tortured.

'At least, let Him die so that there can be no doubt that He dies. Let there be a great  host of witness to verify it.'

As each leader announced his portion of the sentence, there was a long silence. No - one uttered another word. No - one moved. for suddenly all knew that God had already served his sentence.

Dear Brothers & Sisters we are NOT ALONE in our sufferings - When we suffer so does He!!

When we suffer = no matter how bad it is at the time & how young we suffer these pains - God Doesn't let us know why it is happening & we can not work it out ourselves at that time, but He tells us through His Word that there is a good reason. We do not like that reason - do we?

There are many questions that we can ask - but I have learnt to ask - this one question   -

It took a long time to Forgive those who have caused me pain during my childhood - but I have learnt to Love more through that pain - then I would have - if it didn't happen.

Through my pain I can share it with others & inform others that God has Given me much more NOW because of those sufferings & I Know that I will receive even more when my time is up in this life as we know it.

We need to ask God = What does He want us to do??

WE need to hold on to our hope. This life is always a mixture of battles & blessings. In time of battles  we need to remember that they DO NOT LAST for ever & often another blessing is just around the corner. Whether it is or not, we can ALWAYS BE SURE that WE WILL BE WITH THE LORD FOR EVER!!

We need to keep our eyes fixed on Him [Heb. 12: 2] knowing that He is more than able to sympathize with us as He has suffered more that we ever will.

When we see others suffering, we are called to show compassion. How can we help some one who has gone through what we have gone & help them recover quicker & bring them close to God & His relationship. By trying to rationalize every suffering is counter productive - we can not throw stones at anyone as we have been there & we have caused someone else to suffer because of our short fuse. So let's get down & help with the One who is In us as He knows how to help the best.

The most positive thing that we can do is to put our arm around them & weep with those that weep.  We need to come back to the Cross of Christ. For it is here that we begin to understand why a God of Love should allow suffering.

We see the result of HUMAN FREEDOM & at the same time we see human wickedness at it's worst. God showed us through this act that He was willing to deal with Man's abuse of this freedom - In paying the Ultimate price for man's sin.

We see God working through suffering. Those who nailed Him to the cross intended it for evil; but God intended it for good - by saving many lives.

Remember that He suffers with us & we have His assurance of Eternal life with Him if we endure to the end. One day God will judge the world & there is a penalty to be paid for all sin - just as the courts punish criminals now. God's Judgement will be fair & just - No bribes with Him!

We must place our trust in Jesus, because we will be saved through what He has achieved for us on the Cross.

Anxiety in persons heart  weighs him / her  down, but an encouraging word makes him / here glad. In this world there are many trials -  tribulations -  distresses & frustrations, But when we are of Good character then we Abide in Christ  = He will abide in us & HE will give us peace in our heart.

Many people POSTPONE Happiness until everything is perfect - Which we ALL know is never going to happen in this life time. We need to rejoice and be glad in the Lord this day & EVERY Day along the way Towards the Main Goal.

One of the things that we have to learn is that God Wants us to Learn to BE NEW PEOPLE. To Often we spend in the past or Future & Not in the PRESENT Where God is. WE became so preoccupied with the past & what has happened to us - I know I did - & because of that we find it difficult to accomplish the things that need to be done now. For everyone who has been hurt physically & mentally - first thing is NOT TO BLAME YOURSELF for what has happened. I Know I did - I would always say - Why did i have to get the beating I did nothing, yet I was the one that was being punished for some one else's crimes.

Jesus said many times I AM - Even in John 8: 58 - he told Jews :I AM: meaning that Hew as No Longer with Abraham - but He was right there with them that day & yet they didn't recognize Him. Lets not make the sam mistakes & start to recognize Him RIGHT NOW - Instead of concentrating on what happened to YOU yesterday or many years ago YOU CAN NOT GO BACK & Change the circumstances. You can not go Forward & see what is just around the corner, BUT YOU CAN ENJOY Your Life in Christ Right NOW!!

Remember TOMORROW will have Enough Worries to and anxieties of its own. There is more then enough difficulties to overcome Today - isn't there?  So lets Concentrate on them first & get them out of the way.

Humble your self today, under Gods Mighty hand, that He may LIFT YOU UP in due time. Cast all your anxiety ON HIM Because he cares for you Right This Minute. God Opposes the Proud, But Gives Grace to those who humble them selves. The enemy - devil - is prowling around waiting to devour you like a lion. Stand up to him & kick some but - OK!! You know just to well that there are others just like you who have fallen for devils traps & are suffering - help them & do not feel sorry for yourself - as I ddid for so long.

God really does care for you & everything that you do. He cares about your life. So please do not wait Until everything is perfect & start enjoying Your heavenly Fathers love right now. Even though you suffered terribly in the past - Don't live there now. God  started to Build something Beautiful in YOU long time back - for what ever reason/s things went askew & you suffered in the hangs of man / women - Start Now & Allow God to finish the Temple of His that was started so long back.

This is a ONE STEP at a time process - but You must start some where, don't you?

It took me 15 years to realize that God wanted to make something great out me - Don't wait that long yourself. Allow Him to work in you NOW. When You can learn to depend on Him - life will be much better.

The old adage that God helps those who help them selves is not true - God helps those WHO CAN NOT help them selves, but rely on Him.

Remember that we are Heirs with Jesus & our place is with Him on the Right side of the Father. Priests in the Old testament time had to keep on moving while inside the Holy of Holies - But Jesus was told to SIT AT THE FATHERS RIGHT HAND SIDE AS HE FINISHED THE JOB THAT PRIESTS COULDN'T.

WE have that INHERITANCE AS ADOPTED CHILDREN OF GOD. God is our friend if we allow Him to be. DO you want him to be your friend or continue on your own merry way? The choice is completely yours!!

I trust that this will help you just a little bit in helping you overcome the hurts that you suffered at the hands of  other people or persons. Answers aren't always there - but our trust in God will eventually overcome these Hurts & lead us into His kingdom.