Scripture: Genesis 37
Series: The Forgiving Prince
Why does God allow suffering? In this sermon, Pastor Paul Vanden Brink, addresses this issue through the familiar story of Joseph. It's not just a story about a favoured child with a fabulous coat. It's the story of a man who faces many serious trials caused by the sins of those around him. Selfish ambition, lust and jealousy to name a few. All sins that we can relate to, right? But God shows up in every situation in Josephs life, just as He shows up in every situation in our lives.
In Joseph's story, we see what we all know to be true - that suffering is an inevitable part of life. Whether you believe that God is sovereign or not, you simply cannot escape suffering. But how should we handle that fact? How did Joseph handle it and what can we learn?
We learn that God allows suffering in our life for our ultimate good. Even when that is a hard pill to swallow, it is a deep, fundamental truth that we see illustrated over and over again in the bible and in our own lives too.
If you are struggling with how a good God could allow so much bad in the world, think about this: If we want a God big enough to stop the suffering in the world, we've got to believe in a God that is big enough to redeem our suffering. That is, a God who will make it right.
