My friend says God uses tragedy to bring us closer to Himself, but how can that be? I’ve always thought God loved us, so why would He use something terrible to make us love Him?
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Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.（Romans 5:3-5）
God loves us and He also want us to grow in all kinds of situation.
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Yes, God may use tragedies or heartaches to bring us closer to Himself. I’ve experienced this in my own life, and I’ve observed it in the lives of others also.
Does this mean God is being cruel when He does this? No, not at all; in fact, the opposite is the case. The problem, you see, is with us, not with God. Our hearts easily become cold and indifferent to God, and we refuse to listen to Him when He’s trying to get our attention. We can even become so hardened toward God that we can’t hear His voice. When this happens, the only way He can get our attention may be to allow something to happen to us that will shatter our indifference or rebellion. Only then will we face our need for Christ, and turn in faith and trust to Him.
Just as we discipline our children so they’ll do what is right, so God sometimes disciplines us so we’ll turn to Him and follow Him. The Bible says, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11).
Not every difficulty in life comes to us for this reason. But when hard times come (as they will), we need to ask what God may be trying to teach us through them. Most of all, we need to turn to Him for the strength and patience we need. Never forget: God’s love is strongest when our own strength is weakest.
Answered by Billy Graham
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Tragedy is not made by God.
As Christian, we need to have the faith that even though there is tragedy in my life, it’s temporary. God is almighty and He is sovereign, in His providence and predestination, He has the ability to turn the tragedy into blessings. He is God of love and goodness. Trust in Him.
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Yes,really agree with you ！
Read the book of Job. Tragedy, sin, evil, etc… is not created by God it is actually the absence of Him, caused by Satan and sin. God is not the one who cause or orchestrates the tragedy but He is the one can cause good to come from it if we believe and have faith in Him. God did not cause the things to happen in Job’s life, Satan did but in the end he came closer to God and was glorified because of Jobs faith and trust and in turn God exhaled Job. Great book of the Bible for encouragement.
1 Kings 19:10 NKJV
10 So he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”
OR
Luke 13:34 NKJV
34 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!
OR
Romans 11:1-10 NKJV
These are continual examples of what you are asking about. Tragedies. The truth is that Jesus said it in John 16:33 New International Version (NIV)
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Remember to read John 16 BEFORE verse 33 to see what Jesus told us so that in Him we might have peace.
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I don’t think tragedy is from God, sometimes people experience suffering, they will learn to rely on God, but I don’t think everyone will learn to rely on God in their suffering.
You bring up a good point.
At the beginning of Job it reads:
Job 1:8 NKJV
8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?”
and again
Job 2:3 NKJV
3 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.”
In both scenarios, (see Job chapters 1 and 2) GOD is the one who draws Satan’s attention to Job. GOD. Why? Because God wanted to test Job. Why? Because that’s what God does with those who are righteous. Like a teacher tests a student, God tests us.
And as for God’s will, it will always, in a supreme to all else, be done.
See: https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/bible-verses-about-gods-will/
Maya
9dI don’t think tragedy is from God, sometimes people experience suffering, they will learn to rely on God, but I don’t think everyone will learn to rely on God in their suffering.
Agreed that NOT everyone will learn to rely on God in their suffering.
Unfortunately, the scriptures (Genesis - Revelation) say that God DOES cause all things He has planned to come to pass and that nothing is an “accident”.
If you do not believe in the God of the scriptures then I can’t address that part of it except to say, it’s not of God. Job is an excellent book to read on the subject of tragedy.
It is true that when we are in distress, despair, sorrow, it is so painful. But God does not deliberately put us in pain and despair. But God wants us to find God in the process. He wants us to go back to God. Everyone has difficulties. But God will be pleased if we seek to find God in the process. And we will open the way of blessing.
Do you have any scriptural reference you could point me to that “God does not deliberately put us in pain and despair”? Because I read over and over and over again, that God often throws people into despair in order to get their attention. To punish, and He punishes those whom He loves. Why? Because earthly fathers discipline us and we respect them for that. Why should we not expect and accept both good and bad from God’s hand?
Hebrews 12:9 New King James Version (NKJV)
9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?
There are so many big tragedies in the world, and sometimes the sadness is too big to understand. But we should remember that God is always with us…
It’s up to our heart. As Paul says, nothing can separate us from God.
First we should know that tragedy is not from God. It is from our sins. Maybe yours or others. But God is good. He will bring good from the tragedy for us.
If we rely on Him, He will draw us close to Him.
Yes, the end of man is the beginning of God. Even in suffering, God has not left us and is with us.
In times of misery people may choose to come to God or not.
Sometimes suffering comes from sin, and Job also suffers. Although God allows suffering, God wants us to be overcome.
The Lord still believes in the Father at the position of the cross. Job witnessed God in his own suffering. Joseph did not complain in his suffering.
@Sunami_Carpenter Hi, friend, God loves us, He does not deliberately put us in pain and despair. For The pain and despair we received is not God’s purpose. The Bible Verses you quoted is good, but it just shows God’s love to us.
Found a good answer.
I think tragedy is not what God willing to see. But God leads in a higher level that he changes bad thing to good things such as bringing us closer to Him.
I think whether tragedy brings us closer to God depends on our faith. Some people experience tragedy to know God better, but some people are far away from God. !