During one of the many crises in Africa, a number of people held up signs expressing the need for eyeglasses for God. That thought was based upon the suffering that one sees in seemingly growing abundance all over the earth. It is also incongruous to know that not only is God almighty and all-seeing, but He is also described as seated upon the throne of mercy, a loving Heavenly Father and one who is intensely concerned about His Creation. People have greatly varying points of view. The lives of people living in Africa differ greatly from those living in the frozen north, Australia, North or South America or Europe. All of these places have their own unique situations and people who live there see their own needs as paramount. For all too many, God is not God if He does not fulfill what they perceive as necessary. For one who lives in a war-torn area, God should provide peace, for a farmer rain in due season, for a sick person health, for a child huge lollipops - and you get the point.
What we do see is that everyone in every place on earth experiences some form of trouble, suffering and pain - and God allows that to happen. Sometimes He actually causes the pain. Sometimes those who devote their lives to His service suffer the most. Many times we who live in a far distant place from the suffering, wonder how God could watch the pain and not act. Perhaps it is because we feel we would act if we had the power. Humans often do act to provide assistance, rescue or a place of refuge for those who suffer. There are scores of help agencies and churches which strive to give assistance to those in need. Why does it seem that humans have more compassion that God does? That, at least, is what some people conclude.
Paul wrote that God was "the Father of mercies and God of all comfort" (2 Cor. 1:3). He continues to note that one purpose of the comfort God gives is to train those who He comforts in the ability to comfort others (verse 4). Paul goes on to write that any suffering he received was for the consolation and salvation of others (verse 6) and that those who are partakers of suffering will also partake of the consolation (verse 7). It is difficult to find a follower of Jesus who suffered more than Paul did. Yet, it was Paul who understood that God does allow suffering and that there was a purpose to all that God was doing. In further explanation, Paul went on to say that they were so burdened that they despaired of life - but in all of that the great lesson was learned that "we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead" (verse 9). As difficult as this may seem, we can at least say: "All right, that is fine for one who is destined to receive great eternal rewards and who has great truths revealed to him." But what about the children, the uneducated, the misinformed, the lame, the blind and deaf (physically and spiritually)? What about the starving children in various lands? What about the elderly who cannot help themselves or the drug addicts who also cannot help themselves?
We can go way back to the story of Noah and the ark. God rescued eight humans and allowed the rest to perish in the flood. Those who died included women, children, elderly (and they really were elderly then) and the blind, diseased and poor. Moses was inspired to write that God saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth and that humans were continually turning towards evil. It was so bad that God regretted even creating mankind. Babies were innocent at that time and people were deceived too - just like today. God took another 120 years to try and persuade mankind to change and correct their ways (Gen. 6:3-8). All that God saw was a rejection of the hand He offered. God acted and every human being with the exception of Noah's family was killed. That took place under the direct orders from our Creator. Yet, Jesus clearly stated that God "feels" the fall of a sparrow - and much more the fall of a human (Matt. 10:29,30).
Humans have often tried to help their fellow man. There are times when a little help is appreciated and lives have been changed. Far too often, though, we humans have noted that our assistance is rejected and distained. Many homeless turn from the offer of a place to sleep, those without work reject offers of jobs given to them, prostitutes continue to ply their trade, the carnage of HIV continues in adults and is now passed on to children. In almost every circumstance, we do note the great difficulty that is encountered when people are offered help in changing their lifestyle. It seems people would rather die than change. In His frustration with the nation of Israel, God asked that question. "Why should you die, O House of Israel?" (Ezek. 18:30-32). God explained to them that in order for Him to be merciful and gracious to them, they needed to repent of their sin and turn from their transgressions. That seems to be very difficult for people to do.In the world today, we see the terrible impact of addiction in the lives of so many. The young choose drugs over a loving family, a society that offers a good life and a life of accomplishment and contentment. Alcoholics take a similar road. We are addicted to food, sex, philosophy - and almost anything else one can name, and that has made us greedy and selfish. Paul warned that this day would come when he encouraged Timothy to work hard on himself (2 Tim. 3:19). Our mind is the most precious part of our body. Addiction of any kind has an impact on the mind. Some addictions like alcohol and drugs destroy parts of the brain. We cannot think clearly or completely when our brains do not function as God designed. In time, the brain of an addict is damaged to such a degree that he barely exists day by day. All of society suffers as a result. Our police forces are striving to cope with crime and violence which is often drug-related. Our hospitals are filled with those who have drunken or drugged themselves into a dangerous state. Every city has hundreds of homeless and beggars roaming the streets. These people reject the help that is offered and prefer to suffer, it seems. In the case of HIV, living a morally clean life for our own good is what God commands, but humans reject that. Sexually transmitted diseases are growing in number and severity in every nation.
The children of the adults who have lost control of their lives suffer terribly. How can God help - how can He correct the problems? We rescue a starving child by feeding it, only to have the child grow up in a society that has moral standards that mean more children will be born without thought or concern about whether they can be fed and educated. The child we have helped often grows up to become part of the problem. We pour millions of dollars into searching for a cure for AIDS - to allow people to continue the lifestyle that is behind this terrible disease. Humans do not really want the kind of help that will change their lives - they want just enough which will allow them to continue to live in whatever lifestyle they choose. They do not want laws and regulations in their lives.
God sees the complete picture. He has been there from the time the problems began. He has offered help time and time again - knowing full well that humans are a stiff-necked lot. Matthew quoted Jesus words: "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 chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!" (Matt. 23:37). We want to be rescued in order to continue doing what we want to do. No, God does not need glasses. As a matter of fact there is no being who sees more clearly than God does. We humans have brought upon ourselves the suffering of little children and of mankind - we want to be rescued, but no instructions please. Thankskfully, God promises to step in to save mankind (Matt. 24:21,22) even though we do not want to be saved.