Pain, bereavement, natural tragedies, etc. raise profound questions that cause much personal anguish.  The questioner may have several thoughts in mind:

-Is God fair to let this happen to me?

-If the world is so random, is there a God at all?

-If God is love, why does He not do something about the world's suffering ?

 This objection is an attack on the justice, the love and sometimes the existence of God.  In fact, modern man has put God on trial and asked Him to justify Himself for creating such a painful world.

 INITIAL CHALLENGE

 "I am interested that you said that, it shows that you have been thinking about these things.  There is no doubt that God cares-in fact He cares so much that He was prepared to become a man and suffer Himself with men and at the hands of men.

 THE BIBLICAL ATTITUDE

 PRACTICAL SUGGESTION

 It is easy to theorize glibly on this problem of pain, especially when one has not suffered deeply oneself.  The best way to help someone is to show them God's way in action.  Tell them the story of a friend you know who has overcome suffering through faith in Christ.  Or lend them a book such as "To Love Again" by Catherine Marshall, describing the death of her husband,

 TURNING THE TABLES

 "So much human suffering is caused by man's sin against God and his fellow-men.  This is shown in Law Two of the Four Spiritual Laws.  The proof of God's concern is clearly set out in Law Three with its focus on the cross.  We need to point out that man's deepest suffering is his sin and separation from God.  God in His grace has dealt with that at the expense of the total sacrifice of Himself.  It only remains for us to begin the solution by accepting Jesus Christ ourselves."