If God Is Good, Why Do I Suffer?: The Classic Collection with R.C. Sproul

reigning Super Bowl champion field, Miami Dolphins. His wife endured the prolonged death from cancer that she

suffer

ed for ten years as a Christian. I was at her house towards the end of that experience. And I sat with Judi Griese and held her hands while she was crying and she said to me, "R.C., I can't take it anymore, I just can't. Where is God?" What can I tell you! You know, "God works all things together, be of

good

cheer." No. I just said, "Judi, I don't know what to say." Three days later she died. And that day, she was healed of her cancer and went to be with the Lord.

I don't know what God's purpose was in that, but it was holy, and I know that if the doctor tells me I'm going to have to spend several years in agony and torture, I'm not looking forward to that. . I don't ever want to hear that. I hope I can die in my sleep. I hope to be spared much of the pain and anguish that is normal to the human race. But the last thing I want to hear, ladies and gentlemen, if I

suffer

from a terrible illness is that my suffering is in vain. That it happens by chance, that I'm just an unfortunate victim of an accident.

I know that if I ever have to face that, the only way I will be able to get through it is to go to God and say, "God, I don't know why You have visited me with this, but if this is Your calling on my life, then I will be able to survive." and I will be able to bear it." For if I know that it is God's purpose for me to do it, then I will know that the reason for it, beloved, is all

good

. Now, I said in passing that every tragedy for the Christian is ultimately a blessing.

That does not deny the reality of tragedy at this level, but ultimately every tragedy in your life is a blessing and every blessing that the pagan receives from the hand of God for which that pagan does not respond in gratitude and repentance before God increases. his guilt before God. Every good and perfect gift that God gives to an unbeliever. so that unbeliever refuses to praise God, ultimately becoming an occasion for judgment. So ultimately all those blessings are tragedies for the unrepentant. But again, for him who loves God, for him who has a vocation, for him who is called according to his purpose, everything, everything, works for good. "Because the Judge of all the earth, he will not do what is right?"