Pain & Affliction

We humans prefer to live a happy life free from pain, affliction, sadness and the like. But that is not the case always. We have to face all these while living on this planet. Sometimes it is so hard on us that we loose hope to live. Why do we have to bear all these pain and affliction? When sin entered the world though the disobedience of Adam and Eve, all these byproducts of sin also got free entry into the world. So then affliction should be only for the sinful. Why are children of God afflicted then?

Let us open the treasure book to find clues:

OPENING THE TREASURE BOOK

Case 1: Pharaoh and Israel, Exodus 1-14

The Pharaoh who ruled Egypt during the time of Moses was a ruthless emperor who afflicted the children of Israel. The Lord heard their cries and saw their oppression. He appeared to Moses and told him that He will deliver them out of Egypt. So Moses went to Pharaoh and told him to let the Israelites leave as per God’s command. Pharaoh did not heed and denied their freedom, rather afflicted them more. Pharaoh disobeyed God and sinned against Him. Then God sent affliction one after the other on Pharaoh and his people. The same Pharaoh who afflicted the children of God was now under affliction from God. First their water turned to blood. They were deprived of drinking water which is essential to sustain life. Next their country was teeming with frogs, then lice and then flies. Next, their livestock which was their means of livelihood started dying, then there was a plague of boils. After this there was a hail storm which destroyed all their crops and whatever still remained the next plague of locusts destroyed. Then there was pitch darkness for three days. People could not move around or even get up from the place they were for 3 days. All these afflictions affected their basic needs like food, water, livelihood and their health. These did not let Pharaoh repent or listen to God’s word. He still continued to stand against God and fight Him. Then the last and final affliction came – death of all the first born. Every first born in every family, including the first born of animals were killed. This was more than what even Pharaoh could handle. He let them leave his country. But after they left, Pharaoh felt he shouldn’t let them go easily. So, Pharaoh pursed them but could not get to them and drowned in the red sea along with his troops. He tried to fight God and his children and ended up bringing calamities one after the other upon his household and his kingdom eventually losing his own life.

Who will prevail fighting GOD, the almighty? Pharaoh, even though a big emperor was foolish enough to fight God. He afflicted the children of God and so afflictions from God came on him one after the other. Even then, he did not repent but continued fighting God to a point where he lost his life. The Israelites were also living in Egypt when afflictions hit the land, however it did not come near them, to the land where they were living. God protected them all throughout.

If we oppress or afflict God’s children, we fight God and sin against Him. And when we fight God and sin, affliction from Him is a surety. Without repentance, there is no deliverance from the affliction that comes from God.

Case 2: The Bronze Serpent, Numbers 21: 4-9

The children of Israel, after escaping from Pharaoh by crossing the red sea, had to journey through the wilderness for a long while. The people became very discouraged on the way and started speaking against God and Moses: “Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food, no water and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” So the  Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people. Many died. Then they realized they sinned against God. They came to Moses and asked him to pray for their deliverance. So Moses prayed for the people. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery  serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.”  So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

In this case, the affliction came from God on His own chosen people. Even though they did not stand against Him or His plans, affliction came on them. His people sinned against Him forgetting all what He did for them. He had brought them out of slavery and took care of them in the wilderness providing food, water, shelter and protection. Listening to their complaints and seeing their ungratefulness towards Him, He sent affliction. This made them realize their mistake and remember what God did for them. As soon as they came back to their senses, they asked Moses to pray for their deliverance. They repented and God provided a way out. He gave them deliverance from the fiery serpents.

Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word.

Psalm 119:67-69

It is good for me that I have been afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes.

Psalm 119:71

Lord sends affliction to remind us about His mercy, faithfulness and goodness towards us which we tend to forget from time to time. We take for granted all the resources that God has given us. So sometimes afflictions are a way to remind us of God’s ways so as to walk in them continuously without being tired or weary of them. It also helps us to stay on the path of God and not go astray. As the psalmists says, affliction from God helps us to remember Him, His ways – to learn them and keep them.

Affliction from God reminds us of God and His ways – His mercy, goodness and faithfulness towards us. It helps us to repent and turn to Him. It also helps us to learn His ways and keep them. It is for building us so that we do not go astray and lose our eternity. God has our best interests at heart.

Affliction comes from God only when sin is involved.

The life of Job, Job 2

One day, the Lord asked 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.” Satan replied, “Stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!“ And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. His wife told him to curse God and die. But Job did not sin against God.

Here we see a conversation between God and Satan. God Himself is testifying about Job that he is a blameless and upright man who fears God and rejects evil. So Job was upright in all his ways before God. Even then he was afflicted. Satan wanted to destroy him without any cause. God gave the permission to Satan to afflict Job without taking his life. So Satan went ahead and afflicted Job with painful boils. This proves that definitely Satan can cause affliction to God’s children who are righteous, if God permits him. Moreover, sinning is not the reason for affliction from Satan. His only motive for bringing affliction is destruction. He wanted to destroy Job without any cause!!!

We also see here that even with all the affliction and the discouragement from his wife, Job still did not sin but waited on God to deliver him. God used this as a testing period for Job concerning his faith in God and Job came out victorious. Later on we see that Job was delivered and he was given twice as much of what he lost in affliction.

Satan afflicts the righteous of God and his only motive is destruction.

Deliverance

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.

Psalm 34:19

Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.

Matthew 4:24

For the righteous, many are their afflictions that comes from Satan – physical and mental sickness, fear, depression, demonic oppression, etc. He will take all opportunity to torment and torture the righteous of God. His only motive is destruction. But remember, God delivers us from all kinds of affliction. Jesus overcame Satan and all his afflictions on the cross. While He lived on the earth, He healed thousands and thousands of people from oppression, sickness and all kinds of satanic affliction and torture. He is still alive and is capable of delivering us out of all kinds of afflictions. He heals all kinds of pain and sickness. So look on to Jesus and take refuge in Him as your deliverer.

But if you have Jesus already in your life, there is a twist. You are redeemed by the blood of Jesus and is righteous before God. It is not by your works that you are saved, but because of Jesus and His precious blood. Always remember, Jesus already took our sin, our sickness, our pain, our suffering and all our afflictions on the cross and so we do not have to suffer the afflictions from Satan. Resist the devil and he will flee from us. Resist the afflictions he tries to instill in us in the name of Jesus and by His precious blood. Claim victory by the blood of Jesus and he will have no choice but to FLEE…

So if you do not have Jesus in your life, accept Him today as your savior and live life to the fullest on Earth and secure your eternity.

Jesus is the only cure for our affliction. He is our deliverer who has overcome Satan and all his afflictions. Resist the devil and he will flee from us.

Treasures uncovered

Prayer:

Father we thank you for teaching us about affliction. Help us to always walk in your ways remembering your goodness and faithfulness. Thank you father, for Jesus, our deliverer and our cure from affliction. Help us to resist devil and his afflictions. In Jesus name, Amen.

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