Why does God allow suffering? Why does He delay in answering our prayers, or at times, appear not to even hear them? Those were probably the thoughts of Martha and Mary when they contacted Jesus and He failed to come to heal their brother Lazarus. Lazarus was already dead four days by the time Jesus arrived.
Both Martha and Mary were quick to say to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died” (Jn 11 vs 21/32b). Those words, along with the love that Christ felt for His friends, brought tears to His eyes. “And Jesus wept” (Jn 11 vs 35). Christ’s delay was deliberate. It was not to bring grief and pain. Jesus had allowed Lazarus death “for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (Jn 11 vs 4).
As God, Jesus knew the end of the story. He knew that He would raise Lazarus from the dead. He delayed in coming because He wanted to increase their faith and trust in Him. He never stopped loving them and risked losing their love for what He saw was best for them, in the scheme of their salvation.
God often acts in the same way with us. We come to Him in prayer, beseeching, even begging for a particular situation. It seems that our request is a good one – one we believe to be an outcome that our good God would desire as well. But time passes and our situation either does not change or worsens. We believe that God is deaf to us or that He does not really love us.
“Do not be troubled if you do not immediately receive from God what you ask Him; for He desires to do something even greater for you, while you cling to Him in prayer” (Evagrius Ponticus).
“God wills that our desire should be exercised in prayer, that we may be able to receive what He is prepared to give” (St. Augustine).
“Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread, or a snake when he asks for a fish? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him” (Mt 7 vs 9-11).
Our heavenly Father, Papa, is calling us during those times of what appears to be unanswered prayers, to persevere, believing in His constant love and concern. He is asking us to trust that not a hair on our head falls to the ground without His knowledge. God is asking us to trust in His permissive or perfect will, that, in the scheme of our salvation, this IS what is best for us. Papa is asking us to trust that a greater good will result in the end. The result will far exceed our expectations and bring delight to our hearts. God turns suffering and grief into joy!
He is calling us to grow in virtue, as He pours upon us the grace to deal with our particular situation. We must believe that fact, in order to overcome our doubts and fears. The evil one would like nothing else than for us to believe that God has forsaken us. He wants us to doubt God’s love for us. He wants us to walk away from God, believing it’s just not worth the effort to be in relationship with Him. If God really loved us, why would this have happened anyway? Satan will tempt us to believe this lie. It is what He did with our first parents, and he’s still quite good at achieving his goal.
“Man, tempted by the devil, let his trust in his Creator die in his heart and, abusing his freedom, disobeyed God’s command. This is what man’s first sin consisted of. All subsequent sin would be disobedience toward God and lack of trust in His goodness” ( CCC 397).
In times of doubt, when life is not proceeding as we would like, and we are tempted to believe that God does not care, we need to persevere and trust in God’s goodness. We have to continue to pray and ask for the prayers and assistance of prayer warriors, on earth, in heaven and in purgatory. We need to pull out the “big guns” and ask the cloistered nuns in our area to pray for our intention. They are a powerhouse of prayer and will storm heaven for us when we feel disheartened and discouraged.
Holding on to our identity as a child of God and running to Him with confidence, even when it seems foolish, will bring Him great delight. Jesus never lost His identity as Son, but clung to it even when all seemed lost. He continued to believe in His Father’s goodness even in His darkest hour.
May we all stand firmly in faith and proclaim from the rooftops -- “Love never stops loving, and a greater good is to come from the woe. Heaven’s clock is different from ours.”
Like Jesus, may we surrender all into God’s hands and heart and say, “Father, if You are willing, take this cup away from Me; still, not my will but Yours be done” (Lk 22 vs 42).
A big resounding AMEN, Avia Joy! So beautifully written and your timing (for me) is perfect!!!!!
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