Finding God’s Presence Amidst Unexplained Suffering

Devotional

Day 1: Life is Unpredictable—Time and Chance Happen to All

No matter how carefully we plan or how good we try to be, life remains unpredictable and often beyond our control. Even the wise and strong are not guaranteed success or safety, and sometimes tragedy strikes without warning or explanation. This reality can be unsettling, but it also invites us to let go of the illusion that we can control every outcome and instead live with humility and openness to the mystery of life. [03:36]

Ecclesiastes 9:11 (ESV)
"Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all."

Reflection: Where in your life are you holding tightly to the illusion of control, and how might you practice releasing that grip to trust God with the unpredictability of your circumstances today?

Day 2: Suffering Is Not Always the Result of Personal Sin

When tragedy or suffering strikes, it is tempting to look for a reason or to assume that someone must have done something to deserve it. Yet Jesus challenges this thinking, reminding us that suffering is not always a direct result of personal wrongdoing. Instead of blaming the victim or searching for hidden faults, we are called to respond with compassion and humility, recognizing that suffering is a part of the human experience that does not always have a clear explanation. [09:30]

Luke 13:1-5 (ESV)
"There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, 'Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.'"

Reflection: Think of a time when you or someone you know experienced hardship—did you search for a reason or blame? How can you shift your response to one of empathy and presence instead?

Day 3: God Does Not Cause Our Suffering—God Is With Us In It

God is not a distant or malevolent puppet master orchestrating our pain; rather, God promises to be present with us in the midst of our suffering. Throughout Scripture, God assures us that we are never alone, even when we walk through the darkest valleys. This presence does not always remove the pain, but it transforms our experience of it, offering comfort, strength, and hope that we are deeply loved and never abandoned. [15:12]

Isaiah 43:2 (ESV)
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you."

Reflection: In what area of your life do you most need to sense God’s presence with you right now, and how can you open yourself to experiencing that companionship in your suffering?

Day 4: God Redeems Our Suffering—He Brings Good Out of Bad

While not all things that happen to us are good, God is able to work through even the most painful circumstances to bring about redemption and new life. This does not mean that suffering is good or that God causes it, but rather that God can transform our pain, using it for purposes beyond our understanding. The hope of the Christian faith is that even death and loss are not the end, for God is always at work bringing good out of evil and hope out of despair. [17:11]

Romans 8:28 (ESV)
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."

Reflection: Recall a difficult experience in your past—can you see any ways that God has brought growth, healing, or good from it? How might you trust God to redeem your current struggles?

Day 5: Our Calling Is to Show Up and Love Each Other Through Pain

When those around us are suffering, our calling is not to offer easy answers or platitudes, but to show up with genuine presence, compassion, and practical help. Sometimes the greatest gift we can give is simply to be there, to listen, to share in the pain, and to offer tangible support. In doing so, we reflect the heart of God, who loves us, suffers with us, and promises ultimate healing. [19:26]

John 13:34-35 (ESV)
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

Reflection: Who in your life is walking through a season of suffering right now, and what is one specific way you can show up for them this week with presence and love rather than explanations?

Sermon Summary

Life often unfolds in ways we cannot predict or control, no matter how carefully we plan or how faithfully we live. The story of Kate Bowler, a young mother and professor who was suddenly diagnosed with stage four cancer, reminds us that suffering can strike without warning or explanation. In moments like these, well-meaning people often reach for the phrase, “Everything happens for a reason,” hoping to offer comfort or make sense of the pain. Yet, this phrase is not only absent from the teachings of Jesus, but it also fails to reflect the reality of our unpredictable world and the witness of Scripture.

We are drawn to the idea that there is a formula to life—that if we are good, good things will happen, and if we are bad, bad things will follow. This illusion of control is comforting, but it is not true. Ecclesiastes teaches us that “time and chance happen to them all,” and Jesus himself rejects the notion that tragedy is always the result of personal wrongdoing. When we insist that everything happens for a reason, we risk blaming the victim, silencing necessary grief, and even trivializing the reality of evil and suffering in our world.

God does not orchestrate our suffering as some kind of cosmic puppet master. Instead, God promises to be present with us in our pain. The Scriptures are full of assurances that God walks with us through the waters, through the fire, and through the valley of the shadow of death. God’s role is not to cause suffering, but to redeem it—to bring good even out of the worst circumstances, as seen most powerfully in the resurrection of Jesus.

When we encounter suffering—our own or that of others—our calling is not to offer easy answers or empty platitudes. Instead, we are invited to show up, to share in the pain, to offer practical help, and to embody the love and presence of God. The mystery of suffering may never be fully explained, but we can trust in these unshakable truths: God loves us, God suffers with us, God promises ultimate healing, and God calls us to love one another through the pain. In the end, what we need most is not a reason, but the presence of God and the grace that sustains us through every trial.

Key Takeaways

1. The phrase “everything happens for a reason” offers the illusion of control, but Scripture teaches that life is unpredictable and not always subject to formulas or fairness. Ecclesiastes and Jesus both remind us that suffering and tragedy are not always the result of personal failure or sin, but are part of the human experience. [03:36]
2. Insisting that everything happens for a reason can blame the victim, causing those who suffer to question what they did to deserve their pain. This mindset adds unnecessary guilt and shame to those already hurting, rather than offering the compassion and solidarity that Christ models for us. [11:04]
3. Platitudes like “everything happens for a reason” can silence grief and stunt the healing process. True healing requires us to face our pain honestly, to grieve deeply, and to allow ourselves and others the space to lament without rushing to explanations or easy answers. [13:16]
4. Attributing suffering to God’s will or plan trivializes evil and distorts the character of God. God is not the author of our pain, but the Redeemer who enters into our suffering, walks with us through it, and ultimately brings hope and new life out of even the darkest circumstances. [14:24]
5. Our calling in the face of suffering is not to explain or justify it, but to be present with those who hurt. Offering our presence, practical help, and heartfelt compassion reflects the heart of God far more than any attempt to make sense of the senseless. Sometimes, the greatest comfort is not an answer, but simply knowing we are not alone. [19:26]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:11] - Introducing Kate Bowler’s Story
[02:52] - Why We Love the Phrase “Everything Happens for a Reason”
[03:36] - The Illusion of Control and the Wisdom of Ecclesiastes
[05:30] - Life’s Unpredictability and False Formulas
[07:10] - Jesus Confronts the Blame Game
[09:00] - Why We Shouldn’t Say “Everything Happens for a Reason”
[11:04] - The Harm of Blaming the Victim
[13:16] - The Danger of Silencing Grief
[14:24] - Trivializing Evil and Misunderstanding God
[15:12] - God’s Presence in Suffering
[17:11] - God Redeems Our Suffering
[18:37] - What to Say Instead: Showing Up with Compassion
[19:26] - Embracing Mystery and God’s Immutable Truths
[21:00] - Comfort in God’s Presence, Not Explanations
[22:00] - Closing and Final Encouragement

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Ecclesiastes 9:11 — "I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all."

- Luke 13:1-5
(Jesus responds to news of tragedy, rejecting the idea that suffering is always the result of personal sin.)

- Isaiah 43:2
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze."

Observation Questions

In Ecclesiastes 9:11, what does Solomon say about the relationship between effort, ability, and outcomes in life?
According to Luke 13:1-5, how does Jesus respond to the idea that tragedy is always the result of personal wrongdoing? [07:10]
What promise does God make in Isaiah 43:2 about His presence during times of suffering? [15:12]
In the sermon, what phrase do people often use to try to comfort those who are suffering, and why does the pastor suggest we should avoid it? [02:52]

Interpretation Questions

Why might people be drawn to the idea that “everything happens for a reason,” even though Scripture teaches that life is unpredictable? [03:36]
How can insisting that suffering is always the result of personal failure or sin add to the pain of those who are already hurting? [11:04]
What are the dangers of using platitudes like “everything happens for a reason” when someone is grieving? [13:16]
According to the sermon, what is God’s true role in our suffering, and how does this differ from the idea of God as a “cosmic puppet master”? [14:24]

Application Questions

Have you ever found yourself saying “everything happens for a reason” to someone (or to yourself) during a hard time? Looking back, do you think it was helpful or not? Why? [02:52]
When you or someone you love is suffering, do you tend to look for reasons or explanations? How might it change your response if you focused instead on simply being present? [19:26]
Think of a time when you or someone you know experienced loss or tragedy. Did anyone try to offer explanations or easy answers? How did that affect the process of grieving? [13:16]
The sermon says that God promises to be with us in our suffering, not to cause it. How does this understanding of God affect the way you pray or seek comfort during difficult times? [15:12]
What are some practical ways you can “show up” for someone who is hurting, rather than offering explanations or platitudes? Can you think of a specific person who might need your presence this week? [18:37]
The pastor mentioned that God redeems suffering and brings good even out of the worst circumstances. Can you identify a situation in your life where you have seen this happen, even if you never got an explanation for the suffering? [17:11]
The sermon encourages us to embrace the mystery of suffering and trust in God’s love and presence. What helps you hold onto hope when you don’t have answers? [21:00]

Sermon Clips

I think this lie gives us the illusion that we have some kind of control. If there's a reason for everything, everything happens for a reason. If there's a reason, then that means there's a formula. And if there's a formula, then we can crack the code. And the code would be something like this. If we're good people, then good things will happen, and bad people, bad things will happen. There must be a formula, a code, if everything happens for a reason, and smart people like us can figure out that code, and we can crack it and make sure that nothing bad ever happens to us. Right? Or maybe not. [00:03:17]

The illusion of control. Oh, we love to imagine that we can control our circumstances. We talked about...being people who pull ourselves up with our bootstraps last week and what a folly it is to think of ourselves like that if everything happens for a reason then I'm gonna do the things that are gonna make good things happen for me and the people I love simple as that or is it. [00:04:02]

Life is unpredictable. We can do our best to chart our course and kind of craft a blueprint and we try to follow it step by step and brick by brick and then something knocks the wind out of our sails until we are crumpled up wondering what did I do to deserve this spoiler alert probably nothing. [00:06:50]

Scripture says that life is unpredictable Solomon said the same fate happens to us all what is that fate let's put it this way nobody gets through this life alive. [00:08:52]

Everything doesn't happen for a reason all right so now we've explored why we love this lie so much and what scripture actually says let's think about why we shouldn't say it just as Jesus never said it why we what scripture says abandon this phrase not only from our speaking from but from our thinking. [00:10:46]

It blames the victim it makes the victim in the midst of their suffering wonder what have I done to deserve this like Kate Bowler asked of her own circumstance did I do something to deserve this what have I done wrong God I've been trying to live my life for you and this happens it blames the victim and heaps more suffering on to the suffering person. [00:11:39]

Can you imagine somebody kind of down below looking on and saying to Jesus well Jesus everything happens for a reason. Wouldn't you just want to pop them in the mouth? Can you imagine? Blames the victim. [00:12:18]

When people are going through suffering, they need to go through it. When we go through suffering, we've got to do the work of going through it. We have to grieve the grief. We have to feel the pain of loss. A lot of people want to suppress it, stuff it down in. It finds other ways of getting out. [00:12:48]

Saying this platitude, well, everything happens for a reason, there's no need for you to feel sad or to grieve because I'm sure God's got it in God's big old plan somewhere. It stunts the grieving process. It eliminates the inquiry, the honest exploration of why things happen and who I am in the midst of them. It silences grief. [00:13:17]

The third reason we should abandon this phrase may be the most important reason. It trivializes evil. What do I mean by that? There's this rampant theology in America and probably beyond that sees God as the progenitor of suffering. God causing the suffering for some cosmic plan that we don't understand and can't see. [00:13:43]

God does not cause your suffering. Can I get an amen? I'm going to say it again, make sure y 'all are awake. God does not cause your suffering. [00:14:30]

There's a theology, and probably, well, I know I was raised up in theology like this, and maybe you were too, that sees God as this kind of malevolent puppet master making all the things happen, and oh, this would be fun. Let's cause this over here, and let's see what happens. What kind of God is that, and why would anyone want to worship a God like that? That is not the God I serve, and I certainly hope it's not the God that you serve. [00:14:49]

God's role in our suffering is not to cause it, but to walk with us through it. [00:16:45]

So God is with us in our suffering, and God redeems our suffering. God is not the malevolent puppet master causing our suffering. [00:17:52]

We don't have to try to answer people's questions. We don't have to try to make meaning of their suffering. We simply need to show up. That's the biggest, the best thing we can do for our friends who are suffering. Show up. Show up with practical help. Show up and pick people up at the airport. Show up and say, do you have a grocery list? I'm going to Publix today. I'd love to pick some things up for you. Show up with your presence, not your platitudes. Just show up. [00:19:07]

And in the middle of all this, know that this whole question of theodicy, that's the five dollar word that tries to answer the question of God's role in human suffering. This whole question is a great big mystery that people of faith have been trying to solve for millennia. And you're not going to answer it in a simple platitude. But embrace the mystery and remember that the phrase isn't everything happens for a reason. The phrase might better be everything happens. And there's a great big mystery around that. [00:19:47]

But here's what we know. Here's what we know about God in the midst of all this. Number one, God loves us even in tragedy. Number two, God suffers with us. No better example than the cross. Number three, God promises ultimate healing. This is the hope that we have in resurrection. And number four, God calls us to love each other through the pain. These are immutable truths that we can take to the bank, my friends. [00:20:25]

So at the end of the day, the phrase, everything happens for a reason, tries to make sense of senseless suffering. But what if comfort that we need isn't an explanation, but a presence? What if what matters isn't finding the reason, but discovering the God who enters our unreasonable pain? [00:21:00]

It wasn't reason that she was looking for. It was this grace. Friends, everything doesn't really happen for a reason. But God walks with us through everything. And you can take that to the bank. [00:21:49]

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