Finding God in the Storm: Why a Loving God Allows Suffering

The protagonist in Hope in a Hurricane spent most of his life resenting God for allowing so much suffering. Shawn experienced tremendous loss from a young age, and the hardships never seemed to stop. Unfortunately, our time on earth will be tumultuous. In fact, Jesus said in John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” While Jesus warned us that difficult times would come, He also reassured us that everything remains under His sovereign authority.

So why is there so much suffering? The short answer is sin. In the Garden of Eden, Eve ate the forbidden fruit despite God’s explicit warning not to. She then encouraged her husband to do the same. This seemingly small act had deadly consequences. Their disobedience brought sin and death into the world, separating humanity from God.

Sin often begins with fleshly desires that take root in our hearts. If we let those desires grow, they eventually lead to sinful actions. Tragically, the damage sin causes goes far beyond the person who committed the sin, deeply hurting others.

With that in mind, let’s go back to the original question: Why does God allow so much suffering?

Shawn spent years feeling angry, resentful, and wounded. He struggled to reconcile his pain with the goodness of a loving God, especially knowing He intervenes in our lives every day. If God is always with us, why does He rescue us from some situations but not others? We can find insight into this difficult question through the story of Job.

Job was a righteous man, “blameless and upright,” who feared God and turned away from evil (Job 1:1). He lived in the land of Uz about 2,000 years before Christ. He was a wealthy, respected man blessed with abundant possessions and a large family.

Then, one day, God allowed Satan to strip Job of nearly everything. Satan had accused Job of praising God only because He had protected and blessed him. To test Job’s faithfulness, God permitted Satan to take away his possessions and children. During this dark season, Job endured unimaginable suffering and was even accused by his wife and friends of hiding secret sin. Yet, despite this, “Job did not sin or charge God with wrong” (Job 1:22).

For several chapters, Job grieved and wrestled with his pain. In Job 7:19-21, he asked the Lord, “How long will you not look away from me, nor leave me alone till I swallow my spit? If I sin, what do I do to you, you watcher of mankind? Why have you made me your mark? Why have I become a burden to you? Why do you not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity?”

Then, in Job 31:35, Job pleaded with God for an explanation. God finally answered him in chapters 38 through 41, asking a series of questions that revealed His sovereign power, infinite wisdom, and perfect knowledge. Job responded with humility and silence.

Here is the point: Only God, the Creator and Sustainer of all things, sees and knows everything. Only He fully understands the greater purposes behind what happens on earth, including our suffering. In the end, God restored what Job had lost and blessed him with twice as much as he had before.

Take heart, suffering has a silver lining. Paul describes this truth in Romans 5:3-5: “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

Shawn was tossed about by life's storms, and we all have been in different ways. Some people endure more suffering than others, but pain touches every life. In the middle of that pain, perhaps the real question is, “What is God teaching me through this?”

Friends, you are loved, and you matter in God’s kingdom. He is doing a work in you that will not be completed until Jesus returns (Philippians 1:6). Take comfort in Romans 8:28: “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

We can also find hope in knowing that suffering is temporary. 1 Peter 5:10 reminds us, “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”

James 1:2-4 teaches us, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

Suffering may leave us with questions we cannot answer, but it does not mean God has abandoned us. Even in life’s fiercest storms, He is present. He strengthens our faith, shapes our character, and prepares us for eternity.

Like Shawn, we may not understand God’s purpose as we walk through painful circumstances, but we can trust His heart and hold firmly to His promise: He works all things for our good and His glory.

So here is the challenge: Take a moment to reflect on some of the most difficult experiences you have endured. Ask yourself, “What did God teach me during those trials?” If you are not sure, talk to God and ask Him to show you.

Then take it one step further and ask, “How can I use what I have experienced to help someone who is walking through a similar storm right now?”