It seems these days that people believe that if you are Christian and you have faith, you should not have to suffer. Only bad people suffer and good people — well, they have good things happen to them. But what happens when something bad happens to someone who is good or faithful? Where does that leave us?

The writer of Psalm 22 has experienced a long period of sickness and imprisonment. Bad stuff. Yet at the end of this passage, it says that God listened. If the psalmist had faith, why would God just listen? Why not prevent the bad from happening?

It turns out, faith doesn’t work like that. Suffering is a part of life, and the choices that we make and others make affect us. God does not prevent suffering from happening to anyone: good or bad, faithful or without faith.

But don’t be discouraged. The psalmist reminds us that God listens. God, the all powerful, listens, pays attention, and cares. We are not alone.

By Stephen Mazingo from D365