Week 10: Job’s friends
By Yolandé Korkie Rom 12:15: “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep [sharing others’ grief]” (Amp) Over the past couple of weeks, we have briefly touched on the mystery of suffering, and the sovereignty of God. Maybe you have not only been the one that suffered but have been a friend…
Week 9: What should we do in the midst of suffering?
By Yolandé Korkie Ps 55:23 “Cast you burdens on the Lord and He will sustain you. He will never permit the righteous to be moved” (NIV) The ability to trust God in the midst of personal suffering, especially when God does not answer our prayers, is something that Christians contend with everywhere. Despair, depression, exhaustion…
Week 6: Our definition of faith
By Yolandé Korkie Mark 14:36 “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.” (NASB) Suffering really gets tough when our prayers are not answered in the way we believed they would be answered. What happens to our faith when this happens?…
Week 5: The mystery of suffering
By Yolandé Korkie 1 John 4:10 “In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (NLT) Suffering is often considered a mystery, one which very few of us are capable of plumbing. In the Christian faith it…
Week 2: If God is all-powerful, why does He not prevent suffering? [Part 1 on the suffering of Job]
By Yolandé Korkie Job 42:5 “I have heard about You before, but now I have seen You with my own eyes.” (NLT) When we understand a little bit more about God’s sovereignty, we can begin to recognise that pain and suffering can have a purpose. To explore this topic, we turn to one of…
Week 1: Surprised by suffering?
1 Pet 4:12 “Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.” (NLT) Suffering has a way of catching us off guard. It takes us out of the realm of the abstract and into the realm of reality. When pain and suffering touches…