By Jason Smith

“I form light and
create darkness,
I make well-being and create calamity,
I am the LORD, who does all these things.” (Isaiah 45:5-7)

Just how sovereign is the God of the Bible? When one
considers the endless stream of chaos, violence, and injustice reported on both
local and national news stations, it could be very hard to believe that God really
is in control.

The Bible describes God as infinitely loving,
righteous, and good (Psalm 34:8; 145:17; 1 John 4:8).  In fact, Scripture reminds us that if there is
one thing we can absolutely count on, it is that every single good thing we
have has come to us from the loving hand of our Father in heaven (James 1:17).
Friendship. Love. Family. Income. Health. A loving community of believers. The
food in our stomach. The mocha I drank this morning. The car I drove to work
in. Even the seemingly insignificant trivialities in life that brighten my day.
They all come to me as undeserved gifts from a Father who delights to shower me
with His love. This is important for me to remember, because apart from God’s
grace, I would quickly lapse into the worst kind of pessimism.

That being said, what are we to make of all this
evil and perversity in a world run by a good and holy God? In light of all the
suffering in the world, atheists such as Richard Dawkins frequently say the burden
of proof is on those who claim an all-powerful deity exists. Psalm 115:2 says
that the nations may taunt, “Where is their God?” But our response will always
be, “Our God is in heaven and does as He pleases” (v. 3). However, if we are
honest, we can admit it is sometimes difficult to see this.

Repeatedly, Scripture reminds us of God’s
all-pervasive sovereignty. “The Lord has established His throne in the heavens,
and His sovereignty rules over all” (Psalm 103:19, NASB). “The Most High rules
over the kingdom of men and gives it to whom He will and sets over it the
lowliest of men” (Daniel 4:17). In fact, God’s sovereign control is so
meticulous that every roll of a dice or flip of a coin is determined by Him
(see Proverbs 16:33). Thus, God decides the outcome of every NFL game that goes
to overtime.

Why So Much Suffering?

But the question remains: If God really is in
total control, why is the world so filled with evil and suffering? Upon a
moment’s reflection, one can see that this is a tragedy-stricken world. We see
bitter racism, hostile international aggression, lawsuits filed between those
who once professed undying love for each other, and terrible diseases
afflicting little babies. How are we to make sense of this conundrum? This
question quickly flees the realm of the theoretical when either you or someone you
love is struck by grief, tragedy, or betrayal.

In the biblical worldview, we are reminded that
all suffering, disease, and death is the result of Adam’s fall into sin (see
Romans 5:12). Although he was one man, that rebellion had a cataclysmic effect
on all creation. We may downplay the seriousness of sin, but it always has
consequences that extend even to the creation we inhabit. The natural world is
subject to frustration, in “bondage to corruption,” and “groaning together in
the pains of childbirth until now” (Romans 8:20-22). Adam led the way, but by
extension, the whole human race is described as being in revolt against our
Maker, suppressing the truth that He is righteous and we are not (Romans
1:18-21; 3:10).

It is into this broken world that God sent His
dearly beloved Son to suffer alongside us as a human being and ultimately bear
the infinite debt we owed for opposing God’s design and purpose, so that we
might be totally forgiven and reconciled to Him (2 Corinthians 5:18-21). God
loved us even when we hated Him (Romans 5:8-11). Jesus, the God-man, can
“sympathize with our weaknesses,” pain, and frustrations, because He lived as
one of us, “yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). In other words, God has proven
through the cross that He has not abandoned us. Because of Christ’s atoning
work, one day He will usher in a new creation where there will be no more pain,
tears, or death (Revelation 21:1-5). We must cling to this unspeakably precious
truth. At this point, you may be thinking, That
is all true, but what about the suffering we still have to deal with today?

“I Am Yahweh, Who Does All These Things”

Many have proposed the solution is admitting
God’s limited ability or knowledge, but Scripture everywhere rules that out.[1] Apparently, our comfort in
suffering cannot be that God tried His best, but was simply unaware or unable
to do anything about it. Remarkably, God often emphasizes the extent of His
sovereignty in the very context in which the most heinous evil is described
(see Genesis 45:5-8; 50:15-20; Acts 2:22-23; 4:27-28). Isaiah makes this very
point when he quotes God declaring how He will equip the ungodly King Cyrus to
accomplish His purpose.

“I am the LORD, and there is no other,
besides me there is no God;
I equip you, though you do not know me,

that people may know, from the rising of the sun
and from the west, that there is none besides me;
I am the LORD, and there is no other.

I form light and create darkness,
I make well-being and create calamity,
I am the LORD, who does all these things.”
(Isaiah 45:5-7)

Notice God intentionally describes the full spectrum over which He has control: “I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the LORD, who does all these things” (v. 7). The Hebrew word for “calamity” is ra (רָע) , which is most often translated “evil.” Although we may hesitate to credit God with having perfect control over all evil, our Lord is not. God seems to be going out of His way in Isaiah 45:5-7 to declare His sovereignty in all its fullness. Both good and evil occur according to His providential will. God is obviously not the direct cause of evil — He is spotless and holy. Nevertheless, He indirectly permits every instance of evil. If He did not, He would not really be sovereign. In fact, if something happened outside of His control, He would not truly be Yahweh, the God of Scripture. That is the whole point of saying, “I am Yawheh, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am Yawheh, who does all these things” (vv. 6b-7). God is the one who purposefully “works all things according to the counsel of His will” while nevertheless remaining perfectly righteous in all His ways (Ephesians 1:11).

The Greatest Comfort in Suffering

So, what’s the point? Just this: there is untold comfort in knowing and
believing that God really is in control over all of creation. When pain and
suffering rock our world, we can easily feel like we are drowning in a current
of chaotic emotions. Fighting desperately to keep our head above water, we can
struggle to believe that God is even real in those moments. Isaiah says Yahweh
is a God who at times seems to hide Himself (Isaiah 45:15).

However paradoxical it may seem
initially, the thing that will bring us the most hope and solace in the midst
of our suffering is the reality of God’s absolute control – the truth that
nothing can ultimately thwart His sovereign will. No matter how many times we
get knocked to the ground, we can know that our King is never knocked off His
throne. That is why we can trust Him when He says, “Turn to me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other” (v. 22).
This is not a provisional salvation, but an assured “everlasting
salvation” (v. 17). If God truly is sovereign, then we can bank on
His promise to use every instance of evil in our life to bring about His good
purposes. We can be certain that our suffering is not meaningless. “And we know
that for those who love God all things work
together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans
8:28). Perhaps no truth is more comforting while we walk through pain and
suffering than knowing that in the midst of all the chaos and confusion, God is
working for our ultimate good and His everlasting glory.

Obviously, His moral will can be resisted by His
rebellious creatures.[2] We’re
not merely pawns on the cosmic chessboard, but free moral agents who are
responsible for the choices we make. Yet, even this is only because He, the
omnipotent Creator, allows us to go our own way. God’s providential plan
for the universe — even His meticulous sovereignty — can never be
thwarted by human evil. Think of it: He can even choose to rescue His people
through a wicked man like Cyrus, who doesn’t even know Him (Isaiah 45:1, 4-5).
That is why He is a God worthy of our total allegiance and worship (v. 23).

When suffering afflicts us, we are often surprised by it, but God never is surprised by our suffering. And that is the truth that will be our lifeline pulling us through the agony of hardship.

[1]
“Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great
power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you” (Jeremiah
32:17; also see v. 27; Matthew 19:26; Luke 1:37). “Even before a word is on my
tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether” (Psalm 139:4; also see Jeremiah
23:24; Daniel 2:22; Matthew 6:4).

[2]
Think of any time we break one of the Ten Commandments, which are an expression
of His holy will for human life.