No one wants to suffer. No one likes to hurt. And personally, I don’t believe God wants that for us. In fact, I know God explained the good and the bad and then told us to choose the good! He said choose life! And He explained what He’d do for us if we did, and if we didn’t.

I like the sign on a church I pass by, it says there are troubles in this world, but God’s children are blessed, and while others are suffering, we are rejoicing. We pray for and help those in need, and the Lord preserves us, and brings us through our problems with ease when we are attacked; if we are leaning on Him in all our ways (not just some of them).

Deuteronomy 30:15-20 “15See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;

16In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.

17But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them;

18I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.

19I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

20That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.” KJV

In verse 17 above, I ask you, what kind of false gods do you serve? Believe it or not, even checking your horoscope is serving a false god, because it is something you believe controls your destiny, instead of God. Our relationship with God and Jesus Christ is based on faith and belief. Do you ‘check in’ with your daily horoscope instead of speaking to God and consulting with the Holy Spirit about your day ahead of you?

Do you pray or ask someone or something else, instead of God, for miracles? Are there rituals you do, or that you believe in? Do you ask God for a miracle and place your faith in another belief, too? What is your faith in? You may believe in a false god and not realize it.

In John chapter 10 Jesus said “9I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

10The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

11I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” John 10:9-11 KJV

Jesus also said “11These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” John 15:11 (KJV); and “24Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.” John 16:24 (KJV). See also 1 John 1:4 and 2 John 1:12

Based on God’s Word, I believe God wants us to be healthy, because He taught us safeguards regarding eating, storing our food, living, etc. (if you read the Old Testament you’d catch it all throughout the first five chapters; including resting from all work on the Sabbath! That was for our health, too! Think about it! He said everyone in our household, including animals were to rest. Our body would completely let down & rest; nerves, muscles, mind, and emotions. We were not even to cook! For me, cooking can take me half a day sometimes, so I can only imagine back then what cooking involved because they had to grind their own wheat, and thresh it, too! Imagine how much more healthy we’d all be if we rested one day a week. Rest gives our immune system a chance to catch up, and did you know the only time our body heals itself (in the way God created it to), is when we’re sleeping? But don’t be a sluggard, He said one day a week!

And, if we do get sick, even after doing all He taught us to in order to stay healthy, He gave us herbs and physicians, AND He said He Himself is our God who heals us!

Exodus 15:26

He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.”

Well, my bible mentions suffering many times and for various reasons, and I’d like to share a few.

Paul said in Romans 8:28 “28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

In Matthew 5:10 Jesus said “10Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

He also said “20And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

21Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.

22Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.

23Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

24But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.

25Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.

26Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.” Luke 6:20-26 KJV

Peter said “12For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

13And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?

14But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;

15But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

16Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

17For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.

18For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

19By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;

20Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

21The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

22Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.” 1 Peter 3:12-22

We should not be afraid of man (1 Peter 3:14 above) and also because Jesus said “27What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.

28And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:27-28 KJV

Recommended Scripture to memorize Psalm 23.