We see here that suffering affliction is part of doing God's work. The prophets suffered for speaking in the name of The Lord.
Job suffered great loss and physical affliction when God chose to let Satan have some extra leash.
It is interesting to me to see how many Christians seem to think it is never the will of God for a Christian to suffer. They will tell a person who has an illness that God can and will heal them if they have enough faith. It is cruel to tell a suffering person this. What if God doesn't heal them? Then they are left with the feeling that there is something wrong with their faith.
How can these people in good conscience act like they know the mind of God in matters like this? It's as if they think they can demand that God do their bidding and heal the people they pray over and then when it doesn't happen they blame it on a lack of faith on the part of the suffering person. How cruel and unmerciful is that?
It is true that God can and does heal people from time to time, but it is wrong to presume it is His will to heal everyone.
The comfort here is that The Lord is full of pity and tender mercy toward those who suffer.
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