You yourself have recorded my wanderings. Put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? (Psalm 56:8)
Human suffering is one of the deepest mysteries of life. From the pain of disease to the bitterness of betrayal, from the futility of work to the sting of death, every person knows what it means to suffer. But if God is all-powerful and all-loving, why does He allow His image-bearers to endure such grief? Why would He create humanity if the end of so many is eternal judgment?
These are not idle questions. They reach into the very heart of our existence. The Bible does not shrink back from these realities, and the great preachers of the church—men like John MacArthur, R.C. Sproul, and the Puritans—have always insisted that suffering must be understood in the light of God’s holiness, man’s sin, and Christ’s redeeming work.
The answer is this: we suffer because we are not in the direct presence of the God who made us. We were created to know Him, to behold His glory, and to live in His fellowship. Sin shattered that design. And until that fellowship is restored, the ache of separation will be felt in every part of human life.
Created for God’s Presence
From the beginning, God’s design for humanity was fellowship with Himself. In Eden, Adam and Eve enjoyed the very presence of the Lord, walking with Him in the cool of the day. Their life was abundant, not because of mere material blessings, but because they lived coram Deo—before the face of God.
This is why the psalmist can say, “In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). The presence of God is life itself. To be cut off from Him is to be cut off from joy, light, and hope.
Sin and the Loss of Presence
But man rebelled. With a single act of disobedience, Adam broke the covenant of life and plunged the race into separation from God. The immediate consequence was exile: “He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword” (Genesis 3:24).
That image of banishment is the key to understanding suffering. Sin did not merely bring toil, disease, and death. Those are symptoms. The real tragedy is alienation. As Paul explains, mankind is “separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12).
The Puritans would often describe sin as “God’s absence felt.” The unrest in our souls, the corruption in our bodies, the frustration of our labor, and the groaning of creation itself all testify that man was made for God’s presence but now lives east of Eden.
The Universal Groan of Humanity
This explains the universality of suffering. It is not limited to the poor, the sick, or the oppressed. Even the wealthy, healthy, and powerful feel its weight. Solomon, a man who tasted every earthly pleasure, still confessed, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2).
Why? Because no earthly gift can substitute for God Himself. The restless heart longs for the Creator. Augustine was right: “You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in You.”
To suffer, then, is not merely to endure external hardship. It is to live in a world where the presence of God is veiled, where sin blinds our eyes and hardens our hearts, and where our fellowship with Him is broken.
Hell: The Fullness of Separation
This reality finds its ultimate expression in Hell. Many people imagine Hell as fire and torment, and Scripture certainly uses those images. But the essence of Hell is the absence of God’s favorable presence. Paul describes it as “eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might” (2 Thessalonians 1:9).
To live apart from God in this world is misery; to be cut off from Him forever is damnation. This is not cruelty on God’s part. It is the just judgment of sinners who refuse His presence, who spurn His grace, and who will not bow to His Son. As R.C. Sproul once said, “The most terrifying thing about Hell is not the fire or the worm—it is the absence of God’s blessing presence.”
Christ: God With Us
But thanks be to God, suffering is not the final word. The Gospel declares that what sin destroyed, God has restored in Christ.
The wonder of the Incarnation is summed up in a single name: Immanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23). Jesus Christ, the eternal Son, took on flesh and entered our exile. He walked in our suffering, bore our sorrows, and endured our temptations. Most of all, He experienced the forsakenness we deserve when He cried out on the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).
In that moment, the Holy One endured separation from the Father so that sinners might be reconciled. The flaming sword of Eden fell on Him, that the way back to God might be opened.
The Gospel Solution
Because of Christ’s death and resurrection, the exile can end. The Gospel promise is reconciliation: “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). Notice the goal—to bring us to God.
This is the heart of salvation. It is not merely forgiveness of sins, nor escape from Hell, nor the hope of Heaven’s pleasures. It is restored fellowship with the living God. The presence lost in Eden is regained in Christ.
By faith in Him, sinners are justified, adopted, and given the Spirit as the down payment of eternal life. Believers can now draw near with confidence to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). And one day, faith will give way to sight: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God” (Revelation 21:3).
An Exhortation to the Reader
If you are weary under suffering, do not mistake its root cause. The ache of your life is not ultimately financial hardship, failing health, or broken relationships. These are grievous, but they are symptoms. The true reason you suffer is that you are not yet in the unbroken presence of your Creator.
But hear the good news: Christ has opened the way. If you repent of your sin and trust in Him, you will be reconciled to God. The restlessness of your soul will find its home. And even in this fallen world, you will know the peace that comes from His Spirit dwelling within you.
Therefore, meditate deeply on this truth: the greatest suffering is life apart from God, and the greatest joy is life in His presence through Christ. Only then can you endure the pains of this world with hope, knowing that one day, sorrow will be no more, and you will see His face.
Reformed Faith Insights 