God Does Not Leave You in the Yuk

God Wastes Nothing: Hope in Suffering

I wept today in a way I had never experienced before. I wept for the destruction caused by sin and for the schemes of Satan, who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. I wept for someone I barely know. and yet I know that in the midst of their chaos, holding on to God is the lifeline they need.

Life has a way of pulling us into places we would never choose—loss, betrayal, illness, depression, anxiety, injustices, or another school shooting and another predator under our noses. I call them the “yuk” seasons of life. And when you are in the midst of one, often the human heart cries, “Where is God?”

Pain does not mean God is absent.  But often it is an invitation into deeper reliance on His grace (Psalm 34:18, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted”). Scripture tells us that evil and suffering are temporary, and our hope rests in the promise that one day He will wipe away every tear (Revelation 21:4).

Evil did not originate with God but entered the world through human free will and rebellion. God created us with free will (the ability to choose), because love cannot exist without freedom. If He had forced humanity to obey Him, it would not have been genuine love—it would have been coercion. Real love requires real choice. In giving us free will, God allowed for the possibility of sin but also made possible authentic relationship with Him.

Here’s an apologetic insight: the existence of evil is actually evidence for God. Why? Because when we call something “evil,” we are appealing to an objective moral law. Objective moral laws cannot exist without a moral Lawgiver. Without God, there would be no ultimate standard of good—only personal opinion. Evil, therefore, points us to the reality of God as the source of morality.

JP Moreland emphasizes that suffering, though painful, often enlarges our capacity to trust God . We grow in courage, compassion, endurance, and faithfulness that come out of hardship. In this sense, God does not waste our suffering.

We must acknowledge that in our human and fallen nature, our understanding is limited. God is the eternal, omniscient, and omnipresent Creator. His knowledge is complete, and His wisdom is perfect (Genesis 1:1).

But God has revealed enough of Himself through Scripture and creation for us to trust His nature. He upholds the universe by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:3), guiding history with His providential hand. Though we cannot see the full picture, we can rest in the truth that His sovereignty never changes.

So, how does God respond when we’re in the storm? He may:

• Guide you through it step by step,

• Stand with you in it so you’re never alone,

• Or deliver you from it in His time.

In every case, God is at work.

God’s redemption can take even the worst things and make them our greatest ministry. Joseph told his brothers, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20). Paul described his trials as light and momentary compared to the eternal glory they were producing (2 Corinthians 4:17). His prison chains became the platform for the gospel.

The question then becomes, will you believe Him or not?

As Christians, we are called not only to forgive but also to pursue honesty, justice, and accountability. True humility does not mean ignoring wrongdoing; it means facing it with truth and grace. We must model integrity in how we respond to sin so the world does not see hypocrisy in our faith but the love and justice of Christ lived out.

When nothing else makes sense Christianity brings a unique kind of hope:

• You are not defined by your pain but by being made in the image of God.

• Jesus suffered. Your suffering can be redeemed into ministry, character, and testimony.

• This world’s suffering is temporary. Christ has already secured the final victory.

Evil and suffering are real, but they are not the end of the story. The cross itself looked like the greatest defeat until the resurrection revealed it as the greatest victory.

And when that happens, you will look back and see: He never wasted a thing.

References

Moreland, J. P., & Issler, K. D. (2006). The lost virtue of happiness: Discovering the disciplines of the good life. NavPress.

New International Bible. (2011). Zondervan. (Original work published 1978).