“LORD, WHY?”

Moses was compliant. He did just what God had instructed. He demanded that Pharoah release Hebrew slaves. But, Pharaoh wasn’t compliant.

Rather than release the Hebrews, Pharoah made their lives more unbearable. “That day Pharaoh commanded the overseers of the people as well as their foremen, ‘Don’t continue to supply the people with straw for making bricks, as before. They must go and gather straw for themselves. But require the same quota of bricks from them as they were making before; do not reduce it. For they are slackers—that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God’ ” (Exodus 5:6-8).

As the children of Israel suffered at the hands of their taskmasters, “Moses went back to the Lord and asked, ‘Lord, why have you caused trouble for this people? … Ever since I went in to Pharaoh to speak in your name he has caused trouble for this people, and you haven’t rescued your people at all’ ” (Exodus 5:22-23).

Why, Lord? Why do we suffer?

Sometimes we suffer because we live in a fallen world, a world that has been cursed due to sin. God said to our original ancestor, Adam, “You will eat bread by the sweat of your brow!” (Genesis 3:19).

Sometimes we suffer so that God can give us an opportunity to exercise our faith. “Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2-4).

Sometimes we suffer due to God’s always-just discipline. “My son, do not take the Lord’s discipline lightly or lose heart when you are reproved by him, for the Lord disciplines the one he loves and punishes every son he receives” (Hebrews 12:5-6)

Sometimes we suffer because God is teaching, training, and equipping us to serve Him.

“He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (2 Corinthians 1:4).

Maybe, just maybe, God allowed the Hebrew slaves to suffer to prepare them for all that was about to transpire. Maybe God was preparing His people to follow Him faithfully into the wilderness.

Instead of asking, “Lord, why?” maybe we should be asking, “Lord, what are you trying to teach me in this challenge or difficulty? Lord, what are you preparing me for?”

“… think on these things” (Philippians 4:8, KJV).