Many are perplexed and left without answers, as they see unparalleled wickedness in both high and low places all over the world. Fear and dread churns in people's minds from expected worldwide doom, which is common in all sectors of life. An example of this is found in the words of one who wrote and expressed her terrible anxiety over an act of evil that took place a few years ago:

"I watched the news this afternoon (I don't know why I did, it almost always depresses me) and saw that a man in Japan brutally stabbed 21 first and second grade children in their classrooms, killing 8 of them. Whenever I hear about these tragedies, great or small, I fall apart. I cry and I mourn for the victims and their families even though I don't know them. I become so upset, that even after I gain control of myself, my mind keeps wandering back to how those people must feel.

"I question continuously why must we suffer so horribly, and how the death of innocent children by a madman fits into any kind of plan by God. Some days I believe that evil is created by stupid humans, and then days like today, I believe there is a force that loves to see our suffering. I don't know how to continue to see God as a good, loving, and omnipotent force, our Father, when he allows this to happen to his children. I also don't know how to tell myself that these people’s suffering is not my own, and that I just need to go on with my day and forget about it. I was hoping that you could offer me some advice, or point me in the direction of some readings that would allow me to deal with these facts of life. I know that I am not made to understand the mind of God, but I feel I need some sort of understanding to get through days like today. Thanks for listening."

Questions concerning such horrid acts upon the innocent, especially children, are, no doubt, among the most frequently asked, yet they are probably the least able to be answered. Notwithstanding, when we weigh in the balance good and evil, justice and injustice, love and hate, and knowing somewhat the plan of God for His creation, we can see that these things have to do with the interplay between good and evil, and that in due time it all works toward the incomprehensible good for every person. It is difficult for us to imagine that anything good could possibly come from the evil that sweeps over us at times.

Do such statements give us solace in the midst of anguish and heartbreak? Probably not, but sometimes that is all we have to rest our weary minds upon. Unless they are breathed from on high by the Spirit, they may be no more than hollow words. So we will proceed.

When Christians suffer terrible afflictions, horrible illnesses, or dire hardships, very often their brothers and sisters either think or accuse them of harboring hidden sins. They then believe that God is punishing them by heaping all these dreadful maladies upon them. For instance, one of our dearest friends, a 92 year old saint of the highest order, has been bedfast for three years with breast and bone cancer. She was told by a very religious sister that she evidently had hidden sin in her life, and she needed to repent before she could be healed.

An example akin to this can be seen in the story of the young blind man who Jesus had healed (John 9:3), and the religious leaders ask Him which had sinned, the young man or his parents. They were told that neither had sinned; but it was in order for God's glory to be seen by all. Frankly, the Pharisees were just as blind only in a different manner which seems to be far more difficult to heal than physical blindness.

The same goes for Job and his "comforting" friend. Even though God said that he was righteous in all his ways, Elihu lambasted him throughout several chapters, especially in chapter 33 where he accused the righteous man of pride and arrogance. Moreover, most pastors believe and teach the accusations of his learned friend as being the truth, while discounting what God said about him, namely:

"And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou moved me against him, to destroy him without cause." Job 2:3.

People, saints and sinners alike, reap what they sow, good or evil, health or sickness; but when sowing is not a factor – it still rains good and evil on them both, on the just and the unjust. What a mystery!

If the horse learns obedience, forsaking its own will, it can then be used throughout the man’s kingdom. If not, it might be sold and become dog food and soap. If our will is not broken during this time, and we insist on maintaining our own self-expression, I doubt that we will wind up as dog food and soap; but we will be of little value in the kingdom of God. Think about it!

A renowned voice in God's kingdom, J. Preston Eby, said:

"It is the elect of the Lord who have been specifically selected by the Father to partake of the sufferings of Christ through the trials and tribulations which He brings into our lives. It was the plan and purpose of God that each son of God should be tested and tried to prepare us for the glory of His kingdom we are destined to receive. Don’t think that you have to suffer great things like martyrdom or twenty years in a rat-infested prison in order for God to accomplish His work. There is a vast variety of events in our everyday lives uniquely designed to test every area the Lord would put His hand on. Each of us has had a unique set of tests and trials to go through to build the character of Christ in our lives. Our trials have not been harder than anyone else's, just different. We are distinct members of the Christ body, and the Lord’s processings for each one varies according to His purpose in us and the place we shall fill."

Since evil is common among men, do you suppose God should spare his own sons and daughters from this common denominator? He did not spare His first Son from it, so I doubt that any of us will merit special favor and avoid the flames either. We will all be salted with fire. The fact is, it would do us a great disservice to be protected from this common evil. We would never mature enough to be of help to anyone, including ourselves.

Sympathy and empathy are terms with very significant distinctions. Sympathy and empathy are both acts of feeling, but with sympathy you feel for the person; you’re sorry for them or pity them; but you don’t specifically feel or understand what they are going through. Sometimes we are left with little choice but to feel sympathy, because, if we haven’t experienced it ourselves, we really cannot understand or be touched by the hardships of someone else.

Empathy, of course, can be described as feeling with, rather than for, the person. Namely, you are placing yourself in that person’s place. You have a good sense of what they are going through, and you know by experience what they feel. Of course, on the natural scale of things, it may be impossible to fully empathize, because each individual's thoughts and feelings are going to be unique. Yet, the idea of empathy implies a much more active process than sympathy. Instead of feeling sorry for someone, you are sorry with them and have clothed yourself in the same mantle of their tragedy. You truly feel the evil that had befallen them.

I praise God that each of us do not have to experience and empathize with every evil that afflicts every person in the world; but I believe among the body of Christ there is always someone who can relate to every individual in the world. And each of these sons of God will not only empathize with them, but will make intercession on their behalf.

At this present time, there is a flame in our hearts to impart life to every soul. When godly sorrow works repentance unto salvation, and they know Christ's love, the world will know war no more; for their spirit will be like the elect of God, namely, the Spirit of love and peace!

Something is happening, brethren, and we are right in the middle of it, because it's right in the middle of us. We couldn't escape it or stop it if we wanted to! If we happened to have a thought to stop the sun from rising in the morning, we know the futility of attempting such foolishness. It is an impossibility, and obviously, neither can we nor do we want to stop the Sun/Son from rising in our hearts.

When He becomes our world, our everything, we can do nothing but radiate with His bright glory. There will be no effort in being His gloriously peculiar people. We are now and will continue to be who we are in Him. However, should we try to be glorious, should we claim to have overcome and are already walking 100% in the Spirit, our countenance will languish. Rather than shining as a son or daughter by nature, our glory would fade to a poor imitation, a self-transformation with no substance, and everyone would see the façade except those going through the motions and acting the part. There are actors who get so caught up in the part that they are playing, they actually believe they are that character. Neither the lion nor the dove has to claim what they are. Without trying – they simply ARE – and it is obvious to everyone.

Impatience is one of the handicaps that cause some to rush the hour of our Lord’s appearing which will be in, through, and from His corporate body. Impatience serves very often to unveil a person’s unfinished work while the sculptor is still in the process of chiseling away at his or her flesh. Impatience of the immature has been the undoing of many, and it seems to be more prevalent today with those of "deeper" truths. It has born haste, and we fear that there will be a great waste.

In an old book, Things of The Mind by John Lancaster Spalding, 1894, he wrote that:

"Haste is the mark of immaturity. He who is master of his tools and certain of himself knows that he is able, and neither hurries nor worries, but works and waits. As what one can lift or bear depends on strength and training of body, so what one can understand or appreciate depends on vigor and discipline of mind. You would pour truth into the hearts of men, but would thou pour water into a sieve? Your doctrines will be of little help unless the heart and mind be made whole."

Additional thoughts from Preston Eby:

"As one has written: ‘In many of its aspects haste is the mark of immaturity. To those who are now becoming spiritually mature, there is an undergirding of knowledge that 'to every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose...' (Eccl.. 3:1), and they desire to only move in GOD’S TIMING, not to rush ahead in a final outburst of self-promotion to claim to be this, or that. When the vision seems to tarry, we can well afford to 'wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry' (Hab. 2:3). At the Father s appointed time He will fully manifest His own – placing them in the position for which He has been preparing them. Yes, in the making of kings and priests through whom God shall administer the affairs of His kingdom, He has carefully selected His vessels, and is now processing them by means that stagger the imagination with their intensity and scope. But God shall not be satisfied with an inferior product, hence the transformation must penetrate into every fiber of our being until the whole of all things becomes A NEW CREATION in Christ Jesus.

We do not want to conclude this study without borrowing some priceless thoughts from the late George Hawtin:

"Undoubtedly there is a day coming when every intricate detail of His fathomless purpose shall be revealed to our wondering eyes. Then and then alone shall we see the reason behind the storms that beset us. Then we shall understand the reason for pain and suffering and see what PURPOSE it had in our molding and making. Then we shall understand the PURPOSE of death and sorrow, and why war darkened our horizons and disappointment deferred our hopes and dashed our ambitions. And though we cannot understand it all now, how it lightens our load and fills our hearts with love and understanding when we know that back of it all is one great revealing truth – GOD'S PURPOSE!

"Divine, infinite purpose lies behind all things, and the moment this wonderful truth dawns upon your spiritual understanding, all things begin to make sense and your love for God springs from a new foundation, even the foundation of wisdom and understanding. You may not yet understand the purpose of any of the things that have puzzled you, or the reason for the doubts and fears, the pains and woes that often come upon you, but your heart rejoices that in the process of your making – God is using the proper methods to make you according to His purpose....

"Can you not see the tremendous value of the desperate vanity and night of the fall as you read these truths? Can you not see that by the travail, darkness, pain, and temptation of this dismal night of sin, God is building something into the ENTIRE CREATION that will shine and blaze in transcending splendor in the glory of the ages yet unborn? Now listen further while we read the introduction to the above passage. In Romans 8:18-19 the Apostle Paul says, ‘For I reckon that the SUFFERINGS OF THIS PRESENT TIME ARE NOT WORTHY TO BE COMPARED WITH THE GLORY THAT SHALL BE REVEALED IN US, for the earnest expectation of creation waits for the MANIFESTATION OF THE SONS OF GOD.’ There is PURPOSE in the suffering of this present time. There is glorious unequaled design, for it is the suffering and night the world is enduring now that will bring forth unequaled and unexcelled glory, even the glory of SONSHIP, maturity in the image of God. There is definite purpose in all suffering. It is producing the very image that God desires. He cannot make the kind of sons He wants without the blazing furnaces of suffering and affliction. Do not forget this truth, and do not forget that this kind of fiery trial that is to try you could not have existed without the FALL OF MAN. Oh, how much we miss by believing our stupid traditions which make the fall to be an accident brought about by the cunning of Satan and the inattention of the Lord.

"Christians of all ages have diligently enquired, ‘Why do the righteous suffer?’ The answer is very, very simple in the light and understanding of His infinite purpose. Few subjects in scripture receive more attention than suffering and affliction, and the Holy Spirit has constantly pointed out that suffering and affliction which come as a result of the FALL OF MAN are for our eternal benefit in bringing us to perfection and sonship. They serve as instruments to mature us. Even of the blessed Christ Himself it is clearly stated, ‘Though HE WERE A SON YET LEARNED HE OBEDIENCE THROUGH THE THINGS HE SUFFERED, and BEING MADE PERFECT He became the AUTHOR OF ETERNAL SALVATION.’ Heb. 5:8. Listen to James as he exhorts us. ‘Take, my brethren, the prophets as an example of SUFFERING AFFLICTION, and of PATIENCE. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the END OF THE LORD; that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy.’ James 5:10-11. Listen to Peter as he declares, ‘For as much then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, ARM YOURSELVES with the same mind:

"For he that hath SUFFERED IN THE FLESH hath CEASED FROM SIN, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the WILL OF GOD.’ 1 Pet. 4:1, 2. And again, ‘But the God of all grace, who hath CALLED US UNTO ETERNAL GLORY by Jesus Christ, AFTER YOU HAVE SUFFERED A WHILE make you PERFECT, ESTABLISH, STRENGTHEN and settle you.’ 1 Pet. 5:10. Listen to Paul again, as he declares, ‘For our light affliction which is but for a moment is WORKING IN US A FAR MORE EXCEEDING AND ETERNAL WEIGHT OF GLORY.’ 2 Cor. 4:17.

"I cannot go on with the scriptures that show the vast benefits derived from suffering, affliction, sorrow, heartache, pain, deferred hopes, loss, disappointment, and the thousand other things men endure. You may study them all for yourselves. Let me assure you, however, of this: the anguish and sorrow of all these things are the furnace that refines the gold and brings us to MATURITY AND THE IMAGE OF THE LORD. When God proclaimed, ‘LET US MAKE MAN IN OUR IMAGE AND AFTER OUR LIKENESS,’ little did any creature know the eternal methods and fires He would use to perfect that image beyond the power of destruction. None of these things could have been accomplished without the FALL OF MAN, for without the FALL none of them would have existed at all.

"When we realize that...being wise through knowledge and experience and not innocence, we would know both good and evil and could choose the good and refuse the evil. Never again will sin darken the universe, for a race of SONS OF GOD who have been redeemed and cleansed from sin shall reign in eternal righteousness.

Therewith, we can see that it is essential for us to harbor this one assuring thought in our minds—WE ARE NOT OUR OWN. We were bought with a price, the price of Christ's own blood. We are a priceless possession, purchased by Him who paid with His life. Since He paid such a high cost to redeem us, He will not allow any of us to go unrefined. We are His prized workmanship with which He takes great care and pride. Not only do the cool breezes of life that He blows upon us help to form what we shall be, but each blaze of tormenting pain as well. They also serve to bring us to a very real, eternal weight of glory, a glory which will be revealed in His appointed time and season. It is then, as His full-grown sons, that we will sit and reign with Him in that refined glory. It is then that by His life we will bind up the broken hearted and bring peace to this hurting world.

Now, let patience have her perfect work; for as the English proverb states: