Why is there suffering?

Let's talk about a difficult subject for a minute. And, and that's the issue of suffering. It is part of the human equation. We may think that we can avoid suffering through life, but it really is not the case. Some suffering comes about because we're in a sinful condition that has its roots right back in the fall of Adam and then in the garden of Eden. The human condition was tainted by that fall and one of the ways it manifests is in suffering. But suffering is broader than that - suffering is a condition in which we come to the end of our own resources, the end of our own capacity, and God is never distant. Even in the time of suffering, He's nearby, He understands, and so we can relate to God, even in that difficult condition. He may take us through it. He may prolong it, but He's always present in it. When suffering occurs, think about how that suffering itself can be turned to help us in our growth to help us get closer to God, not more distant. And we'll see that even in suffering, there's a redemptive side of it that can result in blessing our lives.