When life gets hard, many people ask, “Where is God?” Maybe you’ve asked this question during the pandemic. Our experience of suffering often leads us to question the goodness of God. We tend to see those two realities—human suffering and God’s goodness—as opposed to each other. We naturally think that God is either not real or unloving when we have trouble. I have very strong feelings about this issue. As a pastor, I’ve staked my life on the idea that God is good, even in suffering. I would die for that belief. I wouldn’t trade it for all the money, popularity, and pleasure the world offers. I wake up every morning because I believe that God is good. This conviction reaches to the deepest parts of my soul. Why do I believe this? There are several reasons. The most important relates to the Gospel. The Bible teaches that God the Father brought about salvation (the most loving act ever displayed) through the suffering, misery, and death of his Son. Jesus’ death teaches us this profound lesson about the ways of God: pain is the platform God uses to demonstrate his love. Let that sink in. If you are struggling, if you are burdened and overwhelmed, rather than questioning God, cry out to him. He is there. He is in control. He is all-loving. He has shown you his love in the death of his Son; and Jesus’ death teaches us that God uses suffering to demonstrate his love to us. Pastor Chance