One question that skeptics and believers both ask frequently is: "if God is so loving, why does He allow suffering and evil?"

We are in a series on the Psalms of Ascent called the Journey: Psalms for Pilgrim People. One notable feature of the journey of faith is oppression and suffering. In our Good Friday service this evening, we will examine briefly Psalm 129. In it, the Psalmist laments the repeated and frequent afflictions of his people. This Psalm is most applicable to Jesus on this day that we call Good Friday for He is the ultimate sufferer whose back is plowed to bring healing to us His sin-sick people. 

But what would life be like in our fallen world if God eliminated suffering? Malcolm Muggeridge, a noted British author and journalist answers:

"Supposing you eliminated suffering, what a dreadful place the world would be. The world would be the most ghastly place because everything that corrects the tendency of this unspeakable little creature, man, to feel over-important and over-pleased with himself would disappear. He’s bad enough now, but he would be absolutely intolerable if he never suffered” (Jesus Rediscovered, 1969. pp. 199-200).