EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON: Misunderstood Comment

[Michael Wrenn]

Michael and Saturn you can believe what ever you want, just don't go around throwing cliches at HURTING people thinking you are helping them when you are not...to flippantly say "All Things Happen For A Reason" like God CAUSED it to happen, when that isn't true...it is what ONE DOES with the bad that happens that counts.

It says God CAUSES all things to work for GOOD to those who LOVE Him, if one doesn't love Him, than He cannot work out that good...sound pretty plain and simple to me.

He who has ears let him hear!

And you are accusing me of doing that or assuming I would do that, on what basis???

 

[Matt22:37-39]

Well naturally if you DISAGREE with my OP, then you would be one of those who would say something like that...I am sure one means well when they make comments like the ones below...sad thing is they do NOTHING for the one in pain who needs real applicable answers or for someone to tangibly be there for them. All that these kinds of statements do is make the person QUOTING them feel better, not the one they say them to.

Think about it...this has happened to you at one point in time I'm sure, so how did it really make you FEEL?

"God Is All You Need"

"Everything Happens For A Reason"

"I'll Pray For You"

"Jesus Is With You"


"I heard about a little boy who was frightened one night during a great thunderstorm. He called out to his father from his bedroom and said, "Daddy, I'm scared. Come in here."

His dad, who had settled in for the night and wanted to go to sleep, told the little boy, "Son, it's all right. God is with you in that room right now. You're OK."

There was a moment of silence. Then the little boy shot back, "Dad, right now I need someone with skin on."

 

[Oldtimer]

Well naturally if you DISAGREE with my OP, then you would be one of those who would say something like that...I am sure one means well when they make comments like the ones below...sad thing is they do NOTHING for the one in pain who needs real applicable answers or for someone to tangibly be there for them. All that these kinds of statements do is make the person QUOTING them feel better, not the one they say them to.

Think about it...this has happened to you at one point in time I'm sure, so how did it really make you FEEL?

"God Is All You Need"

"Everything Happens For A Reason"

"I'll Pray For You"

"Jesus Is With You"


"I heard about a little boy who was frightened one night during a great thunderstorm. He called out to his father from his bedroom and said, "Daddy, I'm scared. Come in here."

His dad, who had settled in for the night and wanted to go to sleep, told the little boy, "Son, it's all right. God is with you in that room right now. You're OK."

There was a moment of silence. Then the little boy shot back, "Dad, right now I need someone with skin on."

Matt, you sure have a burr under your saddle for some reason that is unknown to us. Has someone hurt you with words that YOU perceive to be unkind or unthoughtful?

I wouldn't have a problem with someone saying to me any of the things you mentioned, as long as I felt that the person intended to mean well by saying them. It isn't my place to be judgemental about someone's sincere intent, even though their choice of words may not be mine. None of us is perfect according to anyone's yardstick with our spoken word. I know I'm far from perfect, as I regret saying some things, as soon as they fly out of my mouth.

God is all we need. He supplies what we need in our lives, including friends. Friends who need us as much as we need them. It is a two way street. We don't pick and choose our friends based on their use or lack of use of cliches.

Everything does happen for a reason. I may never know the reason, not in this lifetime. If we leave God's will (whatever it may be) out of the picture, then we cast Him aside just as the evolutionist's do.

Why do babies die in the womb? I don't know. But, God does as He created those lives in the first place. Regardless of what scientists do in a test tube, they can't pick up a handful of dust and create a baby. Why do other babies live to be over a 100 years old? I don't know. But, God does, as He created those lives, too.

As a member of the body of Christ, both of your last two items, that you call "cliches" are welcome in my life. Yes, I want people to pray for me. Both in good times and times of sorrow. I've asked people to pray for me. Yes, I want people to pray with me, too. Where two or three are gathered.... yes Jesus is with me, with us. It is comforting to know that others believe that, as well.

Praise God! :jesus:

In closing, we are to forgive those who tresspass against us. If we believe that using a term such as "Everything happens for a reason" is a tresspass, then we should forgive the person who spoke those words. Whether an unfortunate choice of words or a delibrate attempt to inflict pain. Jesus set the standard for us. While, we as imperfect humans, can't match His perfection in word or deed, we can, as Oswald Chamber's said, do Our Utmost for His highest.

:godisgood:

 

[Aaron]

What does that have to do with anything? Jesus went WILLINGLY

You said God never wills a child to be murdered.

You're wrong.

 

[Michael Wrenn]

Well naturally if you DISAGREE with my OP, then you would be one of those who would say something like that...I am sure one means well when they make comments like the ones below...sad thing is they do NOTHING for the one in pain who needs real applicable answers or for someone to tangibly be there for them. All that these kinds of statements do is make the person QUOTING them feel better, not the one they say them to.

Think about it...this has happened to you at one point in time I'm sure, so how did it really make you FEEL?

"God Is All You Need"

"Everything Happens For A Reason"

"I'll Pray For You"

"Jesus Is With You"


"I heard about a little boy who was frightened one night during a great thunderstorm. He called out to his father from his bedroom and said, "Daddy, I'm scared. Come in here."

His dad, who had settled in for the night and wanted to go to sleep, told the little boy, "Son, it's all right. God is with you in that room right now. You're OK."

There was a moment of silence. Then the little boy shot back, "Dad, right now I need someone with skin on."

I responded to SN, not to you.

 

[Matt22:37-39]

You said God never wills a child to be murdered.

You're wrong.

Jesus was a man and He came down for the purpose of dying...He went willingly, sorry bad example.

 

[Matt22:37-39]

OT...what I said is true...look up the word EMPATHY if you don't have then I do not expect you to understand or be able to have it...seems all anyone wants to do is ARGUE instead of finding TRUTH in what is being said...

I had a wise person tell me..."try and find something that someone said is true and acknowledge it"

 

[Oldtimer]

OT...what I said is true...look up the word EMPATHY if you don't have then I do not expect you to understand or be able to have it...seems all anyone wants to do is ARGUE instead of finding TRUTH in what is being said...

I had a wise person tell me..."try and find something that someone said is true and acknowledge it"

Sir, I'm well aware of the definition of empathy. Before you start talking about what you expect me to understand, take the beam out of your own eye.

Since you addressed me directly with your post, may I remind you there's only one TRUTH. God's TRUTH. Everything else is man's opinion, both yours and mine.

Matthew 22: KJB

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

God comes first.

Followed by empathy for the plight of others. It's not the other way around.

Right now, Matt, I'm giving you the benefit of doubt. Your series of posts tends to indicate that you have been hurt by some situation that has arisen in your life. Thus, you don't want to hear what others believe to be the truth. Instead, you are seeking confirmation that your anger or whatever you're experiencing is justified. The second command does not mean we are to tell people what they want to hear.

If, I'm wrong, I apologize, upfront, for misunderstanding of your situation.

 

[Aaron]

Jesus was a man and He came down for the purpose of dying...

That's the reason the child was born. What's a worse sin? The murder of a child or the murder of God's Son?

He went willingly, sorry bad example.

Did the Father ask permission of the Son?

The long and the short of it is, you do not believe in a God who is in control, and without that assurance, you can have no faith whatever in the Father or His Son.

 

[Bronconagurski]

This has been one of those cliché’s Christians often throw around without truly understanding its meaning. Although this phrase cannot be found in the bible, there is some truth to it, if used in the right context. Romans 8:28 is often used to back up this man made statement. It wasn’t until a few years ago that God revealed to me what this quote and Romans 8:28 really means, as it needs to be lined up with God’s word and cannot contradict it. I have found that the way many Christians use this verse contradicts a foundational truth, which will be explained in a bit. Plus it must be read in CONTEXT of the whole chapter.
Instead of throwing cliché’s at hurting people we need to present the truth of what Romans 8;28 really means.

The paradox is found in trying to combine God’s SOVEREIGNTY with Man’s FREE WILL. To say that “Every Thing Happens For A Reason” and that “God Works ALL Things Out For Good”….leaves out man’s Free Will. Yes things happen due to natural cause and effect. Does that mean it is God ordained…not in the sense that He controlled every situation, or for you to do something or say something. He wouldn’t have you do or say something against His character. You made that choice now you have to live with it. We also cannot keep OTHERS from doing what they are doing to us, or what might affect us. God could if he wanted to (but that would go against His nature) direct and control everything, including what one does or says. He could even do away with Satan (and He will someday) and keep Satan from attacking His children. But God has chosen not to do this because who wants someone who ONLY loves you because you made them…not real love then is it? God is a jealous God and wants OUR LOVE and devotion.

What God has revealed to me over the years in my head and heart is this one truth. God gave us the Holy Spirit in us to HELP us do the ONE thing an unbeliever isn’t able to, and that is allow God to do His work for good, thus FULFILL Romans 8:28. He also cannot fulfill this with a disobedient Christian who is going their own way. See here is the key to it all and if followed fulfills Romans 8:28 and all of God’s number one desire for His children………
GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY…..Is just as powerful a fact as man’s free will. Obviously like I said God and can DO anything He wants. But He chose to set creation up in a way that glorifies Him. We were put here to Glorify God. I’m going to explain how I see the two fit together and you see if it makes any sense?

God has a part and I have a part. These two parts must fit together to make a functioning whole. Now if man’s free will is pulling in one direction and God’s is trying to draw him towards Himself….are all things working for mans good?...obviously not. I have been saying what I am about to say for many years, my response is often a puzzled look on many a Christians face….THE ONLY THING I AM CALLED TO DO AND IS WHAT GOT ME IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD IN THE FIRST PACE…THAT IS TO YIELD/SUBMIT to His call to His will….God’s job or part is to do the WORK. 1 Cor 3 is a great example of this. Jesus is the FOUNDATION and it is the work that God has done IN you and not the work of your flesh that is going to count. Our works will not be judged, it says, our FAITHFULNESS will be. As we yield God works.

So how does this all fit in with Romans 8:28…simple, most don’t take into consideration what “TO THOSE WHO LOVE GOD”, mean. Romans 8:28 only applies to those who LOVE Him, who are submitted and yielded to His will. This is done through prayer and reading of His word and obedience of course. Kind of like a child who submits to his parents authority, now I can work with that child in guiding him to do what is BEST FOR HIM. As one TRUSTS and is yielded to God’s sovereignty, God does His work IN them (He is the potter I am the clay) and through them. He makes it so ones OUTLOOK and DESIRES are right in lines with His….how much better can you get? That is the GOOD that Paul is talking about….it doesn’t change your circumstances, but it does change your focus which is an ETERNAL FOCUS…no longer one that is on Self or this worldly goods. The other is true too, if you do NOT yield and trust God He CANNOT and WILL NOT do His part and work with you and help you…He may intervene as a way to nudge you and get your attention back to Him…but only true MIRACLES and true PEACE can happen as one is solely focused on Him!...do I want just a part of God’s blessings or ALL?

I do believe that God works all things out for good for the Christian. That statement for those who love God includes all true Christians, imo. But Christians can be disobedient. You seem to be inferring if they are, then God will not work in their life. On the contrary, that is when He does His best work. Look at Abraham. He went down into Egypt, leaving the land of promise, and lied about his wife, but God brought him out. God chastises those whom He loves, and for our good and His glory.

But I agree that sometimes the plithy things we say after a tragic death do more harm than good sometimes. I heard Dr. Jeremiah say the last thing some people want to hear is "that he is in a better place", "it's all for the best", or some such saying. He said most people just want someone to listen. Dr. Jeremiah said that he visited a friend that had experienced a tragedy of losing a loved one unexpectedly and just listened. That person told him that he really felt better after the visit, but Jeremiah said he hardly uttered two words to the man, just listened. We think we have to give words of wisdom, but most people just want to know someone cares.

 

[Matt22:37-39]

I found this article and it is very good and is what I believe

http://theotherjournal.com/2012/02/27/randomness-and-assurance-does-everything-happen-for-a-reason/

"Given that Jesus is the one and only perfect revelation of God (e.g., Heb. 1:3), our understanding of God’s conflict with opposing forces should be based primarily on his ministry. Jesus spent his entire ministry among people who in one way or another were suffering. Yet he never once suggested that their suffering was “for a reason.” Never do we find any suggestion that people’s afflictions somehow fit into a grand divine plan. To the contrary, Jesus and the Gospel authors uniformly diagnosed people’s afflictions as being due to the work of Satan and/or demons (e.g., Mark 9:25 and Luke 11:14 and 13:11–16).[9] And far from suggesting that people’s afflictions had anything to do with God’s will, Jesus manifested the will of God by freeing people from their demonically influenced infirmities...

 

[Matt22:37-39]

Just because one is saved doesn't mean they automatically LOVE God, the one who loves God seeks, His will and obeys Him. The bible is clear about this. Not many Christians doing that these days. Yes God can do miracles for them and help them and do what He can to DRAW them back to Him.
But like I said, He cannot and will not make a believer LOVE Him.

For the one who LOVES God, and SEEKS Him, is the one God can WORK FOR GOOD in their life. For one reason this is true is because if one isn't walking with God in the areas I have said then how will that person even see the GOOD God is doing?...get it?

Like I said I have kids and if they decide to do their own thing and go their own way... I cannot help them and often times it is a known fact.... let's say someone who is on drugs who needs help often REJECTS the help that is offered them, even though those around them LOVE them and want to help them....Think of the potter and clay analogy.

 

[Gregory Perry Sr.]

Yes and AMEN

I do believe that God works all things out for good for the Christian. That statement for those who love God includes all true Christians, imo. But Christians can be disobedient. You seem to be inferring if they are, then God will not work in their life. On the contrary, that is when He does His best work. Look at Abraham. He went down into Egypt, leaving the land of promise, and lied about his wife, but God brought him out. God chastises those whom He loves, and for our good and His glory.

But I agree that sometimes the plithy things we say after a tragic death do more harm than good sometimes. I heard Dr. Jeremiah say the last thing some people want to hear is "that he is in a better place", "it's all for the best", or some such saying. He said most people just want someone to listen. Dr. Jeremiah said that he visited a friend that had experienced a tragedy of losing a loved one unexpectedly and just listened. That person told him that he really felt better after the visit, but Jeremiah said he hardly uttered two words to the man, just listened. We think we have to give words of wisdom, but most people just want to know someone cares.

Bronco...God bless you for sharing those wise remarks. I think the comments Dr.Jeremiah spoke just further illustrate the truth of the matter that God gave us TWO ears and only ONE tongue for more/better reasons than just to make our heads look nice. We usually get the wisdom of the use of both completely backwards. Sometimes the best advise is found in a broad shoulder and a handy box of tissues.:saint:

Bro.Greg

 

[Matt22:37-39]

I agree with this...

But I agree that sometimes the plithy things we say after a tragic death do more harm than good sometimes. I heard Dr. Jeremiah say the last thing some people want to hear is "that he is in a better place", "it's all for the best", or some such saying. He said most people just want someone to listen. Dr. Jeremiah said that he visited a friend that had experienced a tragedy of losing a loved one unexpectedly and just listened. That person told him that he really felt better after the visit, but Jeremiah said he hardly uttered two words to the man, just listened. We think we have to give words of wisdom, but most people just want to know someone cares.

...But I am still right in the fact that if we exercise our free will and go our own way God cannot do the "GOOD" he has for us...example: A Christian couple loses a child to abduction, rape, then murder....they can be bitter and walk away from God and allow such a tragedy to ruin their lives, even hating the one who did it....they will never UNDERSTAND why this happened, there is NO REASON possible that anyone can explain on WHY this happened...except pure evil.

But if that person turns to God and seeks His will in all of it...it can be USED (God CAUSES All Things To Work Together For GOOD To Those Who LOVE God) to bring others to Christ by their faithfulness and testimony....and they can take ACTION of some mind so it doesn't happen to others, they can even forgive the one who did this and by their love bring the offender to Christ...now which one did God work FOR GOOD?...now do you get it?...as long as we FIGHT God's will which everyone does at times...then He CANNOT work the GOOD in you that He wants...that is just pure bible truth right there!

 

[Matt22:37-39]

Here reason with me for a minute.

Why did Paul use the words TO THOSE WHO LOVE GOD?

Why didn't he use the words BELIEVER, BRETHREN, (like he did in a few verses before) SAINT, or any other word Paul would usually use to describe a child of God. No he said, To Those Who LOVE God.

What did Jesus say?...He said "IF YOU LOVE ME YOU WOULD OBEY ME" speaking to those who were already His....so obviously not everyone who is saved loves God the way they should.

Let's look at the verses before hand he is talking about those walk in the FLESH and those who walk in the SPIRIT obviously the one who walks in the SPIRIT LOVES GOD.

That is the one God can work out the "GOOD" in their life...not the one walking in the flesh...need to take the verse within it's context to get the true meaning.

Just saying...


Romans 8

King James Version (KJV)

8 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

[Matt22:37-39]

Please let me make a clarification, I understand what everyone is saying and I agree that OVERALL God does have a plan for our lives from day one and He does have control over all things and he is sovereign...what I am saying is He is LIMITED in what He can and can't do, according to His whole character....for instance.

GOD CANNOT LIE

HE CANNOT GO AGAINST HIS NATURE

HE CANNOT PUPPETEER MANKIND TO LOVE HIM

God is Holy, Righteous and Just..but He is also Loving, Merciful and Kind. So when God does something it must coincide with the opposite part of His nature. For instance....

It always bothered me, why did the dude who touch the ARK die? That wasn't very nice...but he was being disobedient as he knew better. I also saw how God's HOLINESS superseded mans disobedience.

Kind of like our laws in our country today...we are told to OBEY these laws according to Romans 13...but NEVER at the extent of God's word and God's laws....does that make sense? The gospel alone is a great example of how He was able to take the gap of mans SIN and God's HOLINESS and make it work out so He doesn't contradict Himself. I can give many examples of how God's ways show he is always consistent with His nature...now that being said, this is why I understand Romans 8:28 the way I do as has it not only been revealed to me by God, but my life experience have taught me so as well.

Have I been hurt? More than anyone can know.

From day one....what I have learned from injustice, pain, abandonment, near death experiences etc is (I should write about this) that no matter what I go through, who hurts me, how unfair life is etc. I know that I am GODS CHILD and I am responsible for ME and the choices I make with God's guidance....I got saved at 22 and am now 49...I have been through more than anyone can imagine to mainly no fault of my own...but obviously it all being a PLAN from God for my life, my writing and insight being one of them, I am told. God has called me (and I am sure other Christians) to be TRUE to WHO I am while at the same time..OBEYING those 2 commandments Jesus said..."Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind and others as yourself"...That is what I am called to do not matter what SATAN throws my way...and boy does he....and I think I am been faithful in this area, as you can see it is a pet peeve of mine not to.

God has taught me that I can go my own way if I want (yes, from being hurt by those who said they loved God but didn't show it or live it) I can go back to my old ways and I did a bit, but because like Romans 8:28--- says I was Predestined to be His and He FOREKNEW me (LOVED ME) He wasn't going to let me get too far, before His love drew me back to Him....like the Israelites in the desert, they didn't have to wander and go around in circles, if they had ONLY obey and done what was right and LOVED God they would have made it to the PROMISE LAND (God just now gave this analogy to me and is a good one ...and experience all that was GOOD...the milk and honey and over plentiful goodness. But no they chose to go there own way even though they were God's people and never experienced the GOOD God wanted for them.

See what I am saying....the GOOD that God wants from me and you and the Israelites....is for us to LOVE Him so much that no matter what trials Satan throws out way...God will be there to work it out for GOOD cause our EYES are on him and not our circumstances....that is the GOOD God wants from all His children....HIS GOOD!.....not ours...ours in the sense of more money, status, pleasures and stuff like that...but His GLORIFICATION!


Hope that helps.

 

[Matt22:37-39]

CORRECTION...Meant to say...EXPENSE not Extent

"Kind of like our laws in our country today...we are told to OBEY these laws according to Romans 13...but NEVER at the EXPENSE of God's word and God's laws....does that make sense?"

 

[12strings]

I found this article and it is very good and is what I believe

http://theotherjournal.com/2012/02/27/randomness-and-assurance-does-everything-happen-for-a-reason/

"Given that Jesus is the one and only perfect revelation of God (e.g., Heb. 1:3), our understanding of God’s conflict with opposing forces should be based primarily on his ministry. Jesus spent his entire ministry among people who in one way or another were suffering. Yet he never once suggested that their suffering was “for a reason.” Never do we find any suggestion that people’s afflictions somehow fit into a grand divine plan. To the contrary, Jesus and the Gospel authors uniformly diagnosed people’s afflictions as being due to the work of Satan and/or demons (e.g., Mark 9:25 and Luke 11:14 and 13:11–16).[9] And far from suggesting that people’s afflictions had anything to do with God’s will, Jesus manifested the will of God by freeing people from their demonically influenced infirmities...

There was the instance where the disciples asked why the man was born blind, and Jesus said it was not because of sin, but that God might be glorified.

 

[Matt22:37-39]

Thanks for proving my point ...lol

I never said that wasn't true, but God wasn't glorified till the BLIND MAN had FAITH in Jesus, then his sight was healed and THEN God was glorified...if the blind man NEVER put his faith and trust in Jesus then God couldn't be glorified any more than when the Israelites couldn't go into the PROMISE LAND because of their disbelief....they weren't showing their LOVE because of lack of faith....same with the parents of the child I mentioned who was abducted, raped and murdered....they could turn away from God and go their own way, or they can place their faith therefore showing their love and then God can work through them to glorify Himself.

That is the whole point and thank you for giving yet another example of how God works for GOOD to those who LOVE Him...the blind man showed his LOVE by his faith and that is when Jesus did a GOOD WORK...not before!

I hope this helps...

 

[12strings]

Thanks for proving my point ...lol

I never said that wasn't true, but God wasn't glorified till the BLIND MAN had FAITH in Jesus, then his sight was healed and THEN God was glorified...if the blind man NEVER put his faith and trust in Jesus then God couldn't be glorified any more than when the Israelites couldn't go into the PROMISE LAND because of their disbelief....they weren't showing their LOVE because of lack of faith....same with the parents of the child I mentioned who was abducted, raped and murdered....they could turn away from God and go their own way, or they can place their faith therefore showing their love and then God can work through them to glorify Himself.

That is the whole point and thank you for giving yet another example of how God works for GOOD to those who LOVE Him...the blind man showed his LOVE by his faith and that is when Jesus did a GOOD WORK...not before!

I hope this helps...

1. You are correct, but the man had to be blind for a time before he could be healed and God glorified...so his blindness WAS part of some divine plan...directly contradicting the quote from "theotherjournal":

Jesus spent his entire ministry among people who in one way or another were suffering. Yet he never once suggested that their suffering was “for a reason.” Never do we find any suggestion that people’s afflictions somehow fit into a grand divine plan.

This seems directly at odds with Jesus' reason for the man's blindness.

John 9:3 - Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his
parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him."

2. I don't know that it is exactly right to say that the God would ONLY be glorified if the man had faith. Jesus healed & fed many people, but there is good evidence in the Gospels that many of them were not true believers...however Jesus is still receiving glory for those miracles today...even for giving some people physical benefits who were not really true believers. So God getting glory for a miracle is not dependent on man's faith.