“How Long . . . Must I Cry for Help?”
“I just want the pain to stop!” wept Jayne. She had cancer, and it was spreading through her body. How her family and friends wished they could simply remove her disease and her agony! They prayed to God to help her. Would he listen? Did he care?
GOD is aware of the condition of the human family. His Word, the Bible, says: “All creation keeps on groaning together and being in pain together.” (Romans 8:22) God knows that there are hundreds of millions of people who, like Jayne, are in pain every day, be it physical, emotional, or mental. God sees the 800 million people who go to bed hungry every night, the millions of others who suffer from domestic violence, and the many parents who fret about the future and the welfare of their children. Have you ever wondered whether God will take action? Surely, since we want to help our loved ones, would not God want to help the human family, his creation?If you have asked those same questions, you are not alone. Over 2,600 years ago, a faithful man, Habakkuk, felt as many today do, and he asked God: “How long, O Jehovah, must I cry for help, and you do not hear? How long shall I call to you for aid from violence, and you do not save? Why is it that you make me see what is hurtful, and you keep looking upon mere trouble? And why are despoiling and violence in front of me, and why does quarreling occur, and why is strife carried?” (Habakkuk 1:2, 3) Habakkuk, a Hebrew prophet, witnessed shocking acts of mindless violence and aggression in his day. Today, such acts are everyday news that appalls compassionate people.
Did God belittle Habakkuk’s concerns? No. He listened to Habakkuk’s sincere questions and then comforted and encouraged the distressed man. Jehovah God fortified Habakkuk’s faith with a promise that He will end suffering. God’s message of hope can reassure you too, as it did Jayne and her family. The following articles will answer these questions: How can we be sure that God really cares about us? What will God do to end suffering, and when?
EXTRACTED www.watchtower.org
